steve917 wrote in post #2359155
I consider my self an advanced amatuer photographer who likes to trek around the pine barrens of NJ and I am looking for a light weight tripod I can Use with My Pentax K10D DSLR. I like to shoot Wildlife, Landscapes etc. I want something light yet solid but not too pricey (under $200). Anyone ever use 1 of those monopod/ tripod combination like the trekpod?
Any Suggestions
Pentax K10D & ist D -50mm 1.7- 18-35 5.6 - 28-300 3.5-6.3 28-80 3.5-5.6 -17mm 4.0 fish
Sigma EF500 DG Flash
www.shutterpoint.com/Photos-BrowseUser.cfm?user_id=STEVE917 Sounds like you are pretty serious about your photography. You have a couple of problems - you are interested in nature wildlife and landscapes. Plus you want to carry this around a bit - I'm understanding that you value portability. Those characteristics are going to want to push you to better gear and $200 will be a bit tight for that.
Here are my 3 favorite links about tripods. Read these and see how much of this makes sense to you:
How to save money in buying camera support - not what you think, but this is the absolute truth. I have the closet full of useless tripods to prove it.
Tripods and Ball Heads by Thom Hogan
On the importance of tripods to your photography, how to prioritize.
Tripods & Heads
A study showing the importance of good equipment, and that vibration that you cannot see or feel is what kills the sharpness in your photos.
Charlie Kim Tripod Teechnique
The other guidance I would give you is that you can get a stable tripod, one that is cheap, and one that is light. You can get any 2 of those characteristics in a tripod, but you can't get all three.
Some things for you to look at:
Gitzo Basalt Series - cheaper than CF, but light. Excellent gear.
Feisol Tripods (http://www.feisol.com).
Manfrotto 055MF4
The Manfrotto is a bit on the heavy side for this however.
To any of these, you will also need to add a ballhead.
The ultimate stable but hiking setup, IMO, is the Gitzo 1258 + RRS BH40 ballhead, but this is going to absolutely crush your budget. This is the most stable and still very light combination out there.
That all being said, I'd encourage you to do some thinking about where you want to go with your photography. If you are intending on being serious about sharp landscape shots and this is a long term thing for you, then you will save a lot of money in the long run by buying more towards the top end now instead of several intermediate steps. In general, one ought to be prepared to spend as much (or more) for a tripod setup as one would spend on a higher quality lens.
Using any tripod no matter how good, is a hassle. The better gear is an order of magnitude less hassle than the cheap stuff. The heads don't droop and stay where you put them. The legs are reliable, rugged but yet light. Try using a cheap head with a long lens and you will very quickly see what I mean. The better gear is also much better at reducing and damping vibrations that steal the sharpness from your shots. If you can borrow a top end setup, and a cheapie, you will see what I mean.
J.
