Tripod Help

[jdbulldog]

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I have surfed the tripod messages posted on this forum and have gleamed what I could. I am still a tripod idiot and need help. I currently have a Manfrotto 680 Monopod that I use for sports and wildlife photography but my portrait and wedding business has taken off. I have been using a SLIK piece of crap videocamera tripod and need something else. I am about to purchase a new Stroboframe Pro T bracket and a 580 EX flash for my 20D. So my budget for a new tripod will be around $300 USD. I will be carrying the tripod a distance of a few hundred meters so weight is really not an issue. I would love a carbon fiber or light weight tripod that I can also use on wildlife photography as well as in my portrait business, but I do not know if there is one stable enough and meets these requirements for $300 USD including a tripod head. At the same time, I do not know what type of head I would need for portrait shots. I have looked at many in magazines and online but still have no idea what I should be looking for.

Please help a poor sole who is lost and in dispair over a tripod purchase.

Thanks,

[Persian-Rice]

CF is expensive, easy to carry, not very good for big heavy equipment especially on uneven ground.
Most of the guys here will probably suggest the manfrotto 3021 pro legs. Very good choice.
I would say a 3030 head for pan/tilt or the 322RC2 for ball. Both are awsome heads.

If you buy both heads and the tripod, that will cost $300..............

[jdbulldog]

Thank you. I really liked the information. I checked BH Photo Video and the combination is well within my price range with the Ball head combination coming in at $247 USD.

I really liked the grip action of the ball head. How much panning do you do to need the panning head. I don't know if I have ever used a panning feature on a tripod. I typically use the monopod for that purpose.

Do most photographers use ball heads?

Thanks again for your help PR.

[dr.bear]

I have the 3012Pro with 488RC2 ballhead. Setup seems to hold up very well with my 10D, BGED3 and 70-200 IS attached. You can mount the neck horizontal for macro work as well. Probably not as good as the Gitzo 2200 though (for macro).

[DaveG]

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I have surfed the tripod messages posted on this forum and have gleamed what I could. I am still a tripod idiot and need help. I currently have a Manfrotto 680 Monopod that I use for sports and wildlife photography but my portrait and wedding business has taken off. I have been using a SLIK piece of crap videocamera tripod and need something else. I am about to purchase a new Stroboframe Pro T bracket and a 580 EX flash for my 20D. So my budget for a new tripod will be around $300 USD. I will be carrying the tripod a distance of a few hundred meters so weight is really not an issue. I would love a carbon fiber or light weight tripod that I can also use on wildlife photography as well as in my portrait business, but I do not know if there is one stable enough and meets these requirements for $300 USD including a tripod head. At the same time, I do not know what type of head I would need for portrait shots. I have looked at many in magazines and online but still have no idea what I should be looking for.

Please help a poor sole who is lost and in dispair over a tripod purchase.

Thanks,

I've got many (too many) tripods as I seem to collect them and then never get rd of them. But my two go-two tripods that are never stored anywhere but the trunk of my car, are a Gitzo 1220 with a Gitzo magnesium ball head; along with a Beurleback wooden tripod whose model number escapes me, and it has the huge Manfrotto ball head mounted.

The Gitzo legs are about a year old and should last for 20 more years. Everything about the Gitzo screams quality. It's not all that light but it's OK and I use it for about 90% of my commercial photography. The Beurleback gets used mostly when I want to use the quick release plate on the Manfrotto ball head. Once in a awhile I'll switch heads but that happens infrequently. I do like to use the Beurleback if the weather is particularly cold since it's warm to the touch (well warms to the touch I suppose) even in sub-zero weather.

I thought about a carbon fibre tripod and had an opportunity to get one, but a friend traded his Gitzo CF after it blew over with his Mamiya on it. Light would be great if I was backpacking but other than that my regular Gitzo does the job.

I did tear the cork off of the Gitzo head by putting too much weight on it with a Mamiya 645 and a whole bunch of other stuff. I contacted Gitzo who so far have ignored me. Does anyone know if the corking (such as it is) is available anywhere?