tripod help

Hey guys,

I just got accepted into the photography major at my school and i need to get a myself a nice tripod. i've been looking around and i just got overwhelmed by all the different brands and such. all that i'm looking for is - at least 5'6" w/o being fully extended. light weight (cf), most likely a ball head over a pan. and fairly easy to lug around cause it will be traveling with me wherever i go.

i know that there are plenty of threads out there and i've looked at almost all of them but its kind of dificult to get all the information from one source. thanks for all your time and help.

Budget?

350-450 maybe 500 if all the parts that seem perfect go to that range.

I have no idea, but I'm saving the next person some time lol.

First off, what sort of equipment will you be putting on this tripod? What sort of subjects will you be shooting? There are varying weight capacities for each set of legs and heads that will work for different situations.

I know you want a recommendation on where to start so... if you're using a Rebel, xxD series, or 5D and nothing longer/heavier than lets say a 70-200mm 2.8, then a Manfrotto 190 or 055 series will do fine for general use, with the 055 being a bit heavier duty, but heavier in weight as well. If weight is a bigger issue than budget, then carbon fiber is another way to go. Ball heads are great for general purpose shooting. They're quick to adjust, and something like a 488RC2 will hold a fairly heavy rig without too much fuss, and it will pan as well (some ballheads don't, so be careful if you want that feature). That's a good place to start for general use with most everyday equipment, and it's in your budget.

thanks josh.

im not so sure on what my subjects are going to be so i might as well say i need something that can cover almost everything. as far as weight goes, probably no more than a 5d, 70-200, and a 580exII.

Rigid, light weight, cheap...pick TWO! Gitzo is rigid and light, not cheap (>$500 for tripod no ballhead).

Manfrotto is rigid and won't break the wallet, but it is weighty, and the CF version does not save that much weight over the alloy tripod!

See if you can find a used Bogen 3021.

Good ballheads are typically >$250-300 just by themselves! Acceptable ballheads can be found for less.

As you've already noted by your searches on tripods, there are all sorts of light weight sticks for travel, Feisol, Benro, Gitzo, and some I've not listed. They have all gotten good reports here. Just depends on how much you want to spend.

Good ballheads are in the mid $300's. You're in a professional program, you've got to think that this item will be a big part of your life for a while. I might think of going toward the high end of manufacture and reputation.

How about buying second hand? As good tripods hold value and function, you might get a good deal.

Personally, I think the best bang for your buck along with your needs, is the 055xprob with the 488rc2. This combo can easily support a gripped xxd, 70-200, and a speedlite. I don't think a gripped 5d would be any heavier than a xxd. I think carbon fiber tripods are wack lol no offense to those that have them. IMO, a good tripod should have a little weight.

Here's a youtube review that I found a while back.

http://www.youtube.com​/watch?v=AF38sOYWqTE

tnguyen600 wrote in post #8340815
Personally, I think the best bang for your buck along with your needs, is the 055xprob with the 488rc2. This combo can easily support a gripped xxd, 70-200, and a speedlite. I don't think a gripped 5d would be any heavier than a xxd. I think carbon fiber tripods are wack lol no offense to those that have them. IMO, a good tripod should have a little weight.

Here's a youtube review that I found a while back.

http://www.youtube.com​/watch?v=AF38sOYWqTE

And the Bogen 3021 is the predecessor to the 055. While both are terrific products, the tripod + head, in alloy version of the tripod, can easily weigh 7 lb. in total...hardly 'light'. I used the 3021 with a light head (weight similar to the Markins M10) for over a decade, so I know.

thanks for all the replies