I am needing a new tripod for travel, but am on a rather tight budget. With bad knees I don't plan on long hikes, but don't want anything too heavy. I have found a Promaster, and a sunpack. and was wondering if anyone has ever used either. All suggestions appreciated.
Bob
I'm not familiar with either, but before buying I'd investigate part sources and repair. All tripods seem to need help sooner or later, and the speed/ease of repairs has a lot to do with your long term satisfaction. Trouble is, the lighter the price on the tripod line, the less likely you are to find parts and/or rapid service. Manfroto/Bogen has proven itself to us over the years while being moderately priced. We have several of their models dating back to the early 1980's, and they're still going strong in spite of rugged pro use. Of course, we've replace parts so often it's hard to remember which are originals, if any! Kind of like the Cadillac in that old Johnny Cash song, the 1956, 57, 58, 59, 60....
But that's the point. They were "cheap" because we could always repair them.
If you want lightweight, you want carbon fiber. That jacks the price up. If you can live with aluminum, you can save money. A good tripod is a valuable piece of gear. A poor tripod is worse than worthless. Go with a name brand, such as Manfrotto, as Hank says.
Try this: Go to a large online vendor, such as B&H, and do a search for tripods in your price range. Sort by highest rated and read the user reviews.
When asked for a reasonably priced tripod I always recommend a Slik Pro700DX. It's aluminum but still not too heavy. It is durable. I've had one for 10 years and it has needed zero repairs despite heavy use. It is very simple construction, especially the leg locks, compared to some of the other brands mentioned, many of which I've repaired for friends in the field. It is only about $149 and it comes with a pan/tilt head and one universal mounting plate so you're shooting without buying anything else. Granted, you will want a ballhead and different plates at some point but at least you don't have to go spend another $300 to $500 for them now. JR
I second (or third) the Bogen/Manfrotto suggestion. For the money they're pretty darn hard to beat. I used one heavily from the early 80's until I upgraded to a Gitzo CF in 2007 and it performed very well. I had to replace leg locks several times because of breakage, but they were cheap and easy to find. All in all, an excellent buy for the money.
I think I disagree with most posts. Probably be better if I had ACTUALLY READ all the posts! Do not think you can skimp on your tripod...period. Yeah, cheaper tripods may match your budget, but may not match your needs. I belong to the group that says buy the best tripod possible. You will never be displeased by this advice. At least if you are having problems, you will not be wondering if it is your tripod!!!!
Think why you are buying a tripod to begin with. You want crisp, ultra in-focus images. You need a sturdy hard working tripod to do this. You need something that will stand up to higher winds when they happen. You also need something that will either dampen camera shake due to you pressing the shutter or shake due to shutter release at certain shutter speeds. If you are using a tripod, then you SHOULD also be using a remote trigger...either cable or electronic. A light tripod will not do this in all cases. A heavier one will do better in almost all cases...period. So, buy the heaviest most sturdy tripod you can afford and can carry. Part of this is determined by how much gear you are trying to carry besides the tripod. Get real with your self and stop carrying all the extra lens weight when the odds of using certain lenses is pretty null...means the greater weight tripod you can carry! I have about twenty lenses. I carry 3 during most of my shootings in my carry bag. If I am on a difficult shoot, I will carry most of my lenses, but in different bags. Once on site, I will determine what I will probably need. This cuts down on the weight.
Do a alot of research on tripods. Figure out the ones that dampen vibrations the most for what you shoot. This is what you want. And another thing, you did not say what KIND of photography you do. Is it low to the ground, macro, long distance, light weight lenses, heavy weight lenses, etc. This makes a huge difference in what kind of tripod to get. One tripod does NOT cover all aspects of photography. Hope this is helpful in your decision. Try looking at Really Right Stuff tripods. Some they make, and others are 3rd party tripods. They make an effort to help you in your decisions.
And besides tripods, another huge decision is what kind of head to use ON the tripod. This also makes a huge decision on which tripod you need. Let's not forget that the weight of the camera you use and the lens you use also has a huge decision process for which tripod and which head you use. Also, do you need a tripod and head for static subjects or a tripod and head for moving subjects? Depending on your answer to this, different tripods and heads will solve your problems.
Sorry to all the folks who answered this question, but there are alot of issues needed to be known before this question can be answered correctly. And what works in one instance will not work in another!
LATER EDIT OF MINE:
I should not have said heavier is better. Stronger may have been a better word. I really forgot to mention using carbon-fibre tripods (which is what I use mostly). You gain lighter weight in a strong tripod. Still, heavier is better if you shoot in strong winds.
Sorry my reply was so long...however, there is not a real simple answer without knowing many more particulars.
Troup makes very good points, Bob. In light of his remarks, perhaps the best thing to do is jot down exactly what you need and then research. Next, pick a few pods and heads that meet your needs and are in reasonable agreement with your budget and then post back here for further recommendations.
Bob,
For a set of good tripod you pay a big price ONLY ONCE and enjoy always.For a cheaper tripod you enjoy saving some money once and you pay for weight every single time you carry your tripod and you pay for repair every now and then. I would love to pay once and enjoy always when i use hem. I did lots of research when I bought mine. I am very happy with them. Check the link below that might help you with decision.
www.bythom.com/support.htm
Bob: Here's something to consider. As others have mentioned, the Bogen/Manfrotto aluminum legs are built like tanks. Go to KEH and look at the used legsets. I have bought and sold with them for years and their grading system is pretty accurate. The legs don't need to look pretty -- they do need to be sturdy. The sunpack and promaster (they may have a "pro model" that is better, but it will then be comparable in price to the known ones) tend to be cheaper built either out of too light (sunpack) materials or too heavy (promaster) materials. I would much rather have a good set of used legs. I sold two Bogen legsets to KEH after I bought my carbon fiber tripod. They were clearly "used" but completely functional. They are bound to have a lot of them.
Discussion
11 repliesBob
But that's the point. They were "cheap" because we could always repair them.
Try this: Go to a large online vendor, such as B&H, and do a search for tripods in your price range. Sort by highest rated and read the user reviews.
I've used Bogen/Manfrotto tripods for years and they are very rugged and well built, so I second Hanks' recommendation for them.
There is another brand that has gotten good reviews. It's called Feisol. Here's a comparison of various models and prices: Feisol Tripods
--P
Think why you are buying a tripod to begin with. You want crisp, ultra in-focus images. You need a sturdy hard working tripod to do this. You need something that will stand up to higher winds when they happen. You also need something that will either dampen camera shake due to you pressing the shutter or shake due to shutter release at certain shutter speeds. If you are using a tripod, then you SHOULD also be using a remote trigger...either cable or electronic. A light tripod will not do this in all cases. A heavier one will do better in almost all cases...period. So, buy the heaviest most sturdy tripod you can afford and can carry. Part of this is determined by how much gear you are trying to carry besides the tripod. Get real with your self and stop carrying all the extra lens weight when the odds of using certain lenses is pretty null...means the greater weight tripod you can carry! I have about twenty lenses. I carry 3 during most of my shootings in my carry bag. If I am on a difficult shoot, I will carry most of my lenses, but in different bags. Once on site, I will determine what I will probably need. This cuts down on the weight.
Do a alot of research on tripods. Figure out the ones that dampen vibrations the most for what you shoot. This is what you want. And another thing, you did not say what KIND of photography you do. Is it low to the ground, macro, long distance, light weight lenses, heavy weight lenses, etc. This makes a huge difference in what kind of tripod to get. One tripod does NOT cover all aspects of photography. Hope this is helpful in your decision. Try looking at Really Right Stuff tripods. Some they make, and others are 3rd party tripods. They make an effort to help you in your decisions.
And besides tripods, another huge decision is what kind of head to use ON the tripod. This also makes a huge decision on which tripod you need. Let's not forget that the weight of the camera you use and the lens you use also has a huge decision process for which tripod and which head you use. Also, do you need a tripod and head for static subjects or a tripod and head for moving subjects? Depending on your answer to this, different tripods and heads will solve your problems.
Sorry to all the folks who answered this question, but there are alot of issues needed to be known before this question can be answered correctly. And what works in one instance will not work in another!
LATER EDIT OF MINE:
I should not have said heavier is better. Stronger may have been a better word. I really forgot to mention using carbon-fibre tripods (which is what I use mostly). You gain lighter weight in a strong tripod. Still, heavier is better if you shoot in strong winds.
Sorry my reply was so long...however, there is not a real simple answer without knowing many more particulars.
Troup
Happy hunting, Bob!
--P
For a set of good tripod you pay a big price ONLY ONCE and enjoy always.For a cheaper tripod you enjoy saving some money once and you pay for weight every single time you carry your tripod and you pay for repair every now and then. I would love to pay once and enjoy always when i use hem. I did lots of research when I bought mine. I am very happy with them. Check the link below that might help you with decision.
www.bythom.com/support.htm
Bob