singlerosa_RIP
Senior Member
My best is a Manfrotto 190CXPRO4. Benro B2 ballhead, Wimberley gimbal, old Nikon pan head. I'm more of an event shooter, but with warm weather coming, my new BIF combo will get proper field testing.
Which Tripod ???
- Thread starter JH Foto
- Start date
I would highly suggest saving a bit and buy a good tripod, and make sure it will more than do the job. You don't want a tripod that won't hold rock steady with your heaviest gear, giving you fuzzy photos due to vibrations. Also you want a head that won't slip from the weight either.
I'm not saying you should go crazy and buy what I have. But I would suggest you serious consider one of the Manfotto tripods mentioned or something else of simular quality. Going too cheap never works out very well, and you end up losing money reselling it later to buy something better.
Look at used, and maybe you can find a good one a bit cheaper so you can afford it easier. Both my tripods were bought used.
I'm not saying you should go crazy and buy what I have. But I would suggest you serious consider one of the Manfotto tripods mentioned or something else of simular quality. Going too cheap never works out very well, and you end up losing money reselling it later to buy something better.
Look at used, and maybe you can find a good one a bit cheaper so you can afford it easier. Both my tripods were bought used.
i must say i have been eyeing a benro carbon fiber Benro TMA37C Series 3 Mach3 Carbon Fiber Tripod TMA37C B&H Photo
to go with the gimbal head i will get next on my list.
to go with the gimbal head i will get next on my list.
I've only just started considering tripods not that I have pretty much the same lens/camera combo as yourself. This Slik 700DX tripod looks like it would fit the bill for me too both in terms of specifications and price point. A gimbal head though is currently beyond my budget.
I can get the Slik pro 700dx on amazon for £113 with a Pan and Tilt head which looks to be rated for 15lb SLIK PRO 700DX COMPLETE: Amazon.co.uk: Camera & Photo, so should be sufficient for my needs. Do you have any experience of using this head or did you buy the tripod on its own?
I really don't know if this pan and tilt head would be suitable for me, shooting almost exclusively wildlife? If not a suitable type of head for wildlife, would it be well suited to use on a monopod to give me the added flexibility? As you can tell I'm really new to tripod shopping and it seems there's far more to consider buying a tripod than buying the camera itself.
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Don Kondra
Senior Member
The pan and tilt head is more suitable for video, I find them awkward for birding...
There are a number of gimbal heads in the $100 range, ebay is the easiest way to find them...
Cheers, Don
There are a number of gimbal heads in the $100 range, ebay is the easiest way to find them...
Cheers, Don
when i was looking for a new tripod to replace the Manfrotto compact ive got , which now permanently has the Canon SX50 attached i purchased one of these
Red Snapper RST-283 Alloy 3-Section Tripod
its not light but its light enough, i bought the version with the £30 ball head as well as the pan and tilt 3way head. for less than £90 all im well impressed, nice bag to carry it in as well. Holds ny D5200 and sigma 70-300 no issues, and when money allows i will be getting the version that converts to a mono pod as well as the better ball head
Red Snapper RST-283 Alloy 3-Section Tripod
its not light but its light enough, i bought the version with the £30 ball head as well as the pan and tilt 3way head. for less than £90 all im well impressed, nice bag to carry it in as well. Holds ny D5200 and sigma 70-300 no issues, and when money allows i will be getting the version that converts to a mono pod as well as the better ball head
Have you tried the tilt head on a monopod at all? I can see how they wouldn't be flexible enough on a tripod for birding but on a monopod being able to tilt up and down would probably be all I'd need as most of the movement comes from twisting and turning the monopod itself. Having not used one at all though, I could be missing some obvious drawbacks though?
Since posting I did find the thread on cheap gimbal heads and they do look like a really good option.
Don Kondra
Senior Member
I used a tilt/pan head in the studio for a short while and didn't care for it, purchased a ball head which I liked better but ultimately I didn't care for having two tighten knobs. Up/down and sideways..
I now use a Manfrotto Grip Action Ballhead in the studio for one hand locking and a gimbal for birding. The ball head I use for the odd panoramic shot.
Can't comment on a monopod, I need three legs
If I had to buy just one head it would be a gimbal. For static shots you do need to tighten two knobs to lock it down but the camera/lens is balanced and can be adjusted with one finger. You can concentrate on your composition without having to hold the weight of the camera/lens and worry about it flopping down if you loosen the wrong knob. DAMHIKT
Cheers, Don
I used a tilt/pan head in the studio for a short while and didn't care for it, purchased a ball head which I liked better but ultimately I didn't care for having two tighten knobs. Up/down and sideways..
I now use a Manfrotto Grip Action Ballhead in the studio for one hand locking and a gimbal for birding. The ball head I use for the odd panoramic shot.
Can't comment on a monopod, I need three legs
If I had to buy just one head it would be a gimbal. For static shots you do need to tighten two knobs to lock it down but the camera/lens is balanced and can be adjusted with one finger. You can concentrate on your composition without having to hold the weight of the camera/lens and worry about it flopping down if you loosen the wrong knob. DAMHIKT
Cheers, Don
Thanks Don, gimbal head is definitely the pay I'll go for birding on a tripod.
So now I just need to pick the right tripod at the right price. The Slik does fit the bill and is in my top 2 or 3 that I've looked at, the main draw back is it is heavier than most. The pan tilt head comes with it and is still well within my price range so I think I'd consider it a "free" extra. If it works out on a monopod and occasional tripod use then that's a bonus, otherwise I guess I could just sell it/trade it in and buy a better alternative.
I might start a thread about monopods and pan/tilt heads as I'm reading mixed things elsewhere.
All sorted now, thanks for all the information.......
What did you go for in the end? I'm considering the Benro A2970F Versatile Transformer among others.
I bought a Slik originally and it was a beast. Sturdy as anything, it would take extremely bad weather to make an impact on it. But the thing was, for my needs, it was just too heavy. I was using it nearly exclusively for landscapes/seascapes so there was plenty of trekking involved to get to locations and it became an absolute chore to carry around.
I eventually got a set of Manfrotto 190cxpro4 legs and a Manfrotto ball head(496rc2 or something like that). The difference in portability is amazing. The legs weigh very little(the head weighs more) and fold up nice and small, having the four sections. They are surprisingly sturdy as well for such a light product. I have an elastic hook I carry in my bag if I want to add some weight to the tripod but I've yet to use it(and the weather can be very windy here in Ireland on the coasts)
they were expensive relatively speaking, although I got the legs on a deal from the German amazon site so we're maybe €100 below selling price elsewhere but it's one of the best investments I've made in gear. For my needs I use a tripod maybe 80-90% of the time and that involves lots of walking,climbing etc so a light and sturdy set were a must.
I eventually got a set of Manfrotto 190cxpro4 legs and a Manfrotto ball head(496rc2 or something like that). The difference in portability is amazing. The legs weigh very little(the head weighs more) and fold up nice and small, having the four sections. They are surprisingly sturdy as well for such a light product. I have an elastic hook I carry in my bag if I want to add some weight to the tripod but I've yet to use it(and the weather can be very windy here in Ireland on the coasts)
they were expensive relatively speaking, although I got the legs on a deal from the German amazon site so we're maybe €100 below selling price elsewhere but it's one of the best investments I've made in gear. For my needs I use a tripod maybe 80-90% of the time and that involves lots of walking,climbing etc so a light and sturdy set were a must.
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Looking closely at this one now and it is tempting me but I've got a couple of concerns. First off the price is excellent and I wonder if it's too good to be true? I don't want to make the mistake of buying cheap buying twice but the few reviews I've read so far have been very positive.
My other concern is the height as it might be a little on the short side at 159cm fully extended. I'm 5'8" aka 172cm so with head and camera mounted it shouldn't be too short but I wonder how sturdy it is fully extended. Especially with my D7100 and 200-500 mounted weighing around 3.2kg, sure its rated at 8kg so should be fine but perhaps not ideal. The free panning head won't be of any use with that setup but would be handy to have with lighter lenses.
Anyway if you have any more info about the pros and cons you've found with this lens I'd be interested to hear it, as it's half the price of the other options I'm looking at.
Thanks
It's sturdy, I had mine out in the recent winds, ok it was sheltered sort of, but never once moved , not like the manfrotto which moves in the wind (it is very light).
im still not sure we're they get the heights from at all and I mean I'd love to see the tape measure they use lol, 5'6" is probably the lowest height without extending the centre pole , with centre extended I'd need a ladder, medium spread on legs with max extension on pole it about 5'6", mind it does have a couple nifty tricks reversible centre pole as well as a shorter one included and it gets low !!!!
got some pics for you I'll upload in a mo
im still not sure we're they get the heights from at all and I mean I'd love to see the tape measure they use lol, 5'6" is probably the lowest height without extending the centre pole , with centre extended I'd need a ladder, medium spread on legs with max extension on pole it about 5'6", mind it does have a couple nifty tricks reversible centre pole as well as a shorter one included and it gets low !!!!
got some pics for you I'll upload in a mo
I have to say I was pleasantly surprised and for the money you could buy 2 one for nice and other for kicking round the rocks and wet, oh it's not the lightest of things , but I'll take the extra weight any day over light and flimsy , i will be buying the more expensive ball head soon tho as I think it will be a better unit altogether than the one I have which is brilliant
According to their website it weighs 1.81kg which isn't too bad compared to some others I've looked at. The Slik tripod I was considering is around 2.5kg costs almost twice as much and can't carry quite as much so this red snapper looks like a much better option for me. I'll get one of the cheap gimbal heads and see how that works out. Thanks again for your input.