Tripods - so many choices...

[Fleshpiston]

The saddle of my mountain-bike is also good (provided I'm not sitting on it at the time).

Have you tried a Gorrilapod? Thought about snagging one for that very reason.

[carregwen]

Have you tried a Gorrilapod? Thought about snagging one for that very reason.

I have one of those, and they are very good provided you can get the right height by placing it on something other than the ground. They are very sturdy, and you can wrap the legs around things like fence posts - although personally I always think there's something a bit pervy about doing that...

[Dave Humphries]

Have you tried a Gorrilapod? Thought about snagging one for that very reason.

I have wondered about those, but convinced myself that one big enough (if made) to take a DSLR (500 - 700g) and decent lens (mine are about 600 - 750g) probably wouldn't quite hold that lot at all orientations and costs as much as a cheap tripod anyway.

[Jim B.]

I have one of these:
http://www.huntsphotoandvideo.com/de...=GoogleSitemap

I've used it a couple of times and it works "as advertised".

[Dave Humphries]

I have one of these:
http://www.huntsphotoandvideo.com/de...=GoogleSitemap

I've used it a couple of times and it works "as advertised".

Interesting device - never seen that before, thanks Jim

[timo2]

Me too, never seen one, looks good.

[bisso7]

I recently purchased a Sunpak tripod, but I'm not so sure I'm 100% satisfied with it. It's the "Platinum Plus Ultra 7500TM." What I don't like most about it is it's almost 6 lbs and kind of bulky to carry around. I do like, however, that its maximum height is 6', which is perfect for me. I'm also not so sure I like how it's built. I keep debating on whether or not to return it. I'm trying to stay under $100, as I'm very much a beginner in all of this. I'm a bit unsure as to what to do. I'm going to FL the first week in July, and I'd like to have a tripod with me for the trip. Any advice would be appreciated...

[kdoc856]

Jeff,

Good luck with your search- I have found it to be surprisingly difficult. Excellent tripods certainly are available, but are shockingly expensive. I warn you against trying to do it cheaply- they always seem to fail when you need the most delicate adjustment. I'm on my third, and am looking toward my fourth, planning to bite the bullet, save my pennies and buy something I'd previously ruled out due to expense.

My current pod is a Sunpak Pro 423PX. It was about $150 (US), has a quick release mechanism and a pistol grip. I can certainly get my cameras on and off quickly, and with lightning speed swivel to almost where I need to be. That's where the magic ends. Fine-tuning my leveling and positioning is painfully imprecise, and I just cant confidently get rid of "creeping" in the vertical orientation. I'm planning to relegate it to my travel kit (it's quite light), and spend some coin on a heavier, more precise unit in the near future.

My nutshell advice to you is this: cheap tripods will just break your heart and cost you money

Good luck,

Kevin

[bisso7]

Thanks for your message, Kevin. You hit the proverbial nail on the head in your last statement about cheap tripods breaking the heart and costing money. Though it's not top of the line, I just spent nearly $800 on a new DSLR and telephoto lens, and so though I do not want to over spend, I DO want to buy a tripod that is, at least, half-way reliable to protect my investment and give decent results as I further my experience.

[Manfred M]

I think the old adage that the rich man buys once and the poor man buys many times is true for tripods.

Cheap tripods are made of aluminum and do tend to weigh a fair bit. If you want light weight, carbon fiber is the way to go, but even "low end" ones are easily twice the price of aluminum ones. If you are a bit tight for cash, remember that good tripods come in two parts. The legs and the head. You might want to consider getting a good set of legs, that will last you a lifetime and get a lower end head that you can replace when you have the money down the road. That way you will not be throwing away all of your investment.

While I am not a great fan of their equipment, Manfrotto does make some pretty decent lower end gear and does give you an upgrade path. Benro / Induro are very much Gitzo knock-offs and if you look at the aluminum line, they make a pretty cost effective solution.

[Dizzy]

I've been using the Ravelli APGL 4 with good success. It is not lightweight, as it
weighs 10 lbs., but it is absolutely rock-solid, and if need be it's strong enough to whack
a black bear on the noggin' to keep him from chewing on me.

http://www.amazon.com/Ravelli-APGL4-...ywords=ravelli

For lightweight excursions you might consider a good Monopod, as you can buy a quality
monopod and head for under $125.

[Glenn NK]

I'm trying to stay under $100, as I'm very much a beginner in all of this.

Most things I learned in photography brought me delight - one of the sad things I learned is that a cheap tripod is just that - in all ways - and it just brings frustration.

I spent too much on tripods that were cheaper than the one I have now - I could have saved money by just biting the bullet and getting it in the first place.

The links I posted in post number 3 are well worth reading right through - particularly this one:

http://www.bythom.com/support.htm

I learned the lesson the hard way, and respectfully suggest that $100 won't buy anything but disappointment.

Glenn