Tripods

[Skyedriver]

Sorry, I'm back again.
while still trying to decide between a teleconverter or a 150-600 lens for son's Christmas (the lens is out of budget I'm afraid but the argument on here is pretty firmly in the lens camp) I'm also looking at tripods. The Manifrotto ones seem to get good reviews but I think the screw thread is wrong for most cameras and needs an adapter? He's got a Nikon D3500.

[pidsy]

3 legged thing.

Love mine - should be able to get a used one for reasonable money.

[ian in lancs]

The manfrotto tripods themselves I had were fitted with dual size screws. A camera baseplate size and a larger one surrounding it that is like a spring loaded collar. These screw into a number of pan/tilt etc heads that usually have a clamp in plate with a single size screw for a camera baseplate/lens collar.

I’ve used manfrotto extensively and heavily they never let me down.

Edited by ian in lancs on Monday 4th December 22:23

[lancslad58]

Have you considered a monopod, lighter to carry, don't need to spend time getting it level, uses the same fitting as the tripods and probable less expensive.

[Simpo Two]

Skyedriver said:

Sorry, I'm back again.
while still trying to decide between a teleconverter or a 150-600 lens for son's Christmas (the lens is out of budget I'm afraid but the argument on here is pretty firmly in the lens camp) I'm also looking at tripods. The Manifrotto ones seem to get good reviews but I think the screw thread is wrong for most cameras and needs an adapter? He's got a Nikon D3500.

I would ask him what he wants, rather than guess.

A tripod screw thread is about the only thing that hasn't changed in perhaps 100 years of photography - it's a 1/4" thread. You may be thinking of the 'quick release' (QR) plate many tripods have which just allow you to put the camera on and off the tripod more quickly.

I've had a Manfrotto 055ProB for almost 20 years and it shows no signs of breaking. As well as sturdiness I wanted one that comes up to eye-level. I wish I'd paid a bit more for the CF version though!

[Skyedriver]

Simpo Two said:

I would ask him what he wants, rather than guess.

A tripod screw thread is about the only thing that hasn't changed in perhaps 100 years of photography - it's a 1/4" thread. You may be thinking of the 'quick release' (QR) plate many tripods have which just allow you to put the camera on and off the tripod more quickly.

I've had a Manfrotto 055ProB for almost 20 years and it shows no signs of breaking. As well as sturdiness I wanted one that comes up to eye-level. I wish I'd paid a bit more for the CF version though!

Appreciate the comment but I suspect he doesn't know what he wants/needs, I'm just putting things forward to keep a spark going. We were talking a few nights ago about capturing the Northern Lights which occur quite regularly up here, told him the settings a pal used and he responded "I'd need a tripod for 2-4 seconds.

[Derek Smith]

I'd go along with the recommendation for 3-legged thing.

Re the problem of mount size, I have two monopods, one lightweight and the other a more solid Manfrotto, and they came with different size screws. I normally use a ball and socket on them, with the 1/4" QR. I use a reducer and enlarger.

See https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0B2DM6MZ6?psc=1&r... for reducing and you can work out the one for the other way.

I also have a couple of old tripods I use indoors for lights and stuff, and have bought another couple for that. I've got a slider I think it's called for closeup and I tend to use that on a tabletop with a small tripod with an inconvenient mount size. For that I use a little grommet. See
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0C8VL4H1C?psc=1&r... I use a little Locktight on it.

It's always handy to have 7 spare items.

[Skyedriver]

Derek Smith said:

It's always handy to have 7 spare items.

My theory with parts for the cars, not going to send him down that rout with him photography, hopefully.

[Derek Smith]

Skyedriver said:

Derek Smith said:

It's always handy to have 7 spare items.

My theory with parts for the cars, not going to send him down that rout with him photography, hopefully.

I dropped my lens cap. The cheapest option was to buy a pack of four. You never know. The company sent two packs. I offered to return one pack, but the company didn't get back to me. I have a box of supernumerary items. It contains every smallish item anyone involved in photography could ever need, apart from the one I'm looking for.

[Simpo Two]

Derek Smith said:

I also have a couple of old tripods I use indoors for lights and stuff, and have bought another couple for that. I've got a slider I think it's called for closeup and I tend to use that on a tabletop

If it's short, it's a macro rail head, allowing you to make very fine camera movements back and forth for focus. If it's a yard long it's a slider, used for video tracking shots. I bought one of the former, thinking it might be handy... in the event I don't use it; in practice just jiggling the tripod along the floor did the job.

I've never felt the need for a monopod, though perhaps if I did airshows with a 600mm I would. It depends what the intended use is, and we don't know that.

Note - I saw a clever tripod where you could take one leg off and use it as a monopod.

[Derek Smith]

Simpo Two said:

Derek Smith said:

I also have a couple of old tripods I use indoors for lights and stuff, and have bought another couple for that. I've got a slider I think it's called for closeup and I tend to use that on a tabletop

If it's short, it's a macro rail head, allowing you to make very fine camera movements back and forth for focus. If it's a yard long it's a slider, used for video tracking shots. I bought one of the former, thinking it might be handy... in the event I don't use it; in practice just jiggling the tripod along the floor did the job.

I've never felt the need for a monopod, though perhaps if I did airshows with a 600mm I would. It depends what the intended use is, and we don't know that.

Note - I saw a clever tripod where you could take one leg off and use it as a monopod.

Thanks for that. It's a macro rail head.

I use it for focus stacking. The in-camera system of stacking works great for the most part (Panasonic G9 mft) but every now and again, results aren't perfect. Then the rail is irreplaceable. My image-editing software, Affinity Photo 2, can warm my GPU a bit, but the results are astonishing.

I use the monopod when there's a crowd or tripods are banned. My monopod looks like one of those trekking sticks, and I look all but past it, so I've never been stopped.

[Skyedriver]

Ended up with a Manfrotti off ebay, new boxed etc. Let's see how he gets on with it.
Thanks for all input.

[grumpy52]

I finally bought a tripod because I had acquired a semi professional video camera and my DSLR with 600mm lens on was a bit bulky.
I found a Silk top of the range tripod on Marketplace for £25 . It does everything and is big enough to bring the camera up to eye level .
I already had a Manfroto mono .

[grumpy52]

I finally bought a tripod because I had acquired a semi professional video camera and my DSLR with 600mm lens on was a bit bulky.
I found a Silk top of the range tripod on Marketplace for £25 . It does everything and is big enough to bring the camera up to eye level .
I already had a Manfroto mono .

[andrewcliffe]

Tripod rules - choose two of the following three characteristics

1. Cheap
2. Light
3. Sturdy.

[hidetheelephants]

Simpo Two said:

Derek Smith said:

I also have a couple of old tripods I use indoors for lights and stuff, and have bought another couple for that. I've got a slider I think it's called for closeup and I tend to use that on a tabletop

If it's short, it's a macro rail head, allowing you to make very fine camera movements back and forth for focus. If it's a yard long it's a slider, used for video tracking shots. I bought one of the former, thinking it might be handy... in the event I don't use it; in practice just jiggling the tripod along the floor did the job.

I've never felt the need for a monopod, though perhaps if I did airshows with a 600mm I would. It depends what the intended use is, and we don't know that.

Note - I saw a clever tripod where you could take one leg off and use it as a monopod.

Surely any tripod functions as a mono if you just leave the legs parallel?

[Simpo Two]

hidetheelephants said:

Surely any tripod functions as a mono if you just leave the legs parallel?

Pretty much (it might not pivot quite as well), but you have the weight/bulk of the two spare legs to cart about, if that's an issue.