Beginner Tripods for beginners

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Hello sage forumistas, I have an area where my knowledge is lacking. Tripods!

Okay, there 1000s on the market and so a recommendation thread will yeild hundreds of possible options. But what am I specifically looking for in a good all round tripod? Light weight, height, rubber feet? Any advice would be gladly recieved as at the moment I'm utterly baffled by what I'm meant to be looking for. :confused:

Thanks
 
No tripod will be good for everything, there's generally a compromise somewhere.

Conventional wisdom is that a tripod can be:
  • Lightweight
  • Stable
  • Cheap
But you only get to choose two of these features. Decide what's most important to you and what you can compromise on.
 
My first was Slik Pro 400, I think it's the DX now, Great value for money and I still have it.
 
Comes down to the old saying "You only get what you pay for" same as paying a thousand pounds for a lens then putting a 10 pound filter on the front.
With a tripod I would say buy once and buy quality the best you can afford and it will last you 10 years buy a cheapo and it will last 2 years.
Obviously carbon fibre rahther than metal if only for the weight side.
Lastly give some thought to the head you want, some people swear by ball heads others don't get on with them, me, I changed to the Manfrotto 410 Junior

type and although a little on the heavy side once it's set there is no little drifts of the composition unlike ball I have found do tend to move with the weight of a camera and larger lens.
Just my 2 pence worth.
Russ
 
If you'll be carrying it much distance, weight might be a large consideration and CF would be my recommendation but CF 'pods are usually more expensive than alloy ones. Some people prefer Manfrotto type lever leg locks while others prefer twist ones - that's a matter of personal choice so ideally visit a well stocked shop and have a play with as many different types to see which you prefer. Another vote for the 410 geared head from me, just as quick to set up very accurately as a ball head and doesn't droop/creep like most ball heads do.
 
What is the tripod for and how are you going to use it? If you know the answers to the second question in particular (with confidence) then go and buy the best one you can afford that suits that type of use.

If, on the other hand, you're unsure then it's not much harder! Basically, a tripod is for ensuring the camera does not move when you don't want it to. As an added bonus, it's great if it's easy to move the camera when you DO want it to move, but that's really a bonus and the first priority is the lack of movement when it's not desired.

So that comes down to how you're going to use it. If all you want is something to take landscape shots in relatively benign conditions (not gale force winds etc.) then pretty much anything will do that allows you to get your camera level on both axes - even a bean bag! The qualities of a tripod will simply make this easier, quicker or more repeatable.

I'd actually recommend buying something at the cheaper end first - maybe even a gorillapod as a starter. The reason for this is a gorillapod will always continue to have its uses - it packs tiny and can be taken when you won't otherwise want to take a tripod, even a small one. As long as you get the SLR version (or whatever it's called) you can add a head in the future, which gives you a wider range of movement without you needing to spend lots. Once you've had a play and decided what you really want out of a tripod you can then invest in something more substantial and expensive for the longer term. But I reckon you'll always find a place for that original gorillapod when travelling etc.
 
I've had a few tripods over the years. Work-Horse is an old aluminium Slik 88, I bought 2nd hand about quarter of a century ago.
But I had a similar dilemma before Christmas, pondering purchase of one for my daughter for her school photography. Eventually found another 2nd hand Slik 88 on e-bay! Convenient, as she was already familiar with it. But I digress...

Three basic 'sizes' of tripod; mini, or table-top, is conveniently pocket-able and portable, and provided you can find something to purch it on, like a car roof or a wall or a picnic bench, can be fantastically 'convenient', though they tend to struggle to support a camera bigger than a compact. I have a couple and little gorilla 'copy' I got the o/h was useful enough to support a bridge ad just about my, more compact D3200, with the kit lens on it. For a few quid? I would reccomend one as as good a place to start as any.
I have a little Hamma one that is about four inches long when folded, and has probably been used more than any of the others, simply because I have it with me!

Next up you have a 'field' or travelling tripod; usually reach about waste height fully extended; typical things you'll find on e-bay for about £20. They tend not to be particularly sturdy or stable, but then you don't want anything to heavy to lug about if you are hiking up and down mountains taking landscapes.
Fully extended height, is probably not all that important, unless you don't like bending down to look through the view-finder, and the more they extend, so the heavier they tend to be, and or more flimsy.

My favourite field tripod is an old 1960's 'telescopic' one of unknown brand! Collapsed it's only about 18" long, and quite light. Tublar legs have three sections that slide out and latch with spring clips, in three sections, and no 'bracing' or anything between. It's very simple, very quick and easy to use; lop out the legs, prop it on the floor and level the camera on the ball head. Its 'faff-free' and I like it! Made of old fashioned tin and brass, its does the job! You can keep your carbon fibre thanks!

Little bit 'wobbly' on a windy hill-side, but you hang your gadget bag from the head, to help hold it down and lower the CofG.. works a treat, and that old pod has propped up some pretty hefty old film cameras in its time; its more than up to the job of supporting a modern plastic electric picture maker!

Of what is on offer, new, these days.. blugh! Scaled down, made down to a price techno-wonders trying to look like more sophisticated and less useful studio tripods, I think....

The Slik, is much larger, and more cumbersome, 'studio' tripod, and fully extended can support a camera almost at eye-level; company actually started out making tripods for TV cameras, and mine, dating to the late 70's/early 80's was sold as a cine/video tripod. if you are more keen on shooting video, then a taller pod, with a 'smooth' pan and tilt head, may be more important to you, but if so, don't bother with anything off e-bay, and expect to pay well into the £100's for a smooth movement head.

Larger, heavier, and generally more cumbersome, with bracing stays and levelling adjustments and the like making it much more of a 'faff' to set up, this sort of tripod will probably not be taken out and about so much.

Which brings me back to what's on offer these days, and I wold suggest, as a starting point you paruse your local camera shop, if there is one still, and fiddle with stuff! If not have a look at e-bay.

A field tripod is the most versatile and most likely to get 'used'; and without pushing the boat out, £25-£50? You'll get something 'useful'. Should support a DSLR well enough; and you don't need anything 'fancy'; I wouldn't be too bothered about how much bracing they claim to have or how high they extend; I would be looking for 'simple' and easy to use, and something not too bulky to lug around. At this end of the market nothing is going to be hugely heavy, so I wouldn't be over bothered by a few grams difference in weight, when I have four hefty lenses in the camera bag!

And I would treat it as 'disposable'; if yo take it out and about, its likely to get pretty battered, and darn site less gauling to knacker a £30 tripod than a £300 one! Meanwhile; Treat it as a learning tool; see how you use it; what irks you about using it, and plan to buy a 'better' one at a later stage, when you can be a bit more strategic, and this one, if its ot knackered can be retired to be used as an off-camera flash-stand, or 'spare'.
 
A cheap tripod will be better than no tripod but generally, as in most things, you get what you pay for. Perhaps buy a relatively cheap one and see how you get on then if you decide a tripod is too much hassle to carry etc not too much has been wasted. If you know you are definitely going to be using a tripod a lot, perhaps for landscapes or wildlife, then by all means splash out. Once I knew I was into landscape photography I bought a carbon fibre Gitzo that seemed expensive at the time but now that I have had it for 10 years the cost per day seems minimal
 
All the above comments count.

I still have an old wood tripod I was given 48 years ago. A gem for a 5x4 camera. More of a hat stand now.

Some good ones, cheap and cheerful, expensive and/or too heavy... you will meet them all.

Currently my walkabout trip is a red Manfrotto BeFree One. For me - this may be the 'pod I have been looking for all my life. Well made, folds doen tiny, light etc. The run..... my ungripped 70D, 750D or EOS M - ideal! Both gripped 5c or 50D - no way. Large unbranded beast time for them.

As mentioned above, a Gorrilapod can be a good fall back.

Failing that.... look around. My last camera club photo trip a good few yesrs back saw 20 different tripods in use...... weirder yet,there was only 14 shooting. WAGs carried extra tripod, coffee flasks and lunch. These days the shooters would probably lose their teeth.

It's a tough one but try and think about lugging one around. Check the weight and recreate the weight and take the whole lot for a trek, city on concrete, shoreline (rocks/sand/cliff paths), moors/hills etc etc.

Carbon Fibre/alloys/alumimium......

Oh I sometimes just opt for a monopod.

Good luck.
 
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When I was after a tripod I went into my local photography shop. They had a complete range of sizes. Apart from price, as already stated above, the height, stability and weight are what I went for. At the time I was looking at the Slik tripods, which were able to extend to eye level and still feel sturdy. Then came the weight. I am fortunate to be able to carry a heavy tripod without issue, but you have to factor this in with the rest of your camera equipment that you are carrying. I ended up with a Vanguard Alta Pro 263AT. I would recommend going into a shop and see what suits you and what you want from a tripod.
 
Have had several over the years but my current one, a Manfrotto 190 with 3 way head, is my favourite. It is sturdy enough for use with a FF camera and 200-400 lens. I would suggest you look at one of those and then go from there.
 
Cheers gents and ladies, plenty of food for thought here and much mulling to be had. I see there is a slik 88 on german ebay for 40 euros, I will investigate further. :)
 
When I was in college on a budget and wanted a tripod that went very low to the ground and was sturdy, after reading good things about the redsnapper tripod,s I got one of them with the 3 way head. I still have it nearly 5 years later and had no problems with it.
 
Same dilemma last autumn. The 'cheap' unknown brands looked so tempting, but picked up a used cf velbon for £80. Having seen some of the cheap ones owned by others on the photo course I did at college, I made the right choice.
 
There's a few things that have been left out by the o.p in his enquiry ,things like what camera and lens combo will it be for ,what is his own height and build ,both are relevant as it's no good getting a lightweight tripod for a pro body camera and large long lens ,and if it's going to be used for birding then a gimbal would also be needed . Likewise it's no use getting a small tripod if your six foot plus and built like a brick s*** house
 
The OP hasn't been back here since May 2016....
 
russellsnr said:
Comes down to the old saying "You only get what you pay for" same as paying a thousand pounds for a lens then putting a 10 pound filter on the front.
With a tripod I would say buy once and buy quality the best you can afford and it will last you 10 years buy a cheapo and it will last 2 years.
Obviously carbon fibre rahther than metal if only for the weight side.
Lastly give some thought to the head you want, some people swear by ball heads others don't get on with them, me, I changed to the Manfrotto 410 Junior

type and although a little on the heavy side once it's set there is no little drifts of the composition unlike ball I have found do tend to move with the weight of a camera and larger lens.
Just my 2 pence worth.
Russ
Click to expand...

Agree with Russell and Alastair completely. Buy a good one and buy once. A tripod is not the bit of kit to skimp on, it's one of the most important components in the chain.

That said, you don't need to buy the latest and greatest and you probably don't need the absolute lightest solution. A pro, who has to lug a tripod for miles every day, will happily spend money to reduce the weight of his overall load and fair enough. An amateur rarely needs to be quite that weight conscious and as a result, if he's smart, can look at some of the previous generations of professional tripods.

Gitzo aluminium and basalt tripods are great quality, very sturdy and can be purchased quite reasonably on the auction sites, for example.

I do most of my work in a studio type environment and rarely take my tripod far. For me, far more important than weight, was solidity and the presence of a gearing to allow me to carefully adjust the vertical axis. I use a Gitzo Cremaillere 2, which is an old tripod but one of the best of it's time and if you don't need carbon fibre then it's still one of the best today.

There are some fairly awful carbon fibre tripods out there which will do you no favours practically and cost far more than a very decent pro grade tripod of slightly heavier construction. So think what you're going to use it for and how often you'll use it and if you don't require space age materials then shy away from them, unless your wallet is fairly bottomless, in which case ignore this thread and buy whatever makes you feel "money-supermarket".
 
THIRTYFIVEMILL said:
Well, I'm sure he isn't the only person reading it.. (or not, in this case..)
Click to expand...
I for one am finding this thread very useful, looking to purchase a tripod at the moment.
 
I use a sirui t005x and using it with a sony a7 currently. tripod costs me about 80 pounds off amazon. Brought it to Iceland, and even captured the northern lights with it. It is fairly lightweight and VERY compact, its stable enough for my use!
 
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