Cheap, Small Tripod.

Urban Grimshaw

Urban Grimshaw

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I Know, I said the word cheap. I can see the heckles up already. Let me explain...

So I'm flicking through this months copy of Digital Somethingorother, and they have a page dedicated to 'budget' tripods. Great, just what I'm needing.....£195. WTF? £225. Eh??

My 'budget' tripod set me back £8 in ASDA. And as a wise old sage once said (probably on the Internet), when your equiptment is limiting you, it's time to upgrade. And my ASDA tripod is limiting me, because it's too big to fit in my bag.

But...as I'm going to get my wallet out, I think, rather than buy the exact same model, but smaller (which is actually more expensive...WTF???) I'd feel more comfortable with something just a little sturdier, and with a little smoother head action.

Yes, I'm looking for some improvement. Just not £200 worth of improvement.

Weight I don't care about. It can weigh as much as it likes. I should really go on a diet anyway. And it'll give me some extra excercise!

It just needs to be reasonably compact and sturdy.

That can't be too much to ask for, surely?
 
Buy an old beaten up Manfrotto 190 series (there are various versions but they are all good) and a second hand 488RC2 ballhead. You will see a massive improvement and it should cost you less than £100. In terms of value for money that would be hard to beat in my opinion, just dont expect those legs to hold a 300mm lens stable in the wind, its not going to happen.

Alex
 
Excuse the long link, but this is my next tripod.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Hahnel-Tria...=UTF8&coliid=IXOFCZOUNJAMA&colid=BST8SOWEKPSD

I'll be changing the head on it no doubt, but as far as I'm concerned, this one fits my budget perfectly as I am the kind of photographer that would rather spend money on glass and such than a super expensive carbon fibre tripod.

I guess you do get what you pay for, but this one has some absolutely mega features. I remember Aldi or Lidl doing one a few months back that was absolutely fantastic, as i'm told by friends and such, but I've had no experience with it in the long term.
 
I second the Hahnel recommendation. This one - despite it's no-name title - is a Hahnel Triad 80: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Heavy-Profe...1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1321274907&sr=1-1

It's exceptionally solid. Sure you could upgrade the head, but while I used it, I didn't. It is an excellent investment for the money, although not super small.

I eventually upgraded to a Manfrotto 055CXPRO4 set of legs with a 322RC2 ballhead - a combo that set me back over 350 quid. I'd say it was worth it, as that combo is just smoother to use, lighter, and the tripod is taller when set up.

But I still have my Hahnel Triad 80 and I can't fault it, particularly not at under 50 quid. Should be a huge improvement to the Asda one. :)
 
The Hama Compact Pro looks good for the money too, although it was cheaper at one point and I missed out on the bargain.
 
Hmm. Choices.

The Slik Sprint Pro II is winning based on size. Those Hahnel ones look decent, but if they don't fit in my bag I'd be annoyed...

I guess I should measure mine first. So I have something to compare to.
 
There are quite a few different Hahnel Triad ones out there, so definitely check the measurements. The triad 80 is only marginally smaller (when folded) than my manfrotto 055CXPRO4 legs - and they are, well, big. Maybe the Triad 30 linked above is smaller?
 
Just a general comment on spending money on glass/camera vs spending it on tripods:

If you shoot landscapes then a tripod is, in my opinion the most important thing you own. It's pointless buying expensive glass if you shoot with it on an unstable tripod and don't acheive the resolution fo the lens. I learnt this the hard way.

For general photography where you like to try your hand at a shole range of subjects, not just landscapes, then cameras and lenses may be better investments since the time spent shooting from a tripod is reduced.
 
I should add, that sitting on top of this tripod, would be a Canon 30d. And the heaviest lens (until I can afford more!), a Sigma 10-20mm.
 
The photos in my sig (and my other london night photos) were taken with a Nikon D3100 and Sig 10-20 on mostly 30 second exposures on a Red Snapper 284 tripod with 3 way head. You can pick these up for £55, have a look in the trader section as they have a thread with more info ;)

This was a huge step up from my cheap Velbon tripod
 
The Red Snapper looks nice.

I really can't decide.

Anywhere that will deliver next day will be a bonus. Going on Holiday on Friday...
 
mithrandir said:
The Hama Compact Pro looks good for the money too, although it was cheaper at one point and I missed out on the bargain.
Click to expand...
I got the Hama Compact Traveller Pro when it was really cheap online via Tesco (and used Clubcard points it didn't actually cost me any cash). Not sure the current price but its not bad for a 'cheap' tripod.
 
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