tripods !!! dileme!

[Sendide]

sorry if these questions look primitive but I'm learning , thanks in advance.
tripods !!! what makes the reputated brands so expensive ?(compared to other more affordable ones), Manfroto for example is a pretty expensive brand, is it mostly because of the carbon fiber to make it lighter? sometimes , you don't really need a light tripod ! and the heads !!!!! sooooooo expensive by themselves!!!!
I found some "nice" (looked nice to me :) ) velbon tripods arround Can$200 (head included)
any frank help please?

[chris.bailey]

sorry if these questions look primitive but I'm learning , thanks in advance.
tripods !!! what makes the reputated brands so expensive ?(compared to other more affordable ones), Manfroto for example is a pretty expensive brand, is it mostly because of the carbon fiber to make it lighter? sometimes , you don't really need a light tripod ! and the heads !!!!! sooooooo expensive by themselves!!!!
I found some "nice" (looked nice to me :) ) velbon tripods arround Can$200 (head included)
any frank help please?

Buy a cheap one, use it for a couple of weeks, get fed up with it and then buy a decent one!!! Been there done that. If you were not in Canada I would GIVE you a cheap one to try and help you through the process.

I have a Manfrotto 719B - mid range - added a decent head - lovely job. Lesson learnt. In MOST things you do get what you pay for.

[Sendide]

thanks chris, thanks for the offer, appreciate it.
the fact is that I have NO IDEA which tripod I sould go for, let say I'll go for a manfrotto (trusting pro advises), but which one and which head? I know tha it depends on what I wanna do with, , well, let say more Macrophotography than landscape (one important thihg is that I want one where the camera could be ste upside down ((bugs, plants , flours..)
thanks once more)
any reference (with average price if possible)?

[Andy_T]

Take a look at the Manfrotto http://www.Bogenphoto.com web site!

Their carbon fiber models are surely expensive (as are carbon fiber tripods from other reputed manufacturers).

I got the 3405B 'Junior' model with a quite decent 3 way head and quick release included for about 120 USD ('buy-now' on ebay from photo shop). That's not that expensive...

Regards,
Andy

[SnJPhoto]

You picked the top of the line material to look at also. Any reason why you don't want to get aluminum? Obviously the weight is more, but you get a decent solidly built tripod that can handle much abuse (you'll have to trust me on this part.......did you know that tripods can also be used in rock climbing.....its a long sory).... We went with the Bogen/Manfrotto wilderness series 3221WIN, they are rock solid, a bit heavy, but take a bunch of abuse without any problems.

The ones we use go for about $220 (US) with a pan/tilt head, and shoulder strap. Check B&H to get a price ref.

Scott

[Sendide]

thanks andy , I cheked on the link you gave me and found out that the one you suggested was replaced by a newer version that looks nice :728B
it's central column is reversible which is one of my priorities, it supports up to 7.7 Lb, that I have to check for my package (10D, 100mm Macro USM, MT-24 EX) or with a 16-35 2.8L that I plan to get (hopefully)
thanks andy

[Sendide]

the alluminum ones are an option of course, but the package is (+head) isn't that cheap , but as been told, better "buy" expensive one than throw awy less money in a cheap one you jsut abondon afterwords.
regards
Kh

[Andy_T]

Hi Sendide,

you maybe should check out both in a photo shop (that is, if the 3405 is still available).

I can't compare them, as I only know the one I have. The tripod is quite sturdy, a bit on the heavy side, the only thing that I don't feel too comfortable about is the leg quick lock mechanism that *might* wear out sometimes earlier than a 'normal' lock mechanism.

However, for your purpose (10D + flash + 16-35), the 11.1 lb load of the old version might be more suitable than the 7.7 lb of the new version...

Regards,
Andy

[Belmondo]

I don't know if you missed this thread---it was only a couple days back. It contains some useful opinions and things to think about.

http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=24028

[Sendide]

thx tom, great and relevent thread

[Nolz]

hi there!....

just a few words from someone that is beginning to take the hobby a little more seriously....

i went through the "which tripod to buy" debacle a few months ago. only realising the need for a decent tripod (which generally means a brand name and lots of money) after using a velbon myself. granted it was a cheapie but when i went into the camera shop and layed my hands on teh manfrotto (190B with 141rc head) i knew i had ot have it!....a little heavier than the generic tripods but this makes it sturdier and better weighted on loose surfaces or perhaps at night when shooting at the harbout where u want prolonged exposures....

i will recommend you have a look at a ball head mount for your camera....i recently picked up a 486rc2 ball head with quick release plate....i like shooting birds and found it very frustrating to have to reach for all the knobs etc on the pan and tilt style head....especially with the furry critters moving around so fast!

the tripod combo i got was at the lower end of hte manfrotto heirachy but its 10x better than any of the generic tripods what may appear to offer more on face value.