Going crazy over tripods/heads!

Hey everyone,

I'm having a hell of a time trying to find a decent tripod+head (decent for what I want) that I can get at a maximum price of $200.

Here's what I need:
-Spirit levels on the head, I do landscapes so I want this.
-Preferably 3-way. Ball head would be fine if I can find a decent one at OK price (needs to pan).
-Strong enough to hold an 350D and a Sigma 120-300mm f/2.8 (renting the lens soon)
-I'd like it to be able to get pretty low...for wide angle work. But I can do without this I guess.
-I do not care about weight what so ever!

I was looking at Manfrotto stuff, which would be really great to have...but it's simply too expensive

Thanks!

My tripod recommendation for general purpose use is the Bogen/Manfrotto 3021BPro (known as the 055ProB outside the U.S.) topped off with the Bogen/Manfrotto 488RC2 ball head.

This is a very sturdy combination with enough height for most folks.

It is an extremely versatile tripod/head combination, with many ways to support a camera. You can put a camera over a short wall, directly above a table pointing down, inches above the ground, etc

The 488RC2 ball head has a feature that should not be ignored. That is the separate release for "panning". You can loosen the lever and rotate the camera horizontally without releasing the ball. This is great for scenic panoramic shots.

There are advantages to the ball head that may not be immediately apparent. One is the ease of packing/carrying the rig without various handles getting in the way. Another is the speed and simplicity of aiming the camera with only one control to mess with.

Here’s the combination at B&H: 3021BPro/488RC2

The price is not too far out of your budgetary number if you consider that it is very much a buy-now-and-keep-it-for-life tripod/head. Buy cheap tripods, and you will buy several of them and wind up spending more in the end.

I agree with above.
if not possible then get the same tripod with another head with little less price.

The leg
http://www.bhphotovide​o.com …O_Tripod_Legs_B​lack_.html
The head
http://www.bhphotovide​o.com …_3_Way_Pan_Tilt​_Head.html


So you need hands and feet as well, just put the body[camera with its nose(lens)] on the head which is different than human body, hehe

Well I am the third one to vote for the 3021/488 rc2 combo. I am even thinking of getting a second one to keep in the trunk of the car, so I always have one handy. I have 4 tripods, but this setup is by far my most favored. Anybody want a couple of Slik U212s?

4th vote for the above combo. It's a good value and very solid for what you want to do. I use it myself.

Yeah that's the combo I was looking at originally (actually the RC4 not RC2 which has no spirit levels).

Is there any major reason to get the RC2 instead of the RC4? And NO I am not interested in shoe-mounted spirit levels....that would mean no use of a flash when I need one.

Ugh, I want other toys in my life...and I'm not sure I can afford them all! Hahah.

jcw122 wrote in post #3672747
Yeah that's the combo I was looking at originally (actually the RC4 not RC2 which has no spirit levels).

Is there any major reason to get the RC2 instead of the RC4? And NO I am not interested in shoe-mounted spirit levels....that would mean no use of a flash when I need one.

Ugh, I want other toys in my life...and I'm not sure I can afford them all! Hahah.

You should be happy with what you have, and slowly slowly you can upgrade if you need, me -myself- don't know when i gonna stop to upgrade for i don't know [Something i will do later or nothing].

Tareq wrote in post #3672777
You should be happy with what you have, and slowly slowly you can upgrade if you need, me -myself- don't know when i gonna stop to upgrade for i don't know [Something i will do later or nothing].

Yeah I am planning on upgrading slowly, I switched my lens lineup a little bit a few months ago. Switching from the Sigma 18-200mm, to the Tamron 17-50mm. Getting the Canon 85 1.8...and selling the Canon 50 1.8.

Real reason I'm getting a tripod is for using the Sigma 120-300mm 2.8 (rental) for school sports photography. I need the support. The tripod I currently have does fine most of the time (cheap $20 walmart)...but it does not handle the same load, and I cannot do portrait mode comfortably. Something is wrong with the head too....it's slightly tilted so that's very annoying.

Ideally, I'd like to get a Tripod and new backpack to put everything in...but that will cost me ~$400 total. $400 also happens to be the amount of money I want to spend to get a WASR-10....basically a Romanian Ak-47...:p

Decisions, decisions, haha.

The Manfrotto ...RC4 quick release system is HUGE compared to the ...RC2 system. The RC4 is designed for medium format cameras and even 4x5 cameras. The RC2 system works extremely well with 35mm SLR-sized cameras and associated lenses.

There is really no need, in my opinion, to use a level for the camera. If you are setting up to do a panoramic view of some sort, you can merely rotate the head horizontally and keep one point within the subject area referenced to the bottom or the top of the viewfinder (depending where in the image it will be). As you rotate the camera, the chosen reference point should stay the same distance from the chosen edge of the viewfinder as you swing the camera. If it doesn't, make a minor adjustment (half the error at one end of the viewfinder should do it) and you're as close to level as is ever necessary.

Levelling the tripod itself is easy because it has a bubble level. Then you level the camera with the simple method I described, and you're OK to go.

It would be silly, in my opinion, to use the much larger quick-release plate system because it would get in the way virtually every time you handle the camera - putting it into or taking it of the bag, shooting handheld, etc.

jcw122 wrote in post #3672814
Yeah I am planning on upgrading slowly, I switched my lens lineup a little bit a few months ago. Switching from the Sigma 18-200mm, to the Tamron 17-50mm. Getting the Canon 85 1.8...and selling the Canon 50 1.8.

Real reason I'm getting a tripod is for using the Sigma 120-300mm 2.8 (rental) for school sports photography. I need the support. The tripod I currently have does fine most of the time (cheap $20 walmart)...but it does not handle the same load, and I cannot do portrait mode comfortably. Something is wrong with the head too....it's slightly tilted so that's very annoying.

Ideally, I'd like to get a Tripod and new backpack to put everything in...but that will cost me ~$400 total. $400 also happens to be the amount of money I want to spend to get a WASR-10....basically a Romanian Ak-47...:p

Decisions, decisions, haha.

I asked about the tripods about 100 times in more than 8 sites, i found myself i have to buy at least 3 tripods.
For travel i got what i need and finished, for hiking around i think i got one and i may get another one, maybe same the combo above from people recommendations, and the last one will be for long heavy lenses, so then i will be completely finished with tripods.

Thanks for the clarification about RC4 skip...might as well get the RC2.

Tareq wrote in post #3672865
I asked about the tripods about 100 times in more than 8 sites, i found myself i have to buy at least 3 tripods.
For travel i got what i need and finished, for hiking around i think i got one and i may get another one, maybe same the combo above from people recommendations, and the last one will be for long heavy lenses, so then i will be completely finished with tripods.

Wow that's alot. Why exactly would you need different tripods?

One reason for having more than just one tripod would be because you might shoot different types of things which require different types of tripods. For example, I have the Manfrotto 3221 tripod with a 488 head which I use at home and when I go out to take landscape and pano pictures. I also have the Gitzo 5530S tripod with a Wimberley HD200 head for shooting birds with the 500 f/4 lens. Trying to mount a 500 f/4 lens on a 3221 with a 488 head just wouldn't be too practical. Neither is trying shoot pano landscape pictures with a 5530 and the HD200. But that's not to say that it can't be done, though.

Ahh I getcha, so that's a bit more specialized.

jcw122 wrote in post #3672988
Ahh I getcha, so that's a bit more specialized.

Yes, it is like cameras itself, can't use slow camera for fast action, and can't use fast low MP for studios if wanting large prints, and so as for lenses, no one product or item to be used for everything, but it can be done anyway.

OK well I got home tonight and my brother just stepped on and broke our tripod. So I DEFINITELY need a new one now...