Tripods

[MissRed]

Which tripod will you suggest for night photos.
I heard that can't be anything cheap and plastic. Is that true?

[Polar01]

A smart arse answer would be "the same as the ones of daylight", now not to give a smart arse answer see the previous answer.
Mariola if you go the way most do with tripods you will end up over time purchasing 5 to 7 different ones until you get the one you want and each will cost more than the one before. I am on number 3, because I met 2 NG photographers and one of them said this is what you need and why. I took down the info and sure enough I asked the tripod I was using at the time to do something and it failed lost a couple of hours of shots in Iceland. I found this out when I got back at home, ordered the tripod that I now use the next day.
I shoot landscapes and long exposures up to 20 minutes, however I do not shoot the night sky still I need a sturdy base because I shoot in all time of weather conditions and terrain I need that sturdy platform. Cheap and plastic will not cut it, with cheap if a butterfly were to fly pass it would shake and with plastic you add the factor of no strength. Things are cheap for a reason they are make at the lowest cost possible.
I am sure that you will find something in the price range you can afford tripod and head together in the 200-300 pound range if you are serious about your photography other wise 100-150 pound will give you one that you can grow with until it can no longer give what you need.
Another thing go to the upper right corner advance search and type in tripod and you will see a number of post on the subject.

Cheers:

Allan

[Tringa]

Have a look at this range - http://www.redsnapperuk.com/index.html

They are well liked by quite a few, including me. I use the RS-324 Alloy tripod and the RSH-24 3-Way Panning Head, a very sturdy combination.

Dave

[Manfred M]

A tripod, like any other camera gear (or anything else you buy), you get what you pay for and frankly I don't think there is necessarily a "one-size fits all" solution. I own three tripods and to a large extent, I use them four three totally different types of shooting. If I did a lot of indoor studio shooting I would look at another.

1. You want something sturdy that will hold the weight of your camera and the largest lens that you are using;

2. If you are carrying it around you a fair bit would likely want something light weight and compact. Light weight means more expensive (carbon fibre is more expensive, but lighter than aluminum);

3. You want to be able to adjust your camera sitting on the tripod fairly easily, so you will need to get one with a head that is right for your shooting style, camera and lens;

4. You will want to be able to mount / dismount your camera quickly and easily. This means that the head needs a quick release plate.;

5. As you are shooting at night you will want one that you can manipulated in limited lighting; and

6 You will want one that is appropriate for your height.


A lot of pros swear by the Gitzo or Really Right Stuff brands. I've shot with a Gitzo. Bottom line; great gear but super expensive. I know a lot of people that use Manfrotto equipment, but somehow I found that I do not particularly like their tripods, but I do own other Manfrotto equipment. For my use, I found that Benro or Induro (same company) hit the right quality and price point for my use. I have one super lightweight that I use for travel (hiking and trekking) and a larger, heavy duty one that I use when I don't have to carry it as far. Both are carbon fibre tripods.

[proseak]

There's a trade-off with regard to tripods between weight, stability, and price. Getting a tripod that's light and stable is possible, but it won't be cheap

There are two good camera shops in Cambridge, one in Rose Crescent, the other on King's Parade. They're both owned by Campkins, and both worth a visit.

[Nancy Moran G]

Not an expert like some of these guys, but my 2c..
I bought camera and 3 lenses last year. Then, I bought a tripod at Best Buy for $50, thinking I would not use one much.
Boy, was I wrong. I use it alot. (It is a Sunpac) and while it is ok, I found I really need a head that let's me take portrait view!!
So I am looking to upgrade the head to let me take photos at angle other than landscape.
(Any suggestions gladly accepted!)
Good luck,
Nancy

[Manfred M]

Not an expert like some of these guys, but my 2c..
I bought camera and 3 lenses last year. Then, I bought a tripod at Best Buy for $50, thinking I would not use one much.
Boy, was I wrong. I use it alot. (It is a Sunpac) and while it is ok, I found I really need a head that let's me take portrait view!!
So I am looking to upgrade the head to let me take photos at angle other than landscape.
(Any suggestions gladly accepted!)
Good luck,
Nancy

Nancy - I am not familiar with that brand of tripod, so I can't comment on it or the head it uses. One issue with the lower end tripods is that they tend to be be equipped with a non-removable head; usually with the three axes that are adjusted independently. This kind of adjustment mechanism is a bit of a pain to use for portraiture, but certainly has a place in product photography.

For portraiture (and landscape / seascape) work, I find a ballhead works a lot better.

The other issue is that while both a ball head and a 3-axis head usually let you set your camera into a portrait position. it tends to be rather off-balance and you may need to take steps to prevent your camera / tripod from tipping over. What a lot of people (including me) do is buy an "L-bracket" for the camera, which goes into the head's quick release plate.

There are a few makes out there; RRS, Kirk (which is what I use) and Markins come to mind. The downside is that they tend to be expensive and are made for a specific camera make and model. I think there are a few "generic" brackets as well that can be used on different camera models. They also require you to have a quick release mount that is the Arca-Swiss type.

http://www.kirkphoto.com/L-Brackets.html

[chauncey]

Weight of camera/lens are considerations...best to overestimate here for when you upgrade...you will.
For studio work...a heavy video tripod works great and is cheap. Just don't try to carry it camping.
The other guys suggestions are all good, but...my favorite is this. BTW I'm 70 y/o.



I like that video head better than any ball-head that I've ever had.

[rtbaum]

In my opinion, Support is equally as important as lenses and the body. You have shown interest in bird photography and macrophotography. Most of the photographers that are successful in these two fields depend heavily on using a dependable tripod and ballhead combination (or two). If I were to do it all over again, I would have delayed on some lens purchases and spent more for my tripod and head.

I have enjoyed reading your posts and I think that you are on the right path. I will liken learning photography with learning to drive a car. It is best to begin with dependable car that is simple to drive, something like a small sedan with automatic transmission with good tires. As you gain experience, you may find that your needs change. If you have children, you may need a larger car. Maybe you really enjoy driving, you may want a stick shift that hugs the road. You could become mechanically
inclined and decide to make the small sedan the best little sedan that you can (photo processing).

My suggestion is to get the 60D, a good mid-range zoom, a good off camera flash, a sturdy tripod, and photo processing software. Hold off on macro and telephoto for now, both have an extra level of difficulty that are better dealt with by experience, quicker processors, and specialized glass. I am most experienced with macrophotography: the closer that your get to your subject, the narrower the depth of focus becomes. Say I want to photograph a small 2 cm caterpillar on a leaf. Using my 90mm dedicated macro lens, I initially get the little fella framed in a pleasing composition that fills the frame. At this point the tip of my lens is about 15 cm from my subject, at this distance the depth of focus is only a few mm. I have options, I can use a smaller aperture to gain more depth( at the expense of shutter speed) or I can focus stack (shoot a series of photos at different focal points and combine with Photoshop CS4). With a moving caterpillar or a breeze, both techniques are tricky to say the least!!

At this point in your photographic journey, I would put emphasis on the basics of exposure, focus, lighting, and composition.

By the way, I drive a Hyundai

[RustBeltRaw]

Vanguard makes some good stuff. They're a relative newcomer to the tripod market, so their gear isn't as expensive as Gitzo or other high-end manufacturers. I've used, but don't own, one of their tripods, and I can recommend the SBH-250 ball head I use. My main 'pod is a Three-Legged Thing Jack X4a. Tall and stiff, good value, highly reconfigurable. Capacity isn't the greatest, but quite good for the price point. Three-Legged Thing is a great example of a company that doesn't take themselves too seriously, and they make rather good gear. Highly recommended.

Expect to spend about $250+ for anything well-made. Unfortunately, there are a lot of crap tripods out there.

[rpcrowe]

What tripod you select should be determined by what you are planning to photograph using this tripod to support your camera/lens...

If you are planning on simply doing landscapes/cityscapes you do not need quite as sophisticated tripod as you would if you are planning to do close-up/macro photography or planning to follow action using the tripod mounted camera. You simply need a tripod that is steady enough to support the camera/lens even when using slower (longer) shutter speeds.

If you plan to use the tripod to do close-up and or macro photography, a tripod which articulates will allow you to place your camera in an advantageous position.

Likewise, if you plan to follow action using your tripod, you will be well advised to get a tripod/head (the head is the most important in this case) which will allow smooth pans.

Finally, if you are planning to travel with this tripod or do some extensive walking while carrying the rig, you seriously need to consider a tripod that is within your capabilities to carry and which will not overwhelm your baggage allowance if traveling by air...

Many photographers seriously advise getting a very expensive tripod and a good, but, expensive tripod is probably the finest camera support you can get. You cannot go wrong with a tripod by Gitzo.

However, if you need a tripod mainly for shooting landscapes and/or cityscapes, you can get by with a lesser and far less expensive tripod.

Bogen/Manfrotto has produced a series of tripods which are really quite decent, although not light weight. They are the 3001, 3021, and 3011. They can often be found on the used market for $50-$100 U.S. Dollars (U.S.A. eBay prices). These tripods are aluminum and are sturdy but fairly heavy. I had used a Manfrotto 3001P for years before I switched over to a Giottos MT8180 because of its articulating capability. I realize that U.K. and U.S. prices differ but, you might be able to find one of the Manfrotto 30xx tripods used in the U.K. at a decent price...

Adding a decent head would allow you to have a tripod good for landscape/cityscape shooting for less than a king's ransom.

[gredawarha]

Have a look at this range - http://www.redsnapperuk.com/index.html

They are well liked by quite a few, including me. I use the RS-324 Alloy tripod and the RSH-24 3-Way Panning Head, a very sturdy combination.

Dave

I have a redsnapper and I am pretty pleased with it. Not being a professional and not having a lot of money I found it to be decent enough.

I was very impressed with how the company dealt with a problem I had. My panning head sheared away from the connecting screw. Redsnapper were very quick to fully replace the faulty parts with no arguing or complication.

[jcuknz]

A perhaps snide comment on the subject is that good tripods do not have columns and are simply three legs. If you do get a tripod with a column then simply do not use it, or much of it.

I would also suggest that an 'L' bracket is better than a ball head though of course it means time spent un-screwing from one position for the other unless you organise a pair of quick release fittings.

If you are using a long lens then the lens may have a mounting permtting the camera hanging in the air behind to rotate, or you maybe able to get a collar to facilitate this ... my lens does so I didn't need to go to www.srb-griturn.com for an accessory collar. [ I have no interest in them apart as a customer ] -

You could also explore the subject of gimball mounts which are expensive but good

For somebody doing theatre photography and wanting the ability to quickly change between portrait and landscape I suggested and made a fitting out of a heavy gate hinge to mount on the tripod or pan-and-tilt head.

Unless a ballhead has a ball of considerable size I have no confidence in the things .... 'considerable' means expensive. ... perhaps the size of a golfball. Smaller I use to mount flash on but not cameras, and my cameras are lighter than likely yours though I have owned heavier in past times. The smaller the camera the better the support needed unless you work tricks like triggering camera without touching it using cable release or the 10 second delay option. Even if you think the rig is steady the mere holding the camera is likely to prove you wrong and introduce some camera shake.

edit ... a suggestion comes to mind based on when I organised a tripod for my wife and this was buying one that looked reasonable at auction ... for UKP5 I got this mildly damaged thing which turned out to be better than the not-that-good tripod which has served me the past 40 years which cost me perhaps 2/3 of a week's wages when I bought it. Depends on how much you can write off as a mistake which turned out in this case not to be one. We have an on-line auction called TradeMe in NZ but Amazon Uk seems only commercial sales.

edit#2 Found 'e-bid' and this which looks something like what I got... used without the column it has those struts to aid stability.
http://uk.ebid.net/for-sale/cobra-ec...899152.htm#pic
...UKP16.40

[Colin Southern]

It comes down to a number of variables:

- weight of camera equipment

- length of exposure

- weight of tripod (re transport - carry or vehicle)

- Budget.

Personally I use a Gitzo 1548 with RRS BH55 ballhead. Rock solid (I have photos of me swinging from it and standing on it), but it's expensive & heavy - but exposures up to 45 minutes and/or in gale-force winds aren't a problem.

Generally, if you're not needing exposures longer than - say - 1/2 second then any tripod is going to be a LOT better than no tripod (there's definitely a "law of diminishing returns" when it comes to stability -v- price.

Benro make a quality version of Gitzo if it helps.

[jcuknz]

Which tripod will you suggest for night photos.
I heard that can't be anything cheap and plastic. Is that true?

It depends on convieience over stability or the reverse ... with legs not extended, column down I wouldn't look sideways at plastic if it was firm steady plastic .... if you are willing to bend down or place on something steady, as I use my mini-tripod, the plastic could work as well as any other .... it is when you extend the legs and column the engineering needs to be better, much better.

edit .. this is the slightly up-market version of what I have
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Professional...s=Mini-tripods

[Manfred M]

Carefully said, I have two Benro carbon fibre tripods (or technically carbon fiber reinforced polymer), which is technically a high end plastic. The high end tripods tend to be made of this material, so "plastic" covers a wide range of materials. You can get cheap plastic (which will tend to wear out or break) or high end materials, that are very good. The reason carbon fibre reinforced resin is used in tripods is that it is strong, rigid and light weight (Colin's Gitzo 1548 is a carbon fibre construction too).

My Benros are not nearly as good as Colin's Gitzo (note the envious tone), but run about 1/3 of the cost or less. My Benro ball heads are not nearly as good at his RRS BH55, but then I don't take 45 minute exposures. I do drag my gear all over the world into some pretty backward areas, so the tradeoff works for me. That being said, my tripods are not inexpensive either.

[Colin Southern]

Carefully said, I have two Benro carbon fibre tripods (or technically carbon fiber reinforced polymer), which is technically a high end plastic. The high end tripods tend to be made of this material, so "plastic" covers a wide range of materials. You can get cheap plastic (which will tend to wear out or break) or high end materials, that are very good. The reason carbon fibre reinforced resin is used in tripods is that it is strong, rigid and light weight (Colin's Gitzo 1548 is a carbon fibre construction too).

My Benros are not nearly as good as Colin's Gitzo (note the envious tone), but run about 1/3 of the cost or less. My Benro ball heads are not nearly as good at his RRS BH55, but then I don't take 45 minute exposures. I do drag my gear all over the world into some pretty backward areas, so the tradeoff works for me. That being said, my tripods are not inexpensive either.

I read some time ago that Gitzo were going to have their tripods manufactured in China, but for some reason it didn't go ahead -- and some felt that Benro was what one would have got had the deal gone ahead. No idea how true it is. Reviews I've read so far say that the Benro tripod was great quality, but their head left a LOT to be desired.

Just to rub it in some more Manfred, I have my open tripod challenge ... still waiting for someone to "step up to the plate" with a similar "torture test"











In action ...



The result ...

[jcuknz]

Judging from the expression on the young girls face I am glad I do not need any of that gear to enjoy my pastime
I gave all that away when I sold my 7ft Debrie tripod [ no column, wooden construction ] with its P&T head which used handles to activate along with its wooden 35mm motion picture camera which also needed a handle to operate ... a beautiful antique.

My mini-tripod would have happilly sat on that flat rock at 7.30 o'clock from the camera without getting its feet wet.

A difference in our approaches that I wouldn't bother to take such a shot becuase I don't have a market but with an idea for phantasy I combined a shot taken at Niagara Falls with one of a local stream
'Dreaming of the Big Time'

Niagara with my Canon P&S of that trip through a horribly green tinted hotel window from the 30th floor as the sun broke through the middle of a snow storm and subsequently the Nikon 5700.

[Manfred M]

I read some time ago that Gitzo were going to have their tripods manufactured in China, but for some reason it didn't go ahead -- and some felt that Benro was what one would have got had the deal gone ahead. No idea how true it is. Reviews I've read so far say that the Benro tripod was great quality, but their head left a LOT to be desired.

I would agree with your assessment on Benro / Induro (I understand that they are the same company). The legs are pretty good, but I wish that they made the units a bit taller and provided a columnless option. They are definitely targeting the photographer who looks for portability and some of their design decisions are definitely in line with that philiosophy.

I have three of their heads, and the issue is more the size (nicely said, these are made for the travel market as well) so they are small too, which means there are some clamping challanges. I have one of their larger heads, which works a lot better. That being said, I still feel they are not in the same class as RRS, Kirk, Markins or Novoflex. It really is a case of you get hat you pay for...

[Colin Southern]

I would agree with your assessment on Benro / Induro (I understand that they are the same company). The legs are pretty good, but I wish that they made the units a bit taller and provided a columnless option. They are definitely targeting the photographer who looks for portability and some of their design decisions are definitely in line with that philiosophy.

Hi Manfred,

Take a look at this ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MIMCFVlbEz8 (scrub to 4:30) - see what you think.

Traditionally, people always pan center column tripods, but I suspect it's one of those "depends on the situation & the tripod" things; On one hand I wouldn't be too keen to have one extended for a multi-minute exposure in a stiff breeze, but on the other hand it would be great to have for a strobed shot in the studio. In as much as I love the Gitzo 1548 for landscape, it's a royal PITA in the studio doing people and product shots because it doesn't have a centre column.

I have three of their heads, and the issue is more the size (nicely said, these are made for the travel market as well) so they are small too, which means there are some clamping challanges. I have one of their larger heads, which works a lot better. That being said, I still feel they are not in the same class as RRS, Kirk, Markins or Novoflex. It really is a case of you get hat you pay for...

I agree. I think the RRS BH55 is probably the "ducks nuts" of heads - damn nice piece of kit.