I need a tripod.

[Howell]

I happen to have a tripod I'm comfortable with but the part that screws into the camera and quick-releases from the base is missing. And the tripod is so generic that a Google search for its manufacturer results in no hits.

I'd like to spend less than $100 but may be pursuaded to spend more. It may go with me on hikes so I'd rather it be fairly light.

Any suggestions?

 

[LunarMist]

Be more specific. What equipment are you using and what is the purpose? I have 8 tripods here from $50-$1100 and a lot in between. No single tripod/head is the answer.

 

[Howell]

Roger. I mainly need it for taking night shots and shots into canyons. I have a 2.1 Mp digital camera. I don't know what else to say.

 

[Howell]

How does this seem?

http://www.adorama.com/SUCXLD.html

 

[Mercutio]

I mainly need it for taking night shots and shots into canyons.

Women don't like it when you call it that.

 

[Howell]

I would like for it to be able to hold the camera sideways.

 

[Howell]

What is the functional difference between:

http://www.sunpak.com/tripods/compact.html
and
http://www.sunpak.com/tripods/compactd.html

 

[LunarMist]

Other than the color, I am not sure. Braced tripods are not a good idea on uneven terrain. Get a tripod with individually adjustable legs. A 3D pan-tilt head can be used, but a ball head is more compact and quicker to set up. Given your limited budget, look at some of the tripods here, such as the 724B. If you want to go to ground level any of the Manfrotto 3001x legs and a small ball head would also fit the budget, but may be a little heavier than necessary for a P&S. I would also recommend some Manfrotto Carbon One legs and a small Giotto or Kaiser ball head, or a small carbon fiber Gitzo and head, but the prices are rather higher.

 

[Mercutio]

What does $1100 get you in a tripod?

 

[LunarMist]

A larger Gitzo CF tripod and a Wimberley head (actually more expensive than $1100 now). For somewhat smaller lenses, the same Gitzo legs and a Kirk BH-1 (or Arca-Swiss B1) with Wimberley sidekick. Ideally one has two or three sets of tripod legs and two or three heads to mix and match for different purposes. My favorite quick, lightweight, and compact combo for hiking is the 4-section Carbon One legs and Kirk BH-3 ball head, but that is about $600.

 

[Howell]

Lunar, I'm looking at your link.

What does it mean that the center column is reversible?

 

[LunarMist]

The center post can be removed and inserted upside down. In that way, the top of the camera can reach as low as the ground.

 

[Howell]

I see the 724B has a max load of 7.7lbs and weighs 3.08lbs. I reviewed the weights for the prosumer megapixel Nikon and Cannon camera on dpreview and they are not over 3lbs. Is there another reason not to get the 714B a max load of 5.5lbs and weighing 2.5lbs. I do not have high Mp camera now but I plan to get one and I'd like the tripod to carry me through.

 

[Tannin]

Lunar Mist, are you familiar with the Manfrotto 501 head?

If so, what would you recommend I consider as a replacement for it. I want (a) steadier camera, (b) faster pan and tilt, (c) lower weight. (All of which, I suspect, is not possible, certainly not at any price I can afford this year - but I can dream, can't I?)

PS: I'm using the Manfrotto ... er ... forget the model number, but the most common of their anodised green aluminium tripods. 53NAT, or something-NAT anyway. I could be tempted to replace that with a carbon fibre one eventually, no doubt.

 

[Mickey]

$1100 tripod? Wow.

I use this $30 one from Radio Shack. It actually does pretty well; I got it mainly for use with a sound meter, but it can also take on my digital camera or my point-and-shoot. Nice and lightweight, plus it doesn't take up much space in my closet.

 

[blakerwry]

yah, I use a ~$30 one.... has worked well for my Nikon SLR's as well as the canon digital

 

[LunarMist]

I see the 724B has a max load of 7.7lbs and weighs 3.08lbs. I reviewed the weights for the prosumer megapixel Nikon and Cannon camera on dpreview and they are not over 3lbs. Is there another reason not to get the 714B a max load of 5.5lbs and weighing 2.5lbs. I do not have high Mp camera now but I plan to get one and I'd like the tripod to carry me through.

The 714B has a very tiny ball head that looks to be unstable. I suspect that it would be difficult to shoot verticals without shifting and slippage.

Tony:

Sorry, no. I thoughtthe 501 was a pair of blue jeans at first. The 501 is a designed for video head. Do you do videos or need a 3D fluid head for some reason? I really don't know anything about the stability of video heads, but a ball head is faster for field use IMO. I can't find anything on the 053. There is an 055 listed. (It is sort of difficult to match numbers because the U.S. uses the Bogen numbers.) The 055 is the most classic an popular Manfrotto tripod, equivalent to the 3021/3221 Bogen series. I have a couple of these. They are not very stable, so they sit unused. Most any CF tripod legs would be more rigid and stable.

 

[Tannin]

It would be the 055 then, Lunar Mist - the most common model. At the time I bought it I wondered if it was going to be good enough or not, but decided that (so far as optical equipment goes) it was cheap enough to throw away or sell without tears if I ever upgraded. The gap between (from memory) about $300 for the 055 and about $1200 for a carbon one seemed huge, and at that time I did not realise that carbon tripods are not just lighter, but more stable too. But I'll want to try out a carbon tripod in real life before I shell out that sort of money.

The Manfrotto 501 seems to be the most popular choice for digiscoping around the world, though there are certainly people who use ball heads too. I have never so much as seen a ball head in the flesh, let alone used one.

I think the idea of using a video head is that you get decent stability without sacrificing the ability to track a moving bird. (Though not, generally, a bird in flight, of course.) Somewhere around town there must be someone with a good ball head I could try out. Never having used anything else except the 501, I don't have anything to compare it to.

 

[P5-133XL]

The 055 is the most classic an popular Manfrotto tripod, equivalent to the 3021/3221 Bogen series. I have a couple of these. They are not very stable, so they sit unused. Most any CF tripod legs would be more rigid and stable.

I use a Bogen 3021 with a 3047 head and find that it is quite stable (though a bit heavy) with my camera equip. I'm sure carbon Fibre is much better and lighter. I however, have never been willing to spend the money.

 

[Onomatopoeic]

My personal camera support inventory:

• Bogen 3035 tripod + Bogen 3047 head (early '80s vintage, for use with up to 4x5 camera)
  
• 2-each Bogen 3055 heavy-duty ball head ('90s vintage)
  
• Bogen heavy-duty extension arm
  
• Bogen heavy-duty twin camera support arm
  
• Manfrotto 3405B tripod with pan-and-tilt head (smaller and more portable than my Bogen 3035)
  
• Manfrotto 3244B monopod with swivel head
  
• Hakuba mini-monopod
  
• Hakuba H-5 tabletop mini-tripod with pan-and-tilt head
  
• Hakuba ultra-compact tabletop micro-tripod
  
• Soligor tabletop micro-tripod with ball head (long-since unavailable early '80s vintage; incredible, tough, little, all-metal Japanese-made contraption that screws out of a heavy-duty aluminum tube; nothing like it before or since; can hold a up to a medium-format camera.)

 

[Howell]

OK, so now I'm ready to purchase. I've read that I might want to get a quick-release. Yes/No? I think I'd be more likely to "pull over" and take a shot if I had quick setup and breakdown.
What am I looking for? Would it be an addition to the 724B?

 

[Gilbolt]

Lunar Mist, and others who have participated in this thread, might you be able to direct me towards some Carbon Fibre tripods? I wasn't aware there were such serious photographers here. I have being considering purchasing one for nearly half a year now. Most of my shooting takes place in very remote areas and my current tripod is feeling heavy. I would welcome recommendations.

Obviously weight is a primary concern.

Additionally, I know I am pretty much doomed to at least $300 American, but price is also a very serious concern. The upper limit is pretty much $450 American.

The weight it needs to support is not tremendously significant. The heaviest lense I currently own is the Sigma 15-30, but I do have a passion for wildlife photography and will be purchasing a telephoto zoom in the not so distant future.

I don't want to hijack the thread Howell, I just figured that while we were on the topic...

Good day.

 

[LunarMist]

OK, so now I'm ready to purchase. I've read that I might want to get a quick-release. Yes/No? I think I'd be more likely to "pull over" and take a shot if I had quick setup and breakdown.
What am I looking for? Would it be an addition to the 724B?

Most small ball heads do not have a quick release plate. You could buy a small one. What will you 'pull over' to shoot?

 

[Howell]

Most small ball heads do not have a quick release plate. You could buy a small one. What will you 'pull over' to shoot?

I don't typicly go to a location and shoot what is there. I typicly hike along until I see something interesting (could be the subject or just interesting framing etc.) and take a couple pictures of it. Then I go back to hiking. This could go on for 5 or 10 miles.

I don't see how that plate you linked to would attach to the tripod.

 

[Corvair]

Whenever I have gone on photo shoots in the woods, I usually do NOT go with a normal tripod. Tripods are typically more trouble that they are worth in the woodlands.

Instead, I might take my "deep woods gear" setup, of which the camera supports consist of my small Soligor tapletop tripod which I use as a "chest tripod." I can also simply attach or set the tapletop tripod on a tree or rock if needed. If I need something a bit more substantial, or a support with decidely long leg(s), I would likely go with a Manfrotto monopod.

 

[Howell]

Instead, I might take my "deep woods gear" setup, of which the camera supports consist of my small Soligor tapletop tripod which I use as a "chest tripod."

I can not find the Soligor tapletop tripod on the web but I bet I'd like the price. How do you use it as a "chest tripod". If I assume usage correctly; doesn't your upper body move?

All the tabletop tripods I could find had rigid legs. I have seen before small tripods with "conduit legs". It was easy to adjust for terrain. But I can not find any now.

 

[Corvair]

I can not find the Soligor tapletop tripod on the web but I bet I'd like the price. How do you use it as a "chest tripod". If I assume usage correctly; doesn't your upper body move?

Nearly any tabletop tripod will double as a chest tripod. As long as the overall length -- with legs folded together -- is short enough, with the camera mounted to the tripod and the legs simply rest upon your chest for stability. With some tripods, you can also unfold the legs somewhat for further stability.

By the way, there are also *dedicated* chest tripods, which are more like bi-pods. I believe there are a couple companies (probably more) that make them. If I recall correctly, NovaFlex is one that's been around a long time making such. These attach to your body sort of like a harness. The camera is mounted to the front and you swing it up to your face when you want to use it. They aren't cheap.

I'm fairly certain my Soligor tabletop tripod is no longer available. It is built into an aluminum tube. For chest tripod usage, I usually keep in inside its tube and prop the end up against my chest. It has a ball head that I can quickly adjust.

If I assume usage correctly; doesn't your upper body move?

You learn not to move (i.e. -- you learn how and when to breathe!) and how to prop yourself up against trees, rocks, etc.

 

[Computer Generated Baby]

Lunar Mist, and others who have participated in this thread, might you be able to direct me towards some Carbon Fibre tripods?

The only carbon fibre tripods I've personally seen were from Manfrotto (Bogen), Hakuba, Cullman, and I believe Velbon.

A small l-i-g-h-t Hakuba was the least expensive at like ummm... US$300+ at a local establishment called Southwest Camera.

THEY AIN'T CHEAP ! ! ! !

 

[Gilbolt]

Computer Generated Baby,

THEY AIN'T CHEAP !

Indeed.

A couple Hakuba ones were the models I have been looking at. I haven't actually been able to see one, physically in front of me. Halifax doesn't have a tremendous selection of higher end photography gear around. I'm likely going to have to mail order any carbon fibre tripod I want. Buying without actually seeing it and playing with it a little is something I'm loathe to do with photography gear, especially with tripods. Tales of experience with the brands is therefore greatly appreciated, even if it isn't with carbon fibre tripods.

 

[LunarMist]

Hakuba and Slik may be good options at the low end, but I have no experience with them. There are often used Hakubas floating around as people upgrade. The number of sections is often a big factor in cost. Even the cheaper Gitzo 3-section CF tripod legs would be in your price range, <$300. The 2.75 lb Slik 713 seems to be OK for $250.

 

[Howell]

I have decided to go with a home-made bean bag. Not as versital as even a small tripod but inexpensive. I'll wait and see it I need a tabletop tripod.