Budget tripod recommendations?

[Viridian]

I'm planning on buying a Canon powershot elph 300 hs. But I'm going to need a nice tripod for a decent price, I don't really have a budget, but I'd rather have it be kind of cheap but usable. Thanks in advance!

[mariaramil]

What is your budget?

[mariaramil]

Actually, I have just checked your camera: under 150g... not too heavy at all.
What kind of pictures are you planning? Could you manage with a table tripod? they are cheap and light to carry around.
If you are planning landscapes in windy weather, though, I would consider a reasonable tripod, over 1 or 2 Kg, for stability. Perhaps second hand would suit your pocket?

[Viridian]

I'd rather not have a table tripod, I'm planning on using it for recording my band. I'll most likely be using it for macro shots and landscape shots. I can go around or under let's say... 50 dollars? if there's nothing for that price range, I can raise it.

[Ricco]

I bought a Glanz TS6823 tripod about 6 months ago for about $120 (AUS) new. It has carbon fibre legs and seems to me to be a good solid budget tripod.

It isn't ideal and wouldn't mix with the top end stuff but for my purposes it is a good mix of cost and quality.

[Andrew1]

In any price range you will find quite a few manufacturers and in that price range most will be pretty much as good as any other. Just purchase one with the amount of money you have and you'll get one equivalent to just about any other. For $50 don't count on getting anything too fancy or a long term investment. Try the used market in your area for a better deal.

[mariaramil]

I'd rather not have a table tripod, I'm planning on using it for recording my band.

Well, depending on how 'vibrant' your music is, you may be better off spending over your budget and getting a worthy tripod (they last longer than cameras and you may want to use it in future).
When I got my new camera I was embarrassed by my budget tripod (it was cheap and ...just about coped with my previous camera)... it was impossible to get steady pics... I was forced to fork out for a proper one... and my pics improved instantly. You never know, but ... tripods don't go out of fashion like other technology... Go for it and invest properly if you can.

[krispix]

There's a simple truism. "Buy cheap. Buy twice"
When it comes to things like tripods which don't wear out or date like cameras, always buy the very best you afford even if your present camera looks silly perched on top of it. It can never be too stable and, in future you may advance to a bigger, heavy and, dare I say it, better camera - then you'll already have a decent tripod to fix it to.

[tclune]

I seem to be about the only person around here who is happy with cheap tripods. I bought a Samsonite aluminum tripod over twenty years ago for something like $10 that I still use. I got a second tripod a few years ago, a Benro, because I wanted a different head. The Benro is a ball head and the Samsonite was a pan and tilt head. I still use the Samsonite -- I mounted my macro rails on it (I find pan and tilt much more natural for macro work), and use the Benro for general tripod work other than that. The Benro has a quick release, which is very nice, and the Samsonite doesn't. In either case, if you are using the tripod for still photos, you'll want to get a remote release. I use a cable release because I trust them more than the TV remote style thingies, but either kind will alow you to shoot your photo without jiggling the camera. Otherwise, you have to use the timer to release the shutter, which I find to be a PITA.

I have used a couple of travel-style tripods with P&S cameras -- the gorillapod, which I found completely useless, and a beanbag-style thing that was perfectly serviceable for a P&S, but doesn't scale up well for SLR use.

A few years back, I came across a blog that struck me as eminently sensible about tripods. Here it is:http://www.prime-junta.net/pont/Pont...ipods_101.html

FWIW

[steve40]

None of the cheapie tripods last very long, are not stable, and not very versatile. Usually they come with a rather cheesy, pan and tilt head. When I bought my G12, I already had two rather cheap tripods for then; my cheapie small cameras.

But not wanting to risk my $500 investment, I bought a Manfrotto 190XPROB. As some have said, overkill. But personally I don’t feel that way, the wind will not blow it over, and it will wear both me and the G12 out. One of my sons will probably get to wear it out, long after I have departed this World. Besides I may decide one day, to buy a DSLR.

While this tripod may not be even close to your budget, you need to buy something better than that will afford. There are a couple of budget tripods, I mention on my website you might look at; B&H sells them both. http://steveslandscapes.50webs.com/index_7.html

[Viridian]

Thanks for the opinions, I think now, I'll save more money and increase my budget for tripods to get something that will last until I can get a DSLR.

[Dubyacee]

Go to Best Buy or someplace similar and get a tripod in the $50 or less range. For heaven's sake you are using a light P&S camera and you aren't likely to be dragging a tripod around all that much. With reasonable care it should last 20 or 30 years, unless you step on it or otherwise abuse it. I've got a $30 tripod from my film days that is still quite useful albeit kinda worn. Just go to a store and try out a few.

[Glenn NK]

When I finally woke up and realized the advice of experienced photographers was worth taking, I found that I was pining for what hopefully would be my last tripod. The problem was that I already had three pretty decent tripods, so I took them to the camera shop where I mostly deal, and sold them by consignment. Three people got pretty decent tripods for less than half price.

If you live near a fairly decent camera shop, there's a good chance they will have a tripod on consignment sale.

Or you can buy a mediocre one that's new, and start your own collection.

Glenn

[gerryquiff]

Like Glan above, I'd recommend having a look at buying second hand from a camera shop. Many will be traded in for lighter models.

I've been using a 2nd hand benbo trekker for years, and wouldn't swap it for any other.