Tripod weight question

AndyWest

AndyWest

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I have my dads old flimsy tripod that i would like to replace soon.

Now i have seen many threads asking 'which is lightest' etc as it is a bind carrying a heavy tripod about when out taking pics.

If a tripod is light then surley it's going to move about more in the wind or be more unstable generally. Surley it would be better to have a heavy tripod to make sure the camera is as steady as can be.

Can someone please tell me why lightweight is better (if it is!) and who does a tripod with a head that has a base that i can permanantly attach to the 40D, Quick release type of thing.

Ta
 
Lightweight is better if you plan to carry it about with you. Manfrotto do heads with quick release plates that can be left attached to the camera, as do several other manufacturers.
 
Hey Andy

I have the Manfrotto 190XPROB, very light and flexible, screws fall out and the center shaft gets stuck sometimes so a little TLC is needed with it, I use a 222 joystickhead with it, both are light enough to use as a monopod too.
 
Andy, lightweight is surely better than heavyweight, all other things being equal, simply because light objects are easier to carry around than heavy objects. However, all other things are not equal. You need to bear in mind the First Rule of Tripods:

Sturdy. Light. Cheap. Pick any two.
 
AndyWest said:
If a tripod is light then surley it's going to move about more in the wind or be more unstable generally. Surley it would be better to have a heavy tripod to make sure the camera is as steady as can be.
Click to expand...

Keeping it at it closed settings and good leg spread will help, most come with a weight hook you can hang your back pack from, just make sure it touches the ground else it will swing in the wind.

Can someone please tell me why lightweight is better (if it is!) and who does a tripod with a head that has a base that i can permanantly attach to the 40D, Quick release type of thing.

Ta
Click to expand...

Mine comes with a quick release plate, lives on the body with no problems.
 
I used to have a redsnapper (excellent value for money) which is a stable tripod but its heavy and in windy conditions i still needed to hang my bag or something else on it for stability. I now have a manfrotto carbon tripod which is a lot lighter and is just as stable once you hang something onto it, but you can carry it around all day and not notice it.
 
I have two, a really light carbon fibre manfrotto for carrying round and a really old, heavy metal thing i got second hand. Heavy is good for things like indoor/events where you want t astable tripod without having to hang a bag or weights on it. You just have to decide how much you're going to carry it.
 
IMO lightweight tripods offers less stability than a heavy tripod - they might be rigid, but as you say a lightweight tripods are affected by simple things like the wind. Adding ballast to a lightweight tripod can help if done properly but just swing your camera bag from the bottom of the column and it can make stability even worse.
The key is to find the heaviest tripod you will be prepared to carry - a big heavy tripod is the best, but is useless if you don't take it out with you. A lightweight tripod won't be as good but if you use it then it is much better than the heavy one still at home.
Try www.giottos-tripods.co.uk where they have some really useful product videos.
 
After a lot of reading on here i have gone for the Red snapper 283 Tripod and the RSH-528 3-way panning head with the TP discount it was less than £70!! Bloomin good value for money i say!!
 
I got the redsnapper CF tripod with the ball head, for just under £200.

I took it on my first landscape shoot yesterday and didn't even notice it was there.

Weight wise it can carry around 8kg (that's what's quoted) and so far I have used a 5k telescope and my DSLR with a 200mm prime lens (metal not plastic) and its 100% sturdy, even at angles when you think the weight would knock the tripod over.

Would recommend it to anyone, after using a velborn CF tripod in a high street store (that was twice the price of the redsnapper) I am definitely glad I went for the snapper.

This is one of the only products I have ever brought that cheap does not mean low quality. If this tripod was branded as manfrotto and was up for £250 just for the legs, I still would have brought it.
 
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