In the market for a new tripod setup

So I am currently trying to find a new tripod and ball head to accommodate and support my Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L USM non IS 7D combo. I'll be selling that lens for the IS version later on down the road and I'm aware that lens is just a little bit heavier than the one I currently have. I plan on doing just landscapes, miscellaneous nature photography and time lapses with it. I'm not worried about the weight since it won't be used on a constant basis. Just looking for ideas. I have never really been a tripod user, so I don't know what would be good. But being a frail female with a small structure, this thing does want to take my arm off after a while LOL. Finally came to terms after this morning's sunrise photo spree to the beach I need something to help me out. I live in Florida so something that can withstand being around sand and some saltwater on occasions. I've seen some of Gitzo's prices and that's out of my reach. Around $550 is my budget. Any recommendations would be great. Thank you.

Hi Emillz7x

$550 is a sensible budget for a first time tripod. I have seen so many photographers with heavy expensive camera's and lenses mounted on inferior tripods. I just get images of disasters happening. You have looked at the price of Gitzo's and say that they are out of reach. I wouldn't rule them out. My suggestion is look at used prices for a carbon Gitzo. Hold out until you find a nice condition one. You will not be disappointed.
Gitzo quote ......

"Professionals the world over acknowledge Gitzo tripods, monopods, heads and accessories as setting the industry’s standards for excellence. Functional, versatile and timeless, even a Gitzo tripod purchased over 25 years ago is compatible with accessories available today and can still be serviced almost as though it were a brand new model. Combining a classic sense of style with modern ergonomics has kept Gitzo at the forefront of camera support system design. Gitzo tripods and heads are superbly engineered to withstand the roughest handling. Precision assembly, high quality materials and fine control are all qualities that represent Gitzo products."

This statement is so true. I belong to a camera club and in time as I did myself seen dozens go from different brands and in time when funds become available usually all end up with Gitzo and they don't look back.

With Regards to the head I love the manfrotto 410 geared head which uses a quick release system.

Good luck

You could look at Feisol, Benro, and Sirui. I love my Feisol 3441T. I'm quite sure it has been through more abuse than most, and it has never let me down.

I'm in a similar situation. I have just ordered an Induro CT213 at $267 (which should arrive later this week). It has solid reviews and comes with a lot of extras (spike feet for the sand, bag, tool kit). I, too, live near the beach in the Daytona Beach, FL area and this seems to hold up good in salt water with a good rinsing after a shoot. Since I'm an elderly female, I was looking to keep my gear as light as possible, and this tripod weighs 3.3 pounds. There are lighter travel tripods, but I use a 70-200 f/2.8 and a 400mm f/5.6 so I thought this would be the best option.

I'm now in the process of deciding on a ballhead (post to follow in just a few minutes asking for recommendations). I wish there were stores around me where I could test out the various options, so I am going to have to rely on research and input from the gang here on the forum to steer me in the right direction.

Good luck with your decision.

You can get tripods with leg tubes made of carbon fiber or aluminum, with leg locks that are either lever lock or twist lock, with or without a center column, and with either 3, 4 or 5 leg sections. There are a lot of variables so if you can, visit a store and try some out to see what you like or don't like and that goes for ballheads too. Once you see and handle a few tripods you'll find that they're all a compromise in some way and if as you say it doesn't have to be super light that will help with stability. Bring your camera so that you can evaluate the max height of a tripod + ballhead + your camera - is it at your eye level?

Carbon fiber is more expensive than aluminum but lighter in weight and quicker to deal with vibration. Tom in post #3 gives you some good brand names; Benro, Feisol and Sirui. Christine up above got a great deal on the Induro CT213 which is a 3 leg-section carbon fiber tripod of quality. I use Gitzo and Benro tripods, Benros are Gitzo copies and some of the parts are interchangeable. That goes for Induro too, they're an upscale Benro brand. I recently bought a very inexpensive Benro aluminum tripod with lever locks (also called flip locks) for the sea. I've read a number of reports that the flip locks may be better with sand than the twist locks so I want to try it out for myself. This is a throwaway tripod that's basically an experiment as you do have to take care of a tripod after it's on a beach and it can be annoying at times.

You can get tripod kits (a tripod bundled with a ballhead) but with one or two very rare exceptions tripod makers don't make good ballheads and vice versa. The Sirui ballheads offer durability at a great price and you might want to look at their K-30x model which should be able to handle your camera rig.

I also live near the sea and like to shoot at the shore sometimes so for a tripod rig that environment is "extreme" - sand, wind, marshes, sea water. I use Acratech ballheads but they're expensive unfortunately. They are quality though and buying a used one is not a risk as the company gives a lifetime warranty and doesn't care if you're the first owner or the tenth. They have an open design that's great for maintenance, you just sluice the head under a faucet, rinse the sand and muck out of it and you're all set. Look in the For Sale forum here and over at the FM forum (Fred Miranda) where it's called B&S to check on prices and availability.

PCousins wrote in post #17368414
[..]

With Regards to the head I love the manfrotto 410 geared head which uses a quick release system.

^^This. You can pair that head with a Manfrotto 055BXPROB. That's what I use. It's a rather heavy combo, though. But the carbon fibre version of any tripod will go beyond your budget. Geared heads run circles around any ball heads.

emillz7x wrote in post #17368229
I plan on doing just landscapes, miscellaneous nature photography and time lapses with it. I'm not worried about the weight... But being a frail female with a small structure...

Unless your landscapes involve just getting out of the car and shooting, you probably should worry about weight. The Manfrotto 055XPROB was mentioned, and it is a nice solid set of legs, but it's very heavy. I don't like hiking far with it, and I'm 6'2" 240lbs. (I eventually bought a lighter CF tripod).

LV Moose wrote in post #17369076
Unless your landscapes involve just getting out of the car and shooting, you probably should worry about weight. The Manfrotto 055XPROB was mentioned, and it is a nice solid set of legs, but it's very heavy. I don't like hiking far with it, and I'm 6'2" 240lbs. (I eventually bought a lighter CF tripod).

Tell me about it!

A word of warning: there are other tripods available that are lighter and/or fold smaller, but they have 4 instead of 3 sections. I'd avoid those: the more sections, the less stable the tripod. If you really need the lightest, go for carbon fibre. Geared heads are towards the heavier side as well: precision comes with a price in pounds.

I have a manfrotto xprob190 (I think that's the name) and used to have a pistol grip head on it, a while ago I bought their new X-Pro 3way head which I like a lot. I prefer it over ballheads since I can adjust and fix up/down and left/right independently, useful for table top photography, macro, and works great outdoors as well.

I also just recently bought a MeFoto Roadtrip and love it. Small, light, can handle quite some weight. Comes with spikes, tool, a nice bag and somebody had the genius idea to add the option to turn it into a monopod very quickly. The ball head is quite nice and allows panning (some don't), has a built in level. There's a hook in the center column where you can attach a weight/bag/etc for extra stability. It's really flexible and can be set up quite high if necessary. Cost only 189, a total steal IMO.

carbon is nice too, in the MeFoto case the weight difference is very little though. Not worth the extra money to me. Some say carbon is better with vibrations, I have no experience with carbon (find them too expensive for as little as I use a tripod) so I can't say.

Vanguard also makes nice ones with a very flexible center column that you can pull out and angle any way you want, helpful for macro.

Saltwater will not be nice to any tripod except some rather expensive ones, but a good rinse after use should help keeping it nice for years.

I would keep weight in mind too, the heavier it is, the less likely will you carry it around much, that's why I got the MeFoto, only 3.6 lb but can support 17lb of gear.

have a look at INDURO tripods almost as well built as the gitzo's but a tad cheaper in cost,i own the CT-014 as my travel tripod that i bring all around town and on hikes,i keep it in my truck at all times and its a fine tripod for the price.

Like P Cousins I am a fan of top quality tripods like Gitzo. The top end tripods are simply better! However if they are simply out of your reach then the only options are to look for a good used one or go to a cheaper brand.
Going second hand is the best option in my opinion but you may have to look long and hard before you find what you want.
If you are looking at cheaper brands then I would suggest that you have a good long look at the Feisol tripods - have a look at these two:

http://www.feisol.net …ament-tripods-c-1_14.html

No they are not Gitzo's but they are light, pretty rigid, and reasonably priced. I have used both models (two friends have one of each) and they are OK with lenses like a Canon 300mm F2.8 L IS on a gimbal head - not bad for a tripod weighing just over 1 Kilo. The 3 leg section version is better (CT 3342) but a little longer when folded down.

I think the best value tripod is the Feisol line. They're carbon fiber at about 1/2 the price of the Gitzo's. I would look online at B&H, and at the Feisol site for one that is the equivalent of the Gitzo 3 series, which is there middle of the line size. Look at the supported weight comparisons between the two, to get an idea of which Feisol lines up with the 3 series. Maximum weights mean nothing absolutely, as there is no standard to measure against. But comparing two tripods relatively will give you a ballpark.

Three sections are more stable than four, but sticks with 4 sections are more packable. I agree with everything that's been said about weight. I would not get an aluminum heavy tripod, as you will inevitably end up schlepping it at sometime.

I've had a Feisol 3441 tripod for about 4 years, with excellent workmanship over all that time. I've taken it apart to clean the leg junctures several times. They're made in Taiwan and I have more confidence in products from there than from mainland China. They have an excellent repair policy and will send you replacement parts even for out of warranty items. I would buy at Feisol.com or at B&H.

A used Gitzo CF tripod from a reputable seller as found on the Selling Fourm here is another option.