Why spend so much on a tripod?

I have a $30 tripod.
It came with the camera when I bought used locally.
It holds my camera up and steady and the only problem is that its mostly plastic and feels a tad flimsy and when I put my camera AND a heavy lens, the camera swivels around on the little screw you put in the bottom of the camera.

So why do people pay $$$$ for a tripod? Materials?

I would not feel good about putting 3K + worth of camera body and lens on a $30 tripod. I want something mega sturdy.

The higher-end cameras and lenses weigh quite a bit more than the XS with a 70-200 f/4...
Some people put it; "Would you really trust a $50 tripod to hold your $4k+ worth of gear?" "Why go for high end gear, and skimp on the tripod. You'll probably end up paying for it later."

Features are also different as you move up. The legs work in both directions, center columns come out and allow side mounting or mounting the camera below the tripod, etc.

Better tripods are far more stable and do more in preventing vibration. That means cleaner, sharper shots.

I shot a bunch of shots inside a huge sporting goods store yesterday. I have the Manfrotto cross bar with the Gitzo laptop shelf on one end and the camera on the other. I carried the this rig all over the store. I actually thought to myself how glad I was that we spent the extra money on a very sturdy tripod and head. If something had broke or slipped the lens (and/or camera) wouldn't stand up to the blow of hitting the concrete floor.

A few months ago I was shooting night shots of a bridge. It was fairly windy and I was shooting long exposure shots. I looked at the rig in the breeze and it didn't move a bit. Shots came out razor sharp.

Granted, buy what you can afford. But if you can afford it, you won't be sorry.

So its more of a peace of mind thing than anything else?

I'm buying a better tripod, I'm just not sure whether a $300 tripod is any better than a $150 tripod.

$150 versus $300. That's going to require research to make sure the extra money is well spent. There are a number of high end tripods that are "proven", but choosing between a $150 and a $300 tripod may be more difficult.

If possible it would be ideal to test them yourself. Mount your camera and try to move/twist/raise/lower​/etc... and see which one is really better. There are lots of reviews on the B&H Photo website that may prove useful. If you can't test them yourself, the reviews would be good alternative.

For me it's more than peace of mind. I needed something I could count on in a variety of conditions. I also plan to rent some large lenses this summer, so it needed to support them as well.

mitchman wrote in post #10382615
For me it's more than peace of mind. I needed something I could count on in a variety of conditions. I also plan to rent some large lenses this summer, so it needed to support them as well.

+1.

Between the 150 and the 300, try them out, as mitchman said. See which features in what price range you think may be advantageous to your photography.

I had a good tripod that was several years old, but I lost the quick release plate, so it was kind of useless. I bought a 7D and wanted to take some night shots, which required a tripod. I didn't want to spend too much and happened to be at Walmart and bought a Targus tripod. I thought the same as you. After using it for awhile, I realized it was a cheap piece of sheets.

1. It doesn't have a smooth pan. I also use it for my video camcorder and when I pan from left to right or visa versa, it's rather sticky. So you see this choppy movement.
2. The part where the camera rests is not level. It does have a tilt option, but in order to make sure the camera is level, I have to raise the camera at a tilt and hope that the cameras weight would bring it down to the perfect level. Unfortunately, it was VERY difficult to keep it level.

I got fed it up with it, so I bought a Vanguard Alta + 264AP tripod, which has a very smooth pan. It feels like liquid. Also when I place the camera on there, the camera is level, without any fidgeting.

Another thing I chose the tripod can support up to 11 pounds, which I know I will not exceed. I would dare not even use a heavy lens, like a 70-200 IS II on the 7D on the Targus tripod.

Bodies come and go, glass too sometimes. Tripods can be a forever piece of equipment. I bought a Velbon carbon fiber tripod paid a little over $700 when the dust and my credit card cleared. Absolutely no regrets. Bought a carbon fiber monopod. $250 - No regrets. No worries ever. It will not fall over, bend, shake or vibrate. Ever in normal use. I will not need to upgrade it. It should last my lifetime with good care. The trash pile is littered with cheap tripods. Best to get the best you can afford and don't scrimp on a tripod.
cheers,
John

You get what you pay for man. Spend $150-200 and you will have a decent tripod. Spend $300-500 and you will have a better tripod. Simple.

On a budget, check out the Manfrotto 190 XB tripod with Manfrotto ballhead on B&H Photo. Big bang for the buck.

It's simple to me.

The primary goal of a tripod is to provide a stable platform from which a camera can take a picture.

Paying more generally gets you a more stable tripod. My friend has a ~$30 tripod, I did a simple comparison for him with his and my (Manfrotto ~$200) tripods where I extended all the legs and then simply put a hand on the mounting point and shook. His clearly moves, mine does not.

At some point, you've reached the beginning of the stability plateau (or at least where the slope of the curve decreases) and then your money starts going towards decreasing tripod weight or for specialized features.

I figure if I'm going to go through the bother of carrying a tripod and using it, I sure as hell want it to do the best job it can. If it shakes, it's kind of worthless.

^ What Andrew said. I'm just a hobbyist and one-month-a-year-freelance photographer, and if I want to use a tripod, i want the tripod to be solid and of high quality in all conditions with all kinds of gear and not kill me when I bring it out weight wise.

So I spend on a Manfrotto 190CX3 legs + Kirk BH-3 head + 3 plates for 2 cameras and 1 70200 lens. In SGD that adds up to about SG$800 or about 570 USD. And here on the boards we see people with at least USD1k worth of tripods, sometimes even having two. That's because stability is important for every shot.