tripod for digital rebel

[psychonaut]

help out a noob. my girlfriend got a digital rebel for her birthday from her father now i need to buy her a tripod. what features to look for ?

we're in new york city, i was planning to visit bhphotovideo

www.bhphotovideo.com

cuz its in NY and seems to have a good choice. i can buy online i just want to look at them in person first. looking to spend about $100

any help greatly appreciated.

[Olegis]

I can recommend the 3001BPRO and 482 RC2 ball-head (http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=353164&is=REG) combo - it's a little bit pricey, but worth every penny. The 482 is a nice entry-level ball-head and the 3001BPRO legs have this low-angle adapter and the removable center column, which allows you to position the camera in virtually any way.

[robertwgross]

I can almost guarantee that whichever tripod you buy for her, there will be a problem.

First, try to work out the priorities other than price.

1. Does she shoot primarily in a studio, or out on the street? Does she carry her entire rig for miles and miles along a nature trail? This question needs to get answered, since there are big sturdy tripods that belong in a studio, and there are medium ones that might go elsewhere.
2. How tall is she? A photographer who is 6'6" tall will want something different from another one who is 5'1" short.
3. What kind of camera equipment is to be used? For example, a heavy camera body with a heavy long lens is going to require a stiffer/sturdier tripod and head.
4. The primary type of photography might cause one person to choose a ball head, and another person might choose a pan/tilt head.
5. Some people just like a quick release, and others demand it.
6. Some nature photographers need a tripod that can support the camera down very low, lower than many cheaper tripods can be adjusted to.
7. Traveling photographers want something that will fold down to a very compact size. Note that the larger the number of leg sections, the less stable the tripod tends to be. Most have three or maybe four maximum.
8. Some like flip-lever leg sections, but there are several different kinds of adjustments.

The list goes on and on. That is part of the reason that there is a million different kinds of tripod arrangements on the market. Everybody wants something a little different.

The other alternative is to give her a gift certificate for B&H and let them have their way with her in the tripod department.

---Bob Gross---

[Tom W]

As an alternative, you can print Bob's post and then take her to BH Photo for a personal tripod-seeking trip. And then to lunch.

[psychonaut]

thank you for responding.

this is more complicated than i thought, but im gona have to figure it out to maintain credibility :mrgreen: then we will go to BHphoto together and make a final decision.

robertwgross, let me address your bullet points.

1 - out in the street mostly, she is a beginner.

2 - she's 6'3" ( seriously, that is her height )

3 - the camera is canon digital rebel. and i do not think we will be buying any massive lens anytime soon because of limited budget of college students.

4 - i am lost here. why would one prefer ball over pan/tilt and vice versa ?

5 - lost as well.

6 - i think we might need that. does this involve any special design features or is that simply a matter of setting a tripod to lowest level and seeing how low it goes ?

7 - ok, i understand this part :cool:

8 - this isn't crucial correct ?

thanks in advance.

ps: i have done some reading tonight and leaning towards Benbo Trekker MK2 kit with ballhead and carrying case for $179. how does that sound ?

[pradeep1]

I think Olegis suggestion would be a good starting point.

[robertwgross]

I would guess that, based on your answers, you need to read up on tripod features a little more so that you can make an informed decision. If you let some camera shop salesman do his thing, you will end up with something that she doesn't like later.

Start this way. Go find two or three experienced photographer friends. Ask to see their favorite tripod, and ask for an explanation of why it is good for them. You'll likely get two or three different opinions. However, that puts you on the critical track to thinking about tripods.

I have two identical tripods. I bought one and started using it outdoors shooting nature stuff. It works, but it looks pretty scuffed up after a while. But I liked its features, so I purchased a second one which is kept pristine, and it is used only for weddings and classy stuff. The advantage is that the quick release mounts are all compatible between cameras, lenses, and tripods, so I can move things back and forth quickly.

My tripod only elevates to a maximum equal to my height minus one inch. That ought to be enough, right? Most of the time, yes. However, there are times when I need to put my camera on the tripod with the lens pointing steeply upward (toward a bird). With mine, I have to stoop over to get my eyeball behind the camera viewfinder. If it had been two inches or so taller, it would have been perfect.

---Bob Gross---

[psychonaut]

rwgross instead of talking to photographer friends (which i dont have) i read two reviews of tripods online and kinda got the feel for it.

Olegis' suggestion looks good but i think B&H has an error in specs there. i dont think 3001BPRO is really 73" as the page suggests. it is the 3021BPRO which is 69" and with the head installed works out to 73". and the respective combo with the 3021BRO legs is $195, not $179.

or same legs with 3030 pan/tilt head for $199. with the 3030 head its 74.5" tall and my girlfriend is 75" tall ... so are you saying this 74.5" is still less than optimal ? should be about 76" ?

IMPORTANT QUESTION: 3221WN legs do not have sideways mountable column but it claims to have minimum height of 3" how is this possible ? can the head be mounted directly to legs somehow without the column ? how ? does it require any special accessories ?

[robertwgross]

Those are good questions. I would recommend that you visit the tripod department of B&H or any big/good camera store, some place that is a little above the consumer level. Keep in mind that a tripod salesman is probably on commission.

If you buy a typical consumer tripod, it will develop two or three faults or weaknesses, but you may not discover these for months. On the other hand, if you buy a typical professional tripod, it'll cost $300 or more. Some beginners buy a $29 special at the local camera shop, and then they will be back to buy another better one, and then another better one after that.

There is no foolproof solution to this until the priorities are known.

---Bob Gross---

[psychonaut]

LAST question.

can i put 486RC2 head onto SLIK PRO 700DX legs ? supposedly they have same thread but its different manufacturers, does it matter ?