I need advice on a tripod...

Hi There,

I am new around here, and pretty new to the DP game in general. I have a huge, cumbersome, heavy SLIK tripod which was donated to me, intended for use with a huge telescope. Which is absolutely fine if you have half an hour to set it up, and dismantle it, and works really well with my 100 - 400 EF L Telephoto lens, but I do a lot of walking, and want something that is sturdy but also lightweight, and compact, and preferably under £50.

I know I am most likely asking the impossible here, but having looked around on the net for over an hour this afternoon, I am simply lost... There are so many to choose from, and I am not in a position to be able to outlay a massive amount of cash at the moment. But if anyone has any advice, it would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance,

Alex

smithal wrote in post #2450037
Hi There,

I am new around here, and pretty new to the DP game in general. I have a huge, cumbersome, heavy SLIK tripod which was donated to me, intended for use with a huge telescope. Which is absolutely fine if you have half an hour to set it up, and dismantle it, and works really well with my 100 - 400 EF L Telephoto lens, but I do a lot of walking, and want something that is sturdy but also lightweight, and compact, and preferably under £50.

I know I am most likely asking the impossible here, but if anyone has any advice, it would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance,

Alex

High Alex,

Welcome to the forum. For the budget, i definitely recommend Amvona's Dynatran series. I'm currently an owner of their AT-CF994 carbon fiber tripod and very happy with it. They have a store on eBay. The prices are much much lower than their own website. Also, do a search here for "Dynatran" and you will see a lot of members are using the series.
Good luck.

Fee

Wow, where to start. I believe the rule when working with tripods is this, stable, light, cheap, pick 2. You can get a cheap, stable tripod, but it's going to be heavy. You can get a lightweight, cheap tripod, but it won't be stable. You can get a stable, lightweight tripod, but it won't be cheap.

If you've got the Slik 700dx pro, then that's probably the best you are going to get for the price. I just paid $130 for one. I'm guessing that to get a tripod that's as stable, and as well made, you'll probably have to double or triple your budget. Besides, if you are supporting that big, expensive lens, wouldn't you want something that does it justice?

Thank you very much for the quick responses guys / gals...

I definately do want something that will support my big lens, but the cash is the main point. I have looked at them you suggested Fee, and they look very good value for money, and seem pretty high on the features too. Unfortunately they do seem a little out of my price range with the shipping clagged on from the states.

I think you guys have just confirmed that I am probably better off sticking with what I have for now. It does the job perfectly well, is just a bit cumbersome, but I suppose I am a big lad...I can handle it!

Thanks again!