My First Tripod. Recommendations please.

[ham]

I have no idea what to look for in a tripod, but I'm getting to the point where I want to try a bit more landscape photography.

I might have a pretty unique opportunity in the coming months to go onto the roof of pretty tall building in London.

Is there an undisputed king of the pods? Brands I should look for? Features?

[patham]

One of the most important things for a tripod is the weight of the gear you plan on attaching to it. If you can tell us what camera/lens(es) you plan on using with the tripod that would be a great place to start.

[ham]

Sorry, currently only have a 60d + 15-85mm IS USM. So nothing heavy at all. I don't anticipate any heavier purchases in the near future either, only possibilities are a speedlight (which would probably end up off the camera) or a macro lens (which I don't expect to be significantly heavier than my current lens).

Probably also worth pointing out that by stressing that this will be my first tripod, I mean I don't want to spend a huge amount to find I only use it the once and then it gathers dust in a cupboard.

[neuroanatomist]

Well, the undisputed king of tripods would be Gitzo, for the legs at any rate. For the head, there's some debate - contenders would be Really Right Stuff, Kirk, Markins, and Arca-Swiss (but notably, not Gitzo). Gitzo legs and a RRS head will run you $1K or so.

IMO, Manfrotto offers the best compromise between quality and value (they're owned by the same parent company as Gitzo, made in Italy). A good set of carbon fiber legs and a head can be had for $400, aluminum legs for much less. Other names to look at are Benro and Induro.

Can you also give us an idea of the amount of money you're willing to spend? One consideration there - if you spend $100 on a cheap tripod, I can almost guarantee that it will end up in a cupboard gathering dust. Cheap tripods aren't worth the money.

Personally, I started with a Manfrotto 190CXPRO4 with a 488RC2 head. I still have the legs, but I've switched to a 468MG head with a Wimberley C-12 clamp for Arca-Swiss type plates. I'd call that setup 'very good' in terms of quality, but not 'excellent'. It's certainly sufficient for my needs (which includes supporting a gripped body and large white zoom - 70-200L II, 100-400L, or 28-300L), and the total kit would run $630 new from B&H, including one P-5 camera plate.

[ham]

As always, great info.

I couldn't give you a price really because until your post I hadn't any idea what the going rates were. Carbon fibre really won't be necessary I don't think, weight saving isn't an issue so much as ensuring I get something decent which won't be extortionate.

You say best of the best runs at upwards of a grand and that something costing £100 will be rubbish, but how about the middle ground? How much would I have to spend to get some thing that I won't regret buying? Are we talking 200-300? Or more like 400-500?

What are the factors that make the extra money worth spending? Purely stability and usability? Or things like weight and strength?

Sorry for all the questions, massively lacking in tripod knowledge.

[ChadS]

@Ham is this all studio work or do you intend to carry this thing? The Carbon fiber is very nice if you plan to lug it anywhere since the rigidity per weight is much better on carbon fiber tubes than metal. However, you can get very nice, heavy, solid tripods made in aluminum (or even steel!) if you only want to work in one place. Generally, 'pods without a telescoping center post are more rigid than those with - but you'll find lots with that are acceptable. It's all a matter of what you want to shoot and how slowly you want to pull the shutter. If you're doing video the smoothness of the panning motion, etc. is important. Not so much for stills. Your equipment isn't heavy so you'll probably do fine if you triple or quadruple the weight and find a tripod that is rated for that mass. Then even crappy stuff can work reasonably well - again, if you're staying in one place.

[Black_Dog]

About 8 years ago I purchased a Bogen/Manfrotto 3021 tripod on eBay with the intention of upgrading to a better tripod later. That day has never come. I really haven't felt the need to upgrade. While there are high-tech options out there, the 3021 is quite stable (holds 13.2 lbs / 6 kg), durable, versatile, and comparatively inexpensive. If I were backpacking hours or days into remote locations for landscape shoots, I would definitely want something smaller and lighter. But I don't anymore so it isn't worth the exorbitant expense of carbon fiber. I'd rather spend my money on things that will actually improve image quality - lenses, speedlites/modifiers, or camera bodies.

[neuroanatomist]

How much would I have to spend to get some thing that I won't regret buying? Are we talking 200-300? Or more like 400-500?

What are the factors that make the extra money worth spending? Purely stability and usability? Or things like weight and strength?

I'd say £200 at a minimum, £400-500 would be better.

For the legs, the extra money gets you added stability with less weight (carbon fiber is lighter than aluminum but transmits vibrations less). An added plus is that CF doesn't transfer heat well, meaning it doesn't freeze your hands like aluminum (which transfers heat very well, and that's why my Calphalon cookware is aluminum). CF legs are much easier to carry, meaning it's more likely you'll bring the tripod with you.

For the head, the extra money gets you stability. A less expensive head will droop, either when you let go of the camera or over time, or both. With better heads, when you lock them down, they stay put. A head clamp that's compatible with the Arca-Swiss system is a good long-term investment - that's an industry standard (although neither Gitzo nor Manfrotto adhere to it), so camera plates, L-brackets if you get them, lens plates if you get them, will all be compatible with many other types of heads.

Looking at Jessops for some costs, here's what I'd recommend as a starter set:

• Manfrotto 055XPROB = £105
• Manfrotto 498RC2 = £87
• TOTAL = £192

You might want to read this article, which advises just getting the best from the start, and makes some good points. But take a rational approach (and keep in mind that the author just assumes you'll chuck the gear you don't want anymore into the bin, instead of selling it to recoup some of the loss).

As a mid-level solution, I'd consider:

• Manfrotto 190CXPRO4 = £200 (if you're over 175cm tall, the 055CXPRO4 = £300 would be better)
• Manfrotto 498 = £80 (note - just the 498, without RC# clamp/plate)
• Wimberley C-12 clamp = £65 (note - the Wimberley distributor in the UK is bobrigby.com)
• Wimberley P-5 plate = £44
• TOTAL = £389-489

One more suggestion - go into a shop and try some out. Manfrotto uses lever-locks for the legs, other brands use twist-locks. Play with the heads. See how easy it is to extend/collapse the legs. Find something that's comfortable for you to use.

Hope that helps...

[Dave Throgmartin]

A very detailed Manfrotto 055XPROB and 488RC2 (new version would be 498RC2) is available here.

http://photography-on-the.net/forum/...d.php?t=529785

I had this setup given to me for my birthday and it seems very solid.

Dave

[ham]

This isn't studio work. I struggle calling it work either, I've only been taking pictures semi-seriously since April/May.

I've been given the opportunity to go somewhere very cool to do a bit of dusk/dawn cityscape shots and sm realising the limitations of hand holding. However, my trips out which are entirely photography based are few and far between, so spending loads on something needs to be worth my while.

That £200 starter kit sounds good, when I'm at my laptop I'll have a proper look.

Thanks for the help one and all, feel free to chuck some more opinions at me though.