Which Tripod?

Beav

Beav

Messages
2,122
Edit My Images
Yes
Hi guys,

Which tripods are you using?

I have been doing car photography for 10 years now and have a £20 tripod which annoys me when adjusting the DSLR from landscape to portrait and it isn't very sturdy.

I have been looking at a K&F one. I don't think I really need a carbon one as I won't be hiking everywhere with it and won't be using it a lot to justify the cost.

Thanks
 
The old maxim about tripods is: 'cheap, light, stable - pick any two'. If you're driving to where the cars are, then you don't have to worry about 'light' and can go for cheap and stable. Might be worth looking for an old aluminium Gitzo or Manfrotto on ebay.
 
Beav said:
Would I not get away with just changing the ball head position?
Click to expand...

If you don't mind the position of the lens moving, or the tripod getting out of balance, then yes.
 
A cheap L Bracket will make you wonder why the hell you didn't buy one years ago!

I have a heavier 11 old Redsnapper and a lighter 2 year old 3LT Travis - neither have let me down really.
 
Would second L-bracket suggestion. If you ever shoot in portrait on a tripod, you'll wish you'd done it years ago.

My main tripod is a Benro C3770TN. It's not the cheapest but also a long way from the most expensive option. I chose it because I wanted a tripod that - when fully extended - would bring the camera to my eye level without either having to reduce leg extension or have a centre column. It makes set up in most circumstances very quick indeed. The other thing I was looking for was only three leg sections and and quite wide minimum thickness legs, both for stability. This is my sort of no-compromise tripod for ultimate stability when I don't mind carrying some bulk. Though it isn't actually that heavy.

I use it with a Feisol CB50-DC carbon ballhead. Heads are always a compromise. I do miss the precision of a geared head but I like simplicity and speed of a ball head. Only thing I would say with ball heads is that size matters! Larger, 40mm+ ball diameter goes a long way to eliminating the annoying sag associated with most ball heads. So hard to work with something that moves as soon as you tighten it or let go.

I also have an old 3LT Brian for travel. I think there are better options about nowadays but I don't have any real problems with mine. It's small and light and steady enough in most circumstances. It's easy to take apart to clean and 3LT's customer service is exceptional when I've need anything in the past.
 
Fully agree with the L bracket, it makes life so much easier. As previously suggested check out a pre owned Manfrotto 055 or 190 in aluminium to see if they would suit.

There's plenty to consider when choosing a tripod e.g. how high does it need to extend, do you prefer twist leg locks or levers. At least you don't need light which will bring the price down for something sturdy
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top