Which tripod for me?

I have a 7D and am awaiting delivery of a 400 5.6L. I plan on using this combo for birding and general wildlife photography. I have around $200 budgeted for a tripod and was looking for opinions. I hope to some day buy either a 400 2.8 or 500 f4 first versions not the new mark ii's so I'd want the tripod to be able to handle these as well.
Also am looking for opinions on a nice tripod mount for the 7D and 400 5.6. I'm new to birding so any opinions would be appreciated.
Is there a nice gimbal mount that won't break the bank? The only gimbal mount I've actually seen in person in use is a Manfrotto 393 but I've been told that's overkill for my combo.
Thanks.

Okay, lots of info here you need to figure this one out. First off, $200 aint gonna cut it. Not even close. If you do actually intend to do birding someday with a 400L or 500L a setup to shoot with one of those is going to run you a bit over a grand. No $200 tripod could come close. IMO a $200 wouldnt even cover your 7D/400 5.6 combo. Also, the manfrotto gimbal, while "popular" for its price point, is really the bottom of the barrel, least expensive option IMO, and def NOT overkill for your situation.

Now that all being said, are you willing to buy something less expensive now, that will allow you to get by, or do you want to buy once and be set for many years to come? If you want the latter, how much more can you come up with to put into this setup.

For birding and a 7D/4005.6, you're going to go over $200 if you want a gimbal. There's no 2 ways around it. Try $200 for legs and $200 for a head, and you may be closer.

You could look into a set of Manfrotto 055xprob legs. They're heavy, but solid and cheap.
That leaves you with a head to choose. I don't know much about gimbal heads, so I won't offer any advice on those, save that you should get a good one, as the head matters more than the legs in this scenario.

You'll probably find yourself wishing you had a lighter setup soon enough if you go for the 055 though. So it might be better to spend a bit more and go for a benro or feisol CF set of legs. You can find them starting at just over $200 for the basic models which will suit you well enough.

Weight of the tripod is not a concern for me so if I can get a sturdy but heavy one at a cheaper cost, that's fine by me. I'm not willing to spend $1000 at this point. I was hopefully hoping to get by with $200. for the legs and maybe another $200 for the mount for now.

Well there you go then: LINK and LINK. Thats as inexpensive as you should consider IMO.

You might want to look at these http://www.bhphotovide​o.com …F_4_Section_Alu​minum.html. Specs look good and it has the tilting center column (if that is something you would use). I have not been able to find a review on this model, but from what I have read, Benro seems to have a decent reputation for the money spent.

However, I am just a newbie and have no experience in tripods. So I am not making any recommendations, just something for you to consider.

Lots of people here are happy with a Benro. Here's a link to a Manfrotto from Costco for under $40.

http://www.costco.com …PopularProducts​InCategory

Thanks much for the opinions.Keep 'em comin'. So knowing nothing about gimbal heads, what makes the Induro's and other high priced units so much better than something like the 393? For me, so long as something tilts and pans smoothly that's all I care about. I have no need for the inclination scales etc. that I see of some units. Inform me please.

I came across a Manfrotto 3021 BPRO with a 322RC2 ballhead locally for $150.00. Is this a decent setup even if I don't need this ballhead for birding maybe it's decent for everyday use??

I've had the 322RC2 head. You do not want that head for any kind of flexible shooting situations. It's not hefty enough for your 400 f/5.6, and the effort of squeezing it to readjust for moving subjects will give you either forearm cramps or a head start on playing Popeye in the next remake. For the 400 f/5.6, and on up to at least the 300 f/2.8 IS, the Manfrotto 393 is a good option. I'm trying to figure out how to rework mine to handle an Arca-Swiss clamp since I like it better otherwise than my Jobu Black Widow.

I had no intention of using the 322RC2 with the 400 5.6, maybe just as an everyday head for the 7D and the kit lens. It's the tripod that I would buy the package for.

I wouldn't use mine with any lens combo, or as an everyday head. Maybe in a few highly specialized situations where the camera was going to be set and forget. But I'd feel guilty selling it on to some poor naif. Even if the package deal is too appealing to pass up, figure on getting a decent regular ball head; maybe the Manfrotto 4898RC2 or an Adorama Flashpoint F3. Those pistol-grip things look better than they work.

Agree with with Jon said ^. I have a Manfrotto 324RC2 that was 'okay' (and I do mean 'okay') when I had my gripped T2i with 10-24 Tamron or 18-135 EF-S Canon, but with my gripped 5D Mk II and L glass (including rented 70-200/2.8L and 400/2.8L), the 324RC2 just doesn't come close to meeting the need.

As such, I've been doing my research on what I will purchase to replace the current setup. The amount of $ I plan to spend is crazy (close to $1400), BUT, I will not have to buy another tripod & ball-head for a very very long time!

Quack Me Up, I can understand your desire to go the easy route, but I would suggest you at least try to hold off for a week or two, so you can pony up more $ for a quality tripod head; that will mean you don't have to spend $$ twice (new tripod and head down the road).

Is there any reason that the Manfrotto 055XPROB that Ben recommended won't be sufficient now for the 400 5.6 and also in the future should I be lucky enough to find a 400 2.8 or 500 f4?

IMO, no...the 055XPROB will not be a good choice. Here's why (again, my opinion):

1) Camera weight 29oz (almost 2lbs)
2) Tripod head (assume 4lbs)
3) 500 f/4 weights 8.5lbs

That adds up to roughly 14lbs, leaving you very little wiggle room for the load capacity of the 055XPROB.

The Manfrotto has a load capacity of 15.5 lbs and has a center column, which will add instability, so you will need to hang your camera bag or similar on the tripod to increase stability. This will take you well over the 15.5 lb load capacity.

Additionally, with something like a 400 or 500mm lens, any instability is magnified due to the smaller FOV (400 f/2.8 = just shy of 7 degrees and 500 f/4 = 5 degrees), so you really want a tripod without a center column to increase stability.

That said, you could probably get by with the 055XPROB for the short term. Realize that to get serious with larger lenses and birds (etc), you will want to step up the game down the road which will definitely require more $$.

I know it's hard to swallow spending $$$$ on a tripod & head, but the final result is what you are spending the $ on, and if you are out on a birding adventure with a wimpy tripod that is not stable, you 'could' end up with blur in your images!

I am by no means an expert! Take this as my suggestions and words of knowledge & encouragement.