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02/09/2011 03:10:08 PM · #1 |
For a few months now I've been using a crappy tripod that I bought at a car boot sale for £4. LOL
I just can't trust it now with my new camera and don't to risk it falling over or anything so I need to look into buying a new one. I won't be using it for extreme landscapes or anything lol but want something stable.
I don't know where to start really, I just want a stable tripod that will keep everything safe and am looking to spend no more than (edit) £50 hopefully.
Any ideas/recommendations?
What about something like this? Manfrotto 725B
Message edited by author 2011-02-09 15:52:23. |
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02/09/2011 03:28:47 PM · #2 |
I think you'll have a hard time finding a quality tripod with head for that money. Perhaps the used market is the place to look?
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02/09/2011 03:39:29 PM · #3 |
| Yeh I wouldn't mind buying used for cheaper to be honest. What kind of qualities am I looking for in a decent tripod? |
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02/09/2011 03:55:08 PM · #4 |
A cheap tripod can look like a better one in many cases. A couple of things that identify a cheapie are more plastic parts and the legs will be fairly thin and lightweight aluminum. Fully extended there is often some wobble. Leg locks may not hold well. Other than the big names like Manfrotto and Gitzo, I'm not sure what good smaller names you have in the UK that you can find.
Perhaps something like my Frankenfrotto may be up your alley. It's a Manfrotto 785B, which you can probably find used for your budget. The head is not suitable for a DSLR however. Don't even think of it. The center column includes a built in plastic ballhead meant for a bridge camera or camcorder. I replaced the center column on mine with different one that I could put a better head onto. I have since bought a much better Benro A-198, but Frankenfrotto still makes a convenient lightweight travel tripod.
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02/09/2011 04:06:13 PM · #5 |
I spent what felt at the time like a lot of money on a Manfrotto 190XPROB and a 496RC2 ball head (around £130 total I think).
Whilst I found it hard to part with the cash I have never looked back or regretted it. Fast to deploy, really study, can splay the legs out to ground level and it has an ajustable centre column which runs horizontally as well as vertically.
A fabulous tripod.
There's one on ebay for not much more than your budget (albeit a different style head).
Message edited by author 2011-02-09 16:07:32. |
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02/09/2011 04:17:02 PM · #6 |
I have a TOPMAN 3230 Built like a tank it has a couple of in build spirit levels and a great high extension cost me $100 nz. its the best buy in tripodsI have ever had and I have had my share of tripods
Message edited by author 2011-02-09 16:18:23.
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02/09/2011 10:18:20 PM · #7 |
The 190XPROB already suggested is a very nice one for a relatively reasonable cost. If you buy used, as Steve noted, make sure to check the locks on the legs to ensure they work nicely. I would suggest getting flip locks, as they are more user friendly (I've got twist legs myself, and know they can at times be frustrating). Typically if you can torque the legs easily (grab the end of the leg, extended or not, and try to twist the leg) it's a garbage tripod and not worth your time. Also don't waste your time getting a tripod that has braces between the legs and the center column.
You should think about the maximum height a bit too (without including the height gained by extending the center column, which will make things unstable). You'll find yourself frustrated if, later on, your tripod isn't high enough for you to use without stooping. It sounds trivial but it adds up over time. The taller you are, the more pressing this is.
For heads, consider what sorts of lenses you think you may get. If you're leaning towards big telephotos, your choice is going to be very different and a good deal pricier. Ball vs pan/tilt is going to be a preference thing. Pan-tilt are generally cheaper for the same amount of support, but slower to operate (though with higher precision).
Ultimately, my advice is that a tripod is something that everybody wants to skimp on and everybody buys a crappy $4 one and destroys it in frustration or it breaks simply of its own terribleness. I'd tell anybody who buys a tripod to increase their initial budget, because what they initially think is "good enough," is not. It sucks, but its true.
All things being equal, a heavier tripod will almost always be more stable (with the exception of carbon fiber which attenuates by nature of its composition). Remember that with tripods, you can only choose two characteristics out of these three: Cheap Stable Light
Message edited by author 2011-02-09 22:18:38. |
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02/09/2011 10:49:16 PM · #8 |
I use the 190XDB and love it, would love the XPROB alot more, Got myne in a kit for 100 USD with a head that has a very smooth pan but the cruddiest tilt ever. Cant say I would ever need to replace the one i have except to get the center column flip.
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02/09/2011 11:25:30 PM · #9 |
Originally posted by adamelliott111:
What kind of qualities am I looking for in a decent tripod? |
The #1 quality to look for in a tripod is stability...
The #2 quality to look for in a tripod is stability...
The #3 quality to look for in a tripod is stability.
If it can't hold your cameras steady then its a waste of money and nothing else matters. Any shake outdoors and it ruins your pictures
Manfrotto legs and heads are generally high quality, good stuff.
I have Manfrotto 190XPROB legs with a Manfrotto 222 pistol-grip ball head and it works OK. It is reasonably light and duck-soup fast setting up from a few inches off the ground for ground-level macros to about 6 feet above. It especially shines with ease of use and great flexibility that I believe the 725B does NOT have.
It was middle of the road when I bought it.
My Canon 5DII with a long lens mounted pushed its outdoor stability limits, especially if the camera is side mounted off its center of gravity. I do not think the 725B has that problem other than tilting the ball head 90 degrees from upright.
NOTE: I see lawrysimm already talked about the 190XPROB. I obviously concur with him. :)
Message edited by author 2011-02-09 23:33:42. |
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02/09/2011 11:26:30 PM · #10 |
| My significant other (usually smarter than myself) uses a 190proxb and loves it.. I use the 055proxb, which is the same exact thing, except supersized.. I have no complaints about hers at all. Mine is even better, but it shows in the weight department. |
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