Help! Looking for a Good Tripod

I am looking for a good tripod to use with my Canon XS. I need a tripod that is tall enough for me since I am 6'3. I also want a tripod that can get very low to the ground for macro or close-up shots. I am on a budget of $100. Thanks in advance.

Check out Vanguard tripods. They are very reasonably priced and the quality is very good. It has a multi-angle adjustment so you can position the tripod in many different positions. Little bit more than your budget, but it should work great.

I used my Vanguard Carbon fiber 254ct for macro all the time and love it!

You should be looking at the Vanguard 263at which is the aluminum version and can be had for around $140 dollars. The extra $40 is worth the cost and you'll be happy you spent it.

Check the Manfrotto line of aluminum sticks at B&H. They're heavy, but match your criteria.

I am 6' 1'', and bought a Manfrotto model 055CX3.

Contrary to the previous post, mine is quite light - I got a carbon fibre model. Much lighter than the steel models. They are available in various heights, and a bigger one to suit my height was not a problem - it will be fine for your height also. The weight on this model is fantastic - so light.

Check it out here:
http://www.amazon.com …um-Castings/dp/B001GIPR5I

I would also recommend this to go with it:
http://www.amazon.com …B000184N22/ref=​pd_sim_p_1

Just pull the trigger, and adjust the camera anyway you want - has an inbuilt spirit level.

Forgive my negativity, but good+tripod+$100 don't seem to compute. I have said before here that a tripod is a forever purchase. I recommend going to a shop and trying them out. Light + tall = Often equals unstable. If you are staying with that camera forever and will never get a heavy zoom or prime, it could be the right combination.
Cheers,
John

commking wrote in post #10503729
I am 6' 1'', and bought a Manfrotto model 055CX3.

Contrary to the previous post, mine is quite light - I got a carbon fibre model. Much lighter than the steel models. They are available in various heights, and a bigger one to suit my height was not a problem - it will be fine for your height also. The weight on this model is fantastic - so light.

Check it out here:
http://www.amazon.com …um-Castings/dp/B001GIPR5I

I would also recommend this to go with it:
http://www.amazon.com …B000184N22/ref=​pd_sim_p_1

Just pull the trigger, and adjust the camera anyway you want - has an inbuilt spirit level.

Apparently you did not read his post! 100 dollars... not 500 like those two links.

Check out dolica dude, this is the one I got, its very good for the price. http://www.dolica.com/​product.php?id=107

Buckieh wrote in post #10503800
Apparently you did not read his post! 100 dollars... not 500 like those two links.

Check out dolica dude, this is the one I got, its very good for the price. http://www.dolica.com/​product.php?id=107

Apparently you didn't read his post either The Dolica has an 18" minimum height...the OP needs something much closer.

OP: You may need to up your budget...I seriously doubt that you'll find something "good" for only $100...that's a bit unrealistic IMO. Then again, it depends on how you define "good". But with your stated budget, you may need to scour the used forum or your local Craigslist. Nothing wrong with that, either...

argyle wrote in post #10504619
Apparently you didn't read his post either The Dolica has an 18" minimum height...the OP needs something much closer.

OP: You may need to up your budget...I seriously doubt that you'll find something "good" for only $100...that's a bit unrealistic IMO. Then again, it depends on how you define "good". But with your stated budget, you may need to scour the used forum or your local Craigslist. Nothing wrong with that, either...

I did, and thats the best hes going to get for his budget and height. He is going to have to make a compromise.

djrtbrahma wrote in post #10496851
I am looking for a good tripod to use with my Canon XS. I need a tripod that is tall enough for me since I am 6'3. I also want a tripod that can get very low to the ground for macro or close-up shots. I am on a budget of $100. Thanks in advance.

You're going to find that you need to up the budget to around $300 to get what you really want in a package that will last you a while.

The most popular (for very good reasons) choice for your needs would be the Manfrotto 055XProB tripod topped with the Manfrotto 498RC2 ball head.

Thanks for all the feedback. I like the Dolica for the price. I am looking for something cheap as a starter tripod and the Dolica is perfect right now. I don't plan on using it forever, just right now. I plan on buying something a lot better in a few months.

Does anyone know anything about the brand Sunpak tripods?

You could use a bean bag today as long as you have something solid to put it on. That would be much more stable than a cheap tripod.

You'd be amazed at how much money some folks have poured down a drain buying one cheap tripod after another before finally getting something that works well and remains intact for a significant time.

SkipD wrote in post #10508710
You could use a bean bag today as long as you have something solid to put it on. That would be much more stable than a cheap tripod.

You'd be amazed at how much money some folks have poured down a drain buying one cheap tripod after another before finally getting something that works well and remains intact for a significant time.

How many bean bags should I use? Do you know a good place to buy bean bags? Or would a ziplock bag full of beans work?

djrtbrahma wrote in post #10508622
Thanks for all the feedback. I like the Dolica for the price. I am looking for something cheap as a starter tripod and the Dolica is perfect right now. I don't plan on using it forever, just right now. I plan on buying something a lot better in a few months.

Does anyone know anything about the brand Sunpak tripods?

Unfortunately, I can't believe that the Dolica is any good either. Also, the cheap Sunpaks are also no good. Most of this sort of stuff is set up for home video camera use. The heads will droop and slip, the support is minimal, the ability to dampen vibration is almost non-exsistent. In point of fact, I have a cheapie (I believe it's a Sunpak) that in a light breeze (10mph or so) actually will hit mechanical resonance and is worse than handholding. I did some testing of a Velbon against some gitzo's I own, and the Velbon was an order of magnitude or more worse - it was so bad you wouldn't even want to use it.

Skip is right. If you want something that is going to be stable for a starter tripod, you are going to spend about $300 - and it won't be very light.

Read these:
http://bythom.com/supp​ort.htm
http://www.luminous-landscape.com/essays/t​ripods_&_heads.shtml
http://markins.com/cha​rlie/report4e6.pdf

You are advocating going down the (wrong) path that Thom Hogan describes. He's right and I'm living proof (that's why I have the Sunpak and the Velbon junk). All tripods are a hassle. the better ones are much, much less of a hassle and they work. The cheap ones are a huge hassle and will drive you nuts - and they don't work.

Of course, somebody will post a very sharp picture that was taken on a cheap crummy tripod (in the absence of vibration, of course) and claim to refute all this. Yes, it is possible to get a good image off of a bad tripod, it's just going to not happen all that often, and those times must be in the absence of vibration.


J.

Please please please take this advice.

Save up for a good tripod. Manfrotto makes some good options under $200 and they are MILES above the cheaper options like dolica. I own a dolica and its crap compared to my manfrotto. I bought it from amazon when I read so many good reviews about it. HYPE. No way I would put my capera on that thing.

Save your money and get a good, stable tripod. You will not regret it at all.

Vanguard tripods are the best you can get under your budget