Tripod for Nature in the Field

[EdV]

I don't know why but my search for a new tripod is leaving me totally confused. And the more I read, the more confused I get. Maybe it is because the combination I am looking for doesn't exist.

Here goes. I am looking for a tall (I am 6'2") tripod and ball head that is strong enough to support a Rebel XT with a 400mm f/5.6 lens yet is light enough and compact enough to tote along attached to a backpack while hiking or just walking in seach of birds and other wildlife. And, I am hoping to keep the total price under $300-$350.

I have a Velbon Ultra Luxi which is very compact and very lightweight but short and not a tripod on which I would trust a 400mm lens.

Any suggestions?

[SkipD]

My standard recommendation - good for this request too.... Bogen/Manfrotto 3021BPro (055ProB outside the U.S.) topped off with a Bogen/Manfrotto 488RC2 ball head. Use the Manfrotto "long strap" (an accessory) to carry it across your back.

This is a medium weight tripod, very versatile, tall enough for you, and plenty sturdy.

[EdV]

My standard recommendation - good for this request too.... Bogen/Manfrotto 3021BPro (055ProB outside the U.S.) topped off with a Bogen/Manfrotto 488RC2 ball head. Use the Manfrotto "long strap" (an accessory) to carry it across your back.

This is a medium weight tripod, very versatile, tall enough for you, and plenty sturdy.

Thanks Skip. I have seen references to this combination many times here on POTN. I just wasn't sure if it was the best solution to my needs. Obviously, I need something new because the Velbon while still a fine compact, light weight tripod just won't stand up to the bigger lens. On the other hand, I want to make sure that whatever I get isn't just a short-term solution and I'll be looking for another sturdier, lighter weight tripod in six months or next month!

I guess part of my concern is my camera bag experience. I ended up getting four bags over the past four months because each just wasn't quite right. They were purchased looking back at what I had at the moment rather than forward at where I was headed, if you know what I mean.

Again thanks. And I am open to any other suggestions.

[SkipD]

Ed, it would be a good idea for you to go to a well-stocked camera dealer and try out some of the options. That's how I finally settled on the tripod combinations I use.

[TomHuckWa]

I second what Skip said on both posts. The Bogen setup is not that heavy, is fairly tall without extending the center column, very stable, and within your price criteria. I haven't had mine all that long but can tell you it beats the tar out of the Slik I used for years. And its lighter.

[bettyn]

I don't know why but my search for a new tripod is leaving me totally confused. And the more I read, the more confused I get. Maybe it is because the combination I am looking for doesn't exist.

Here goes. I am looking for a tall (I am 6'2") tripod and ball head that is strong enough to support a Rebel XT with a 400mm f/5.6 lens yet is light enough and compact enough to tote along attached to a backpack while hiking or just walking in seach of birds and other wildlife. And, I am hoping to keep the total price under $300-$350.

I have a Velbon Ultra Luxi which is very compact and very lightweight but short and not a tripod on which I would trust a 400mm lens.

Any suggestions?

Am in the process of getting a 3021 myself. Believe me, the tripod you have now will not work with the 400mm f5.6L. I know. I have the Velbon also. It may (God forbid!) tip over, or, at the very least, be almost impossible to focus because the front of the 400 will dip down below your subject no matter how tight you think you have set the camera and lens. (Also, when you hit the cable release the whole thing shakes! Not a good thing, to say the least!)

The manfrotto 3021 is the answer. It's a bit heavy, but a big lens like the 400 requires something sturdy. Bogen/Manfrotto has another good tripod, the 190XProB,that is lighter, but I'm not sure I'd trust my 400 with it, either. ( Of course you could get a carbon fiber Gitzo, but it will cost you many $$$$.)

[EdV]

Thanks for the tips. It sounds like you know exactly my problem Betty. Right now I am using the monopod and it is fine... for a monopod. But I must get a sturdier tripod. I will go to a local camera shop (thank God we have a good one) and check out the Bogen/Manfrotto.