how to choose a suitable tripod?

hoekeat · 1st April 2005

I've been shopping for a while for a good tripod and kind of eyeing on the Manfrotto 190 series. But cant decide on which head to get. There arent much choice in Malaysia here and the choices in Manfrotto are just overwhelming. There is high possibility i might drop by Spore to make a purchase myself.

So, what combination do u guys suggest for me? I have a D70, a couple of lens.

Witness · 1st April 2005

eh...manageable weight...can support ya camera w no probs.....height...

and functions for marcro or anyting...and ease of use....diff kinds of heads

and most all price...

d70 most prob try the manfrotto 190 series or slik able 300 or 500 dx

can go down to cp and take a look lo
see wat works for u...

cheers

ricohflex · 2nd April 2005

hoekeat

buy these two things only ONCE in your life and thereafter no need to change tripod/ball head for next 50 years until you say bye bye to this world or give up hobby.

Gitzo carbon fibre tripod - Reporter size. light and strong.
Arca Swiss ball head with quick release plate.will never shift once you tighten

If and when you want to sell them years later -- you might even make money!
The price would have risen and other photo hobbyists will grab to buy fast.

hoekeat · 3rd April 2005

thanks, ricohflex. How much is the set up u recomended?

snowspeeder · 3rd April 2005

Best is to get some of your kakis who are familiar with tripods to go shopping with you for the right tripod that meet your needs.

theITguy · 3rd April 2005

Some basic things to take note of when choosing a tripod:

1. Max weight of your current gears (like body, lens and flash gun)
2. Max weight of your future gears (body, TELE lens and flash GUNS)
3. Mode of traveling to shoot
4. Your height
5. Your style of shooting (landscape, portrait etc)
6. And last but not least your budget

The general idea is to get the head and legs of the tripod that will support about 1.5 times to 2 times (better) your Maximum weight of your gears. This will prevent your head and legs from wearing out that soon. Say for example a leg support up to 6KG, the head 5KG (but weights 1KG itself), you place a 5KG total weight (balanced with lens collar etc) on it and compare to a 3KG total load (balanced) on it. The 5KG setup will wear out the 3KG one much faster in any way. If you shoot in portrait mode with heavy tele lens, it is better advised to get a "L" bracket (not Canon's L) to maintain the weight balance on the tripod or if your lens collar allows changing from landscape to portrait by itself (some lens do).

Your height is important too. If you are taller like say 1.85m, you will need a taller tripod so you need not bend your body when shooting (unless you want to bend). Try not to include the total height the tripod can go with the centre column, as it will make a stable support to become less stable. If you are above 1.7m, get a 055 leg. If below 1.6m, get a 190 leg. A fully stretched legs with head should be about your eye level (with camera mounted) so that you only extend a bit of the centre column on the tripod for adjustment.

Well, if you travel by public transport, you have to carry it all day and a heavier tripod combo will wear you out sooner than carrying a lighter one. But in any case, you will be weared out so long as you carry it, just taking a bit longer to wear you out

hoekeat · 3rd April 2005

thanks theITguy. I am indeed deciding between 055 and 190 series. Problem is, i am just under 170, it is very hard to choose. But i think i will prefer 190 coz it is lighter

ricohflex · 4th April 2005

hoekeat

I think cost of both is under $2,000.
Go to CP and consult Mr. Christopher Wong in the tripod department, a nice guy and highly experienced and qualified photographer. He will advise you according to your needs and budget.

I also made mistake of buying and changing...
buying and changing...
buying and changing...

tripods and tripod heads.
end up with so many.

that is why I told you just buy Gitzo carbon fibre reporter tripod and Arca Swiss quick release plate tripod head and Forget It. One-Shot and you get it right the first time. No costly mistakes and time wasting (and sometimes back-hurting when you buy something too heavy).

So that you don't make the same mistakes I made.

theITguy · 4th April 2005

Originally Posted by hoekeat

thanks theITguy. I am indeed deciding between 055 and 190 series. Problem is, i am just under 170, it is very hard to choose. But i think i will prefer 190 coz it is lighter

I believe 190 will be good enough, as the max height without centre column extended is about 145cm, add a head it will be about 155cm++, add on your camera just nice or adjust your centre column slightly higher. Do check on your load for the 190.

theITguy · 4th April 2005

Originally Posted by ricohflex

hoekeat

I think cost of both is under $2,000.
Go to CP and consult Mr. Christopher Wong in the tripod department, a nice guy and highly experienced and qualified photographer. He will advise you according to your needs and budget.

I also made mistake of buying and changing...
buying and changing...
buying and changing...

tripods and tripod heads.
end up with so many.

that is why I told you just buy Gitzo carbon fibre reporter tripod and Arca Swiss quick release plate tripod head and Forget It. One-Shot and you get it right the first time. No costly mistakes and time wasting (and sometimes back-hurting when you buy something too heavy).

So that you don't make the same mistakes I made.

Will look into this advice again when I got the money to burn for a 6x7 MF

peteryeo · 5th April 2005

Hi all,

As what I know for an overall photographer in Marco,Landscapes and studio portraits.The Gitzo explore G2220 non CF is a good tripol to me,It have moveable center column for you to adjust not only up and down but left or right,very useful when you is shooting marco.The tripol weight is about 2kgs.

As the head,I suggust using ball head.This is up to yourself.Presently I am using Manfrotto ball head 488RC2.So far so good.

This is just my point of view only.For your ref only.

Regards

megkris · 7th April 2005

Hi all,

would strongly advise those lookin for tripods to head down to CP and speak to Mr Christopher Wong. Very knowledgable in tripods and a very good person to talk to.

Just tell him ur setup and he will make the corresponding recommendations.

Incidentally, i went with a Sgd 300 budget, n spent more than 600

i bot the new gitzo 1198 basalt tripod with giotto mh1001-200 ball head if u are curious.

Ps: he gave me frdly advise.........just tell wifey u bot the setup for 300

(aman with vast experience)

ricohflex · 7th April 2005

megkris

yah, I like to chat with Christopher, who is my friend.
you got the basalt?
great to have new material.

read it is new volcanic material melted down.
is it light and strong?
does it feel cold or warm in cold weather?
is it brittle and can break easily when dropped?

please share. thanks.

joteo · 7th April 2005

Originally Posted by megkris

Hi all,

would strongly advise those lookin for tripods to head down to CP and speak to Mr Christopher Wong. Very knowledgable in tripods and a very good person to talk to.

Just tell him ur setup and he will make the corresponding recommendations.

Incidentally, i went with a Sgd 300 budget, n spent more than 600

i bot the new gitzo 1198 basalt tripod with giotto mh1001-200 ball head if u are curious.

Ps: he gave me frdly advise.........just tell wifey u bot the setup for 300 (aman with vast experience)

Ah... so you were the one that Christopher was talking about when I was there around 6. He was also trying to talk me into the Basalt. I left with a tripod head instead

hoekeat · 8th April 2005

i would really love to go down to talk to those guys. Problem is, i am in Kuala Lumpur, not a lot of choices n expert here, not to mention super expensive price. The only thing i can do is to consult all u expert here n then look for a friend to pick it up from CP or Alan Photo for me.

betazone · 8th April 2005

Hi, you can checkout this site www.photomalaysia.org for help .

Originally Posted by hoekeat

i would really love to go down to talk to those guys. Problem is, i am in Kuala Lumpur, not a lot of choices n expert here, not to mention super expensive price. The only thing i can do is to consult all u expert here n then look for a friend to pick it up from CP or Alan Photo for me.

megkris · 9th April 2005

Sorry to reply so late...

The tripod feels light..as light as the carbon version but 100-200 cheaper. Feels ok altho i've yet to seriously test it. Most imptly, i like its size that i can squeezed into my backpac. Any one thinks that i should get a tripod bag?

so far it can take my heaviest load of D2h + 70-200VR and S800 pretty well w/o hanging a load with the hook.

I will be heading to melbourne and hopefully can provide more insights.

cheers

ricohflex · 9th April 2005

megkris

maybe you need a tripod bag for travel?
I hear that due to terrorism, nowadays not allowed to bring tripod into plane as hand luggage. It looks like can be used as weapon.
But if you check it in, the rough airport cargo handlers always throw the luggage around. Will the tripod be damaged by the throwing?
Let us know your experience later after the trip.

1st April 2005	#1
hoekeat New Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 28	how to choose a suitable tripod? I've been shopping for a while for a good tripod and kind of eyeing on the Manfrotto 190 series. But cant decide on which head to get. There arent much choice in Malaysia here and the choices in Manfrotto are just overwhelming. There is high possibility i might drop by Spore to make a purchase myself. So, what combination do u guys suggest for me? I have a D70, a couple of lens.

1st April 2005	#2
Witness Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: www.maverickatwork.com Posts: 6,768	eh...manageable weight...can support ya camera w no probs.....height... and functions for marcro or anyting...and ease of use....diff kinds of heads and most all price... d70 most prob try the manfrotto 190 series or slik able 300 or 500 dx can go down to cp and take a look lo see wat works for u... cheers __________________ w maverick.photography b maverick.blogging

2nd April 2005	#3
ricohflex Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: sing Posts: 1,537	tripod hoekeat buy these two things only ONCE in your life and thereafter no need to change tripod/ball head for next 50 years until you say bye bye to this world or give up hobby. Gitzo carbon fibre tripod - Reporter size. light and strong. Arca Swiss ball head with quick release plate.will never shift once you tighten If and when you want to sell them years later -- you might even make money! The price would have risen and other photo hobbyists will grab to buy fast.

4th April 2005	#8
ricohflex Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: sing Posts: 1,537	gear cost hoekeat I think cost of both is under $2,000. Go to CP and consult Mr. Christopher Wong in the tripod department, a nice guy and highly experienced and qualified photographer. He will advise you according to your needs and budget. I also made mistake of buying and changing... buying and changing... buying and changing... tripods and tripod heads. end up with so many. that is why I told you just buy Gitzo carbon fibre reporter tripod and Arca Swiss quick release plate tripod head and Forget It. One-Shot and you get it right the first time. No costly mistakes and time wasting (and sometimes back-hurting when you buy something too heavy). So that you don't make the same mistakes I made.

7th April 2005	#13
ricohflex Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: sing Posts: 1,537	basalt megkris yah, I like to chat with Christopher, who is my friend. you got the basalt? great to have new material. read it is new volcanic material melted down. is it light and strong? does it feel cold or warm in cold weather? is it brittle and can break easily when dropped? please share. thanks.

3rd April 2005	#4
hoekeat New Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 28	thanks, ricohflex. How much is the set up u recomended?

3rd April 2005	#5
snowspeeder Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: 35A East Coast Rd Posts: 3,436	Best is to get some of your kakis who are familiar with tripods to go shopping with you for the right tripod that meet your needs.

3rd April 2005	#6
theITguy Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: In this small world Posts: 2,042	Some basic things to take note of when choosing a tripod: 1. Max weight of your current gears (like body, lens and flash gun) 2. Max weight of your future gears (body, TELE lens and flash GUNS) 3. Mode of traveling to shoot 4. Your height 5. Your style of shooting (landscape, portrait etc) 6. And last but not least your budget The general idea is to get the head and legs of the tripod that will support about 1.5 times to 2 times (better) your Maximum weight of your gears. This will prevent your head and legs from wearing out that soon. Say for example a leg support up to 6KG, the head 5KG (but weights 1KG itself), you place a 5KG total weight (balanced with lens collar etc) on it and compare to a 3KG total load (balanced) on it. The 5KG setup will wear out the 3KG one much faster in any way. If you shoot in portrait mode with heavy tele lens, it is better advised to get a "L" bracket (not Canon's L) to maintain the weight balance on the tripod or if your lens collar allows changing from landscape to portrait by itself (some lens do). Your height is important too. If you are taller like say 1.85m, you will need a taller tripod so you need not bend your body when shooting (unless you want to bend). Try not to include the total height the tripod can go with the centre column, as it will make a stable support to become less stable. If you are above 1.7m, get a 055 leg. If below 1.6m, get a 190 leg. A fully stretched legs with head should be about your eye level (with camera mounted) so that you only extend a bit of the centre column on the tripod for adjustment. Well, if you travel by public transport, you have to carry it all day and a heavier tripod combo will wear you out sooner than carrying a lighter one. But in any case, you will be weared out so long as you carry it, just taking a bit longer to wear you out

5th April 2005	#11
peteryeo Member Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: woodlands Posts: 607	Hi all, As what I know for an overall photographer in Marco,Landscapes and studio portraits.The Gitzo explore G2220 non CF is a good tripol to me,It have moveable center column for you to adjust not only up and down but left or right,very useful when you is shooting marco.The tripol weight is about 2kgs. As the head,I suggust using ball head.This is up to yourself.Presently I am using Manfrotto ball head 488RC2.So far so good. This is just my point of view only.For your ref only. Regards

7th April 2005	#12
megkris Member Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: East/west Posts: 239	Hi all, would strongly advise those lookin for tripods to head down to CP and speak to Mr Christopher Wong. Very knowledgable in tripods and a very good person to talk to. Just tell him ur setup and he will make the corresponding recommendations. Incidentally, i went with a Sgd 300 budget, n spent more than 600 i bot the new gitzo 1198 basalt tripod with giotto mh1001-200 ball head if u are curious. Ps: he gave me frdly advise.........just tell wifey u bot the setup for 300 (aman with vast experience)

8th April 2005	#15
hoekeat New Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 28	i would really love to go down to talk to those guys. Problem is, i am in Kuala Lumpur, not a lot of choices n expert here, not to mention super expensive price. The only thing i can do is to consult all u expert here n then look for a friend to pick it up from CP or Alan Photo for me.

9th April 2005	#17
megkris Member Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: East/west Posts: 239	Sorry to reply so late... The tripod feels light..as light as the carbon version but 100-200 cheaper. Feels ok altho i've yet to seriously test it. Most imptly, i like its size that i can squeezed into my backpac. Any one thinks that i should get a tripod bag? so far it can take my heaviest load of D2h + 70-200VR and S800 pretty well w/o hanging a load with the hook. I will be heading to melbourne and hopefully can provide more insights. cheers

9th April 2005	#18
ricohflex Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: sing Posts: 1,537	tripod for travel megkris maybe you need a tripod bag for travel? I hear that due to terrorism, nowadays not allowed to bring tripod into plane as hand luggage. It looks like can be used as weapon. But if you check it in, the rough airport cargo handlers always throw the luggage around. Will the tripod be damaged by the throwing? Let us know your experience later after the trip.