Whats the deal with tripods??!

put an ad in the wanted section I have coming a Dynantran AT-828 Tripod after doing this

Instead of web research, go to a camera and put your camera on a good tripod and you'll see the difference. I, too, had a sunpak tripod. I then upgraded to a Manfrotto 3021BPro with a 486RC2 head. (about $250) There is no comparison. Noodle vs Rock. I don't think you would regret the purchase of a good tripod.

Camera store that is

That Dynatran, while rather thin and light, is surprizingly strong. I have one I used for hiking a couple of times before I got my Benro C298. Its very light and easy to carry. Its sturdy enough for a camera w/battery pack and heavy lens, but you don't want to leave it unattended. Once you've had a little experience with it, you'll be able to decide if its enough support or what you need in a tripod.

DocFrankenstein wrote in post #2285484
There are some ballheads that I'd like to have - like a Kirk or ReallyRightStuff - their medium size, but I can't afford them.

Try Benro. I was shopping for an additional Kirk BH-3 when I discovered them. I now have two of theirs the KS-1 and KS-2 - both together cost about half the price of the Kirk alone and are of outstanding quality.

JNunn wrote in post #2291426
Try Benro. I was shopping for an additional Kirk BH-3 when I discovered them. I now have two of theirs the KS-1 and KS-2 - both together cost about half the price of the Kirk alone and are of outstanding quality.

I won't be able to return benro. Nobody in toronto sells them and I don't wanna pay for shipping.

Low Price, Low weight, Stability - choose 2 out of the 3 in the case of tripods.

I picked up my first tripod set - Manfrotto 190DB/3001 with the 486 head. I am quite happy with this set except that I wanted to make it lighter.

Around 1.5 months back, I picked up a set of Benro tripod/monopod and its been perfect.

There is a big difference between the cheap tripods and the very good ones (top line like Gitzo). You get what you pay for.

Basically, you can get stable, cheap and light tripods. You can get any 2 characteristics but you can't get all three in the same device.

Using any tripod is a hassle but if you want to get images the are at the resolution of your gear, you must use one. The good tripods are orders of magnitude better to use and that much less hassle. It is that simple. A vibration amplitude of as little as 0.00005m (5 um) during the shutter speed will result in one pixel of blur. Handheld, can give you as much as 300um of vibration - so you can see the impact. The tripod is there to reduce the vibration that you cannot physically see or sense except after you take your shot.

There is a ton of engineering that goes into designing a tripod - there is heavy duty materials science, there is huge adhesives technology (gluing CF is a nontrivial problem), there is mechanical engineering to decouple the camera mass from the vibration source. All of that is not cheap.

Additionally, you can pick up additional problems in drooping ballheads, in quick release system do not securely mount to the camera or to the ballhead etc... Cheap ballheads will droop such that if you are using a long lens, you carefully compose your shot, lock the head, only to have it have play in it so that your shot's composition is now blow. Talk about frustsrating!

So, my rule of thumb is that you should expect to spend as much as you would for one of your top lenses.

Here are three links that are important:

1. How to save money buying support equipment - http://bythom.com/supp​ort.htm. this is the truth, and I've been down this path (painfully, I might add).

2. How important a tripod is to your photography: http://www.luminous-landscape.com/essays/t​ripods_&_heads.shtml

3. The sources of vibration in photography and what to do about them. This report is really eyeopening. http://markins.com/cha​rlie/report4e6.pdf

Bottom line, if you are serious about your photography it pays to buy good stuff. You save money in the long run, you suffer less and you get on with the business of photography.

What that means to me is that I am a big fan of Gitzo - usually considered top of the line; the L lens of tripods and will probably outlast you. My favorite medium weight rig is the Gitzo 1258 plus the RRS BH40. Alternatives, but at significantly higher weight are the Manfrotto 055MF3 or MF4 with Manfrotto 488 hydrostatic ballhead outfitted with a RRS Quick Release lever clamp.


J.

Another vote for Amvona here. I got the Dynatran CF994 Tripod and I love it. It works for everything I need it for and is sturdy. I've been watching their monopods lately as well.

The Benro KS-1 and KS-2 look like they'd be worth trying. What is the current market price?. Does anyone know of a stockist in the UK, or alternatively advise of a stockist in the USA (I can get it shipped to a USA address for forwarding).

Ok so tripods is the subject heh... I will say I am on number 4... It all depends on what you are doing with your photography. I will say, you cannot beat a sturdy tripod. Buy the best.. THE BEST.. you can afford! That way you do not have to buy 4 like me...LOL

Phideaux wrote in post #2300526
The Benro KS-1 and KS-2 look like they'd be worth trying. What is the current market price?. Does anyone know of a stockist in the UK, or alternatively advise of a stockist in the USA (I can get it shipped to a USA address for forwarding).

Mini-to-mega.com is in the UK, I think. You could also try ebay for a couple of the HK dealers. I bought some of my benro stuff from I-Link. Even with shipping, it was a good deal. Availability is the only problem with getting Benro. They make great products. I think my KS-1 was about $108. and my KS-2 about $120.00 both prices include delivery to the USA.

Amvona.com

I got my Dynatran tripod with pistol grip head, AND a backpack for $80, $40 shipping. Dont waste your money on a Bogen or equivalent. Its the same setup.

The 3021BN Manfrotto/Bogen is very good. I put a 3D ProMaster/Hoya head on mine and the whole setup was maybe $200. It's rock steady.

There's an article on the web somewhere about how to progressively waste money on a series of slightly more expensive tripods before you inevitably end up buying the one you should have bought in the first place. It's so true it's uncanny. Buy Manfrotto (a.k.a. Bogen) or Gitzo now and save money in the long run.