Which tripod should I get?

I've been trying to find a good solid tripod and head as something of a long term item to have with relatively limited funds...

I'm looking at these options:

http://www.ebay.com.au …ipods&hash=item​48425bc1c6

http://www.ebay.com.au …opods&hash=item​5d3067d889

Basically I want a decent sturdy, preferably Carbon Fibre tripod and ballhead, if possible with a tiltable column, for under $500 in Australia.

Any suggestions would be most welcome.

Please don't tell me to spend $700+ on a gitzo/manfrotto etc etc I simply don't have the funds.

Have you looked at Giottos?

Don't know the exchange rate ( I could look it up of course ) but over here in these isles, they offer great value and rival Manfrotto for less layout...

do you have any sort of link?

Oh and AUD is on parity with USD at present

Manufacturer site -

http://www.giottos.com​/Products.htm


Reviews -

http://www.giottos-tripods.co.uk/index.ph​p?page=proview

http://www.ephotozine.​com …-group-test--review-11207


Hope these help.


I've tried out a couple of them including the MTL 8361. The third link ( group test ) probably says it all. This model without head is around GBP180 to 200 in the UK. A good tilt and pan head like the MH5001 will set you back another GBP35 or so.

http://www.morrisphoto​.co.uk …e+Tripod~man~Gi​ottos.html


I would have thought most things are more expensive here so you may get better prices in Aus.

MTL 8361 sans head is $344 from Adorama

http://www.adorama.com​/GTMT8361.html

so this may give you an idea of price.....


You could also look at Vanguard. I had one of their tripods for a short while. It worked very well but their pan n tilt head was a disappointment ( bad design that would not accommodate a gripped body ). Their CF legs are more expensive than Giottos though. However the central column repositioning feature is excellent. Avoid the heads!!!


Good hunting.

You'll probably find that the UK and US are significantly cheaper than anything we can buy locally in AUS. For some reason everything here comes with at least a 30% premium, including itunes and the apple app store... and I'm not talking currency conversion I mean pure $$ value

At the moment with the exchange rate being as it is, it's usually cheaper for us to buy from the US and pay freight than try to buy from an Australian retailer.

My 24-70 was $1300 delivered from HK, the best australian price i could find was $1600 and even that was a grey import.

I buy stuff from the UK ebay regularly because it's so cheap. Especially postage seems to be basically free for you guys. The US costs a lot for freight but it's usually still cheaper.

TCShadow wrote in post #13239472
You'll probably find that the UK and US are significantly cheaper than anything we can buy locally in AUS. For some reason everything here comes with at least a 30% premium, including itunes and the apple app store... and I'm not talking currency conversion I mean pure $$ value

At the moment with the exchange rate being as it is, it's usually cheaper for us to buy from the US and pay freight than try to buy from an Australian retailer.

My 24-70 was $1300 delivered from HK, the best australian price i could find was $1600 and even that was a grey import.

I buy stuff from the UK ebay regularly because it's so cheap. Especially postage seems to be basically free for you guys. The US costs a lot for freight but it's usually still cheaper.

Well I'm amazed. Thanks for the headsup though. iTunes are expensive here too. In the US they are so dirt cheap!!!


While I currently do not own a Giottos tripod I do use their heads, both pan n tilt and ball versions. Great performance and price IMHO. I think Giottos who make the rocket blower, are a gem of a manufacturer awaiting discovery...

Anyway, good luck sourcing a tripod. Let us know which one you eventually settle for.

How about Feisol? I hear better things about them than benro, especially in the customer service department.

I really like my Giottos MTL 9360B tripod legs. I wasn't too happy with their MH5001 Three Way Head, however. I replaced it with a Manfrotto 460MG. As my signature indicates, I only have a G12 so I don't have the weight concerns of a DSLR with a heavy lens setup, so the 460MG is perfect for me. I like being able to adjust one axis at a time, so if I need to adjust just the level or horizontal angle, I can do it independently. If I have all the knobs loosened, I can adjust everything at the same time.

Giottos manufacturers their products in China, I think... so perhaps you could buy from one of their HK distributors. btw, I'm 6'2" and the 9360b is just the right height for me... so if you are going carbon fiber, that would be the 8360, if you want the 4 section legs so the collapsed height is shorter for ease of transport. I prefer the lever locks (MTL), but I see posts both ways here. Some swear by the twist locks. Giottos lever locks are adjustable so if they loosen over time, a simple tightening with an allen wrench will do the trick.

The 8300 and 9300 series have the multi positional center column, a very useful addition for macro shots. Their website does a decent job describing it. Here's a youtube explanation: http://www.youtube.com​/watch?v=JNvY8tDT5wQ

and two from POTN: https://photography-on-the.net …/showthread.php​?t=1083921

Post #739, in case you have your pages set up differently: https://photography-on-the.net …highlight=Giott​os&page=15

I don't know if Amazon ships to Australia or not, but that's where I purchased mine.