First tripod - which one?

[STTNP]

Buy the most expensive tripot you can afford if you are going to use it for the next few years.

If you buy a lousy tripot and upgrade later you will spend more.
Or consider buy 2nd hand to try out.

Heavy tripot is good, provided you carry out very offen even during a holiday walking around whole day/ few day.

If you mind walking around with the heavy tripot during holiday than should buy a ligher or good tripot.

If buget is low than buy a made in China is better than no tripot at all during holiday.

Just my view.

 

[DeSwitch]

Haha... pm if you are interested....:bsmilie: now put at home collected dust. The Mamiya CF tripod is already reserved by my friend.

so, I'm not the only one who have tripods collecting dust at home..:bsmilie::bsmilie:

I hv a Benro M227n6 (cost me $330) and a brand new unused Feisol CT3442 (cost me $570+) in my store room. Add that up and I can buy another Gitzo.

 

[ssping83]

so, I'm not the only one who have tripods collecting dust at home..:bsmilie::bsmilie:

I hv a Benro M227n6 (cost me $330) and a brand new unused Feisol CT3442 (cost me $570+) in my store room. Add that up and I can buy another Gitzo.

wow.. $$$$$$.. lol..

 

[ahguan]

i'm surprised no one ask what setup the poster intend to use the tripod for :dunno:

if u r using a consumer dslr with kit lens, u may want to consider slik sprint pro gm :thumbsup: ~$90 including head

 

[theRBK]

i'm surprised no one ask what setup the poster intend to use the tripod for :dunno:

if u r using a consumer dslr with kit lens, u may want to consider slik sprint pro gm :thumbsup: ~$90 including head

I did... twice... no comment/reply

 

[zoossh]

ts, maybe you can state the following

1. budget (range)
2. use of tripod
3. weight (range)
4. priority: budget versus weight versus quality.

for your budget, PPCP is your best consideration. it is at least not a bootleg. other alternatives include slik, velbon, giottos. on a higher quality consideration, manfrotto and feisol are pretty reputed too. range of choices for manfrotto is also widely available in sg, but the budget may need to stretch.

for weight, you still need some weight depending on the length of lens. PPCP is a good choice, or similar equivalents in slik, velbon, giottos.

for quality, manfrotto and feisol and above. gitzo is way off your budget.

 

[cichlid]

I'm collecting my first "real" tripod next weerk, the PPCP Stetige...may post a review on it when i get it

 

[alternatve]

My suggestion is to get something that you feel good with, not according to a budget. What would you prefer, spending $2-300 dollars on a solid tripod or watching your camera + lens do a headlong dive to the ground lens first?

IMO, I don't like the PPCP tripod. When fully extended, the tripod actually creeps downwards when I rest my body weight on it. And the snap locks are stiff and don't secure well, hence the creep. The legs are just aluminium poles as well.

Samuel

 

[fabianaino]

Thanks all for the many replies.:angel:

Bro ahguan and theRBK are right, I should have posted my requirements. Pardon me if I did not cos I don't know where to start ... :embrass:
I have a D80 and so far the heaviest lens I have now is my 18-200. Together with my battery grip, i reckon they are around 1kg.
I have plans to gear myself with the 70-200mm 2.8 soon. So I reckon the total weight should be around 2kg. (?)

I am currently using a Nikon tripod ... which I think I shall keep it even after I get my "better" tripod. I hope to use it as a flash stand. (?)


Alright also a reply to bro zoossh as well , here goes...

1) budget around S$250 ( is that low )

2) I like to shoot in the night, lanscape, still-life, skies, I like to do long exposures as well.

3)I don't want anything too heavy, maybe around 3 kg will be good as I am quite small size :embrass:. I skip around quite often as well so I hope the tripod can be rather robust. The Nikon tripod now is quite light so when I hit myself carrying it was still alright. I don't want to get hurt using the new tripod ... hehe

4)Is my budget of 250 too low. I reckon if I get something VERY expensive, I foresee it that I will be using it carefully and it defeats the purpose of using it in ANY condition. I am looking for quality stuff as well and hoepfully below 3Kg will be great as I will be tagging my camera gears with me as well.

That's why I don't mind getting an under used tripod from any bros here, provided the price is affordable to me .. :embrass:

 

[alternatve]

A Benro is for you. I got a A157 for around $150 at MS colour with a BH-0 head. You might want to upgrade the head to a larger, sturdier head soon when you get your 70-200mm.

Samuel

 

[ParkertR]

PPCP V2 is no longer in production and the Stetige is a 190B competitor with similar specs but with a standard ballhead that takes up to 5 kilos. Its seriously stable with oversized snap-locks and no creep

 

[Leong23]

D80 + Grip + 70-200f2.8....
Think you should increase your budget to at least S$400 for a decent tripod plus ball head.
Example: Manfrotto 190XPRO or 055XPRO and 488CR4 Ballhead.
But it will be quite heavy and i personally recommand Arca-Swiss system ball head.

If you want somthing lighter, you might want to consider carbon fibre tripod. A good carbon fibre tripod alone will price around S$800 and a decent arca-swiss system ball head will be at least S$400+ with plate.

 

[zoossh]

2) I like to shoot in the night, lanscape, still-life, skies, I like to do long exposures as well.

if you have a car, get something heavier. if you intend to use tripod for travel, get something lighter. the purpose on top is probably for average weight (1.5 to 2.5kg)

I have a D80 and so far the heaviest lens I have now is my 18-200. Together with my battery grip, i reckon they are around 1kg.
I have plans to gear myself with the 70-200mm 2.8 soon. So I reckon the total weight should be around 2kg. (?)....

I don't want anything too heavy, maybe around 3 kg will be good as I am quite small size

a gitzo may take that if its own weight is more than 1kg (anything lighter may have rock solid joints but may topple for a lens too long and heavy). maybe heavier models are required in other brands.

due to your budget, you are not likely to get anything solid but less than 1.2kg. but you may want to review your weight of 3kg, that's quite heavy to bring around.

generally, the lighter good tripods are more expensive. the bad tripods can be light too, though... but you can feel it rattling with all the arthritic joints while holding in the hands (i'm talking abt my first $20-30 plasticky tripod).... so a limit of 3kg probably means you have more choices

1) budget around S$250 ( is that low )

4)Is my budget of 250 too low. I reckon if I get something VERY expensive, I foresee it that I will be using it carefully and it defeats the purpose of using it in ANY condition. I am looking for quality stuff as well and hoepfully below 3Kg will be great as I will be tagging my camera gears with me as well.

That's why I don't mind getting an under used tripod from any bros here, provided the price is affordable to me .. :embrass:

tripods are supposed to be strong. dun worry abt abusing them. so you need not for for underused tripod or take overtly careful use of the tripod limiting your photography workflow.

at abt $250, and considering 2nd hand models too, you can browse around PPCP (check with parkertR if you can look at it at AMK), velbon, giottos, and even feisol and manfrotto. there's enough good brands to consider at your budget and weight limits, so i would say stick to the original designs.

have a walk around first at cathay and TK (and buy there if you like). if you dun mind going to ppl's places to take a look at their tripod (if you ask ppl to bring out, then there should be more sincerity to buy unless serious defects), you can take a look at the buy/sell column using search button. i suspect the range of models at the shops and what ppl are selling would not be the same, with the latter being older of cos.

 

[zoossh]

by the way, that is only for the legs. you still need some money for the tripod head, which may means at least another $80-150. you can consider a 2nd hand manfrotto. e..g 486RC2

if your total budget for legs+head is $250-300, then PPCP, 2nd hand sliks & giottos is the way to go. but seriously it is not the budget to talk abt "quality stuff". the price range offered by these brands with original designs, gives you what you pay for. there are certain things you got to accept when using the moer affordable brands. for example a poor head may creep a little after you lock it.

 

[MARTIN1023]

If you want a light weight tripod for your traveling use, I recommend you to save up and buy a Benro Travel Angel Series. I have tried other small tripods but nothing beats Benro Travel Angel series in terms of lightweight, load and compactness. I got my C-268M8 recently at $680. :lovegrin:The Tripod + Ball head weight < 2kg which is useful for traveling or if you need to carry it all day long. I dun like the weight of other tripods which is > 2kg. :sweat::sweat:You will feel tired and inconvenience due to the long length of the tripod after folding. Do a research and compare the tripod specification and see which one suits your needs. Recommended brands are:

http://www.benro.cn/Product/1/product1.html

http://www.manfrotto.com/Jahia/site/manfrotto

http://www.giottos.com/

http://www.slik.com/

http://www.gitzo.com/Jahia/

 

[a.c.e]

i was like you 2 month's back. budget around $300 for my tripod.
but when i realize i need a good tripod that can hold around 8kg.
for my future needs. i put my heart horizontal, and brought the gizto basalt GT2930EX and the G1276M wihch cost me around $900 more or less.
and now so far, i'am happy with it!

 

[fabianaino]

Hi everyone ,

Thanks for all your input ! =) I read myself silly with all the brand links given in this thread. Learn alot about tripods and ballhead during this while when I endeavor to find out more about these supports and the advise here were invaluable. =)

I finally made a plunge and got my tripod and ballhead.
Tripod's a Gitzo 328 studex and ballhead's a Giotto MH 1300-621C.

 

[cichlid]

Hi everyone ,

Thanks for all your input ! =) I read myself silly with all the brand links given in this thread. Learn alot about tripods and ballhead during this while when I endeavor to find out more about these supports and the advise here were invaluable. =)

I finally made a plunge and got my tripod and ballhead.
Tripod's a Gitzo 328 studex and ballhead's a Giotto MH 1300-621C.

Congrats!
What's are specs and how much it cost you?

 

[dragco]

my 1st tripod is Benro C-257 n6. reason being:

- CF is CF, irregardless whether it is manfrotto, gitzo or wat. for all u know, branded brands may also get their CF legs from China! :bsmilie:

- i travel quite a lot for work. and so weight of tripod is primary consideration if i wanna bring it along with me for my business trips.

- as for sturdiness, u can always hang ur camera bag to hold down the tripod if u r in windy enviroment.

- price of this tripod was :bigeyes: to resist as it was in promo during the recent photography expo in BKK when i was there for business trip ;p

above are my 2c. hope it helps.

 

[ExplorerZ]

my 1st tripod is Benro C-257 n6. reason being:

- CF is CF, irregardless whether it is manfrotto, gitzo or wat. for all u know, branded brands may also get their CF legs from China! :bsmilie:

- i travel quite a lot for work. and so weight of tripod is primary consideration if i wanna bring it along with me for my business trips.

- as for sturdiness, u can always hang ur camera bag to hold down the tripod if u r in windy enviroment.

- price of this tripod was :bigeyes: to resist as it was in promo during the recent photography expo in BKK when i was there for business trip ;p

above are my 2c. hope it helps.

wow, the 2-- series ain't exactly light for travelling :sweat: (iirc weight close to a manfrotto 190, what load are you using it for?