Tripods

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Now i've finally decided which dslr to buy (60D) it's time to think of tripods, it won't be my first tripod, as I bought one years ago to go with my video camera, at a huge cost of £20 from Argos, needless to say it was not very good.
I've had a look online and am a bit bemused by the selection and the prices were a bit higher than expected so I've had to rethink that.

I'm after something stable and adjustable as most use will be on uneven ground, it needs to be compact when folded as I travel by public transport alot, it needs to be lightweight for carrying when traveling and walking across fields, price upto £200 at a push.

So what can people recommend?
 
Light, stable, reasonably priced --- pick two

That's not far off the truth i'm afraid and don't forget to include the price of a decent head, doesn't matter how good the tripod is if the head doesn't hold the camera steady.

Picked up a magazine yesterday that had a tripod grouptest and a Giotto won, will have a look and see what model it is

I have a years old Manfrotto 055CB, stable yes, light no and doesn't fold up small either.

My daughter just purchased a Manfrotto 190CXPRO4, seems very good and would just about come in your budget, weighs 1.3kg and folds down to 50cm

Know it's over your budget, but Gitzo make some very nice tripods in their "Traveler" range and are giving 60 quid trade in on old tripods until August.
Can be quite hard to get a tripod that folds up small, but still gives a good height without the centre column being utilised (no point turning your tripod into an expensive monopod).

Look for a 4 leg model if folded length matters and buy one which has a hook for providing extra stability by hanging your bag on it

Make sure you get one that fits your criteria otherwise you just won't bother to take it and that really is a waste of money
 
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Ive just got the Manfrotto 005XPROB. And what a tripod! It cost me £120 inc postage! And its like a rock! Weights 2kg but its good priced and really sturdy! Take a look at it! Saves you spending £200 on what really aint worth it. This way you can get the tripod and a decent head for £200. Hope this helps

Nick
 
I agree Nick, excellent Tripod and had one myself until recently

Would say though it's not exactly ideal for taking on public transport and the OP mentioned he wanted compact
 
it appears I may need to raid the piggy bank on this one, as my list of requirements isn't really negotiable
 
I made a similar choice recently. I already have a Redsnapper with ball head. Very stable, and at @ £100 all in probably the best value going, but at 2.5kg (legs & head) too heavy to carry all day if on a trip out and on the off hance of needing it. However on a specific local trip where I have a definite target I will take it. After a lot of research and thought I decided to get something light that I can carry all day and looked at the Manfrotto 190CXPRO4 and Gitzo traveller. The Gitzo is 300g lighter and folds smaller but is a lot more expensive. Eventually I found a Gitzo used/as new at Ffordes and use it with a Redsnapper RSH-61 ball head (£30) The combo takes a gripped 7D + 24-105L no bother, and would probably take it with a 70-200L 2.8 IS USM, although this isn't some thing I normally mount on a tripod. The folded Gitzo Traveller is hardly noticable on my Kata 3N1-30, and also sits nicely under the large flap of my ThinkTank Retro10, which is where it gets carried most. You really can't overestimate the value of having a support with you at all times.
 
I have a Giottos MTL8361B tripod and use a manfrotto 468MGRC4 ball head. The two would cost about £400, so probably way out of price range. The only thing I would say is that your experience with cheaper tripods say a lot. Invest in something good and it will out last many cameras. My older Manfrotto 055 is still going strong after 25 years (I just thought I'd prefer a carbon fibre one).
 
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