Tripod Question??

[Csst]

Ok my question is i'm looking to buy a tripod and i want some insite on what to buy i want a nice tripod not to small but not to big either i want a nice sturdy one if anyone could help me out here it would be great thanks again.

Chris

[robertwgross]

You'll get better advice if you can describe your photography.

For example, some people shoot only in a studio, so if the tripod weighs a ton, that is good. Others of us shoot nature scenes, and we often walk ten miles per day, so a heavy tripod is more of a liability. On the other hand, you have to have something that is stable enough, and stability comes somewhat with the weight of the tripod. Carbon fiber tripods can be very stiff, but then they are hugely expensive.

If you are tall, then often you will want a tripod that comes up to your eye level. On the other hand, some people shoot from lower tripods that are only at waist level. A few use shorty tripods that lower down almost to ground level for flower closeups.

For me, one additional consideration was a quick release. My tripod came with a quick release head, and I have quick release mounts on my camera bodies and one big lens. That makes everything almost instantaneously interchangeable and that is good if you are moving around.

---Bob Gross---

[Csst]

i will be taking alot of nature shoots and walking around i want something thats not to heavy but thats tall enough to go eye level i don't like the really short tripods.thanks for the reply.
Chris

[robertwgross]

Yes, nature shots!

I use one of two or three tripods in the outdoors, depending on my mood. One is made by Sunpak, and it is the model 8001UT. I think maybe they discontinued it, but they have some very similar models on the market. When I bought this one, it was cheap ($40). For a decent tripod, that is dirt cheap. It came with a pan-tilt head and QR, then two QR mounts for camera bodies or lenses. The other good news is that it isn't terribly heavy, which is an issue if you have to carry the thing around a lot. With the center column elevator low, it is just below my eye height, and with the center column elevator high, it is well above my eye height, so that pretty well covers it for me.

I used that tripod outdoors so much and beat it up so much that it looks too ratty to use to shoot a wedding. So, I bought another one and keep it clean and shiny, specifically for weddings. I tend to move around a lot at a wedding, and I set up next to another photographer, so I needed something that sets up quickly.

---Bob Gross---