cheap tripod??
Discussion
http://www.premier-ink.co.uk/photographic/amateur-...
I got one of their Vanguard Tripods which is excellent, can't say anything about the cheaper ones tho. Postage is only 99p too!
I got one of their Vanguard Tripods which is excellent, can't say anything about the cheaper ones tho. Postage is only 99p too!
Funk Odyssey said:
john185k said:
How much is cheap?!
Asda sell them for a 9.99...
do they?Asda sell them for a 9.99...
wasn't thinking that cheap but at that price
i have one the camra sits wonkey on it as it cant even support my Sony A200 that well with standard lense never mind the 300mm i have!! but then again you can 'make' it lay straight either via picassa or altering the legs!!
The Tea Boy said:
Funk Odyssey said:
john185k said:
How much is cheap?!
Asda sell them for a 9.99...
do they?Asda sell them for a 9.99...
wasn't thinking that cheap but at that price
i have one the camra sits wonkey on it as it cant even support my Sony A200 that well with standard lense never mind the 300mm i have!! but then again you can 'make' it lay straight either via picassa or altering the legs!!
I bought one out of Argos for £14.99 back when I had my bridge camera.
Good, steady, hold's the weight of the 450d with 300mm on the front so I havent bothered to change it.
I am 6ft5 and I can get the camera all the way up to my eye.
Good enough for me and it certinly didnt break the bank!
Good, steady, hold's the weight of the 450d with 300mm on the front so I havent bothered to change it.
I am 6ft5 and I can get the camera all the way up to my eye.
Good enough for me and it certinly didnt break the bank!
wendyg said:
Why do some tripods come without the head bit, that you have to fork out extra for, and what sre the different types? How do I work out which one is best for me?
There are two main types of tripod head without getting into specialist bits of kit for panoramas and the like.Three way heads
These have 3 separate adjusters for the different plains of movement - up/down, left/right & horizontal level - so can be tuned very precisely.
Ball heads
These just have a single adjuster which tightens and loosens a ball which rotates in a socket - rather like a shoulder joint. They are not as easy to set up with the same level of accuracy as a three way head, but where that level of accuracy isn't strictly necessary, you can be in position and shooting far more rapidly.
The above also explains why some tripods (generally the middle of the range upwards) tend to come without a head. It's because they don't want to second guess the sort of head you want, plus a fixed head robs you of the flexibility to fit the head that best suits your requirements for what you want to shoot at any given moment.
Wot 'e sed.
Plus there's the "Action" head with a trigger and grip so that you can squeeze it and move the head, atop a ball, into any position you want very quickly.
Personally I bought an ageing Manfrotto 'pod with an action grip off Fleabay some time back
Get a tripod the right height, once your chosen head is fitted, so that you don't need to extend the centre column (just adds a level of wobbliness that you don't need!) yet it's still comfortable to work with.
Secondly consider your weight preference. Big heavy and stable? or lighter, easier to travel with (and probably more expensive if you still want it to be stable!)
Thirdly consider your intended load, now and for the future. Clearly a 600mm lens on a D3 needs something a bit more beefy than a 50mm on a D50.
Plus there's the "Action" head with a trigger and grip so that you can squeeze it and move the head, atop a ball, into any position you want very quickly.
Personally I bought an ageing Manfrotto 'pod with an action grip off Fleabay some time back
wendyg said:
How do I work out which one is best for me?
I think you need to try some. I found that, while the action grip was "OK", a really well made ballhead and L-bracket have now replaced my action grip. Personally the ability to switch from landscape to portrait without the whole set-up looking and feeling like it's ready to topple over was important to me.Get a tripod the right height, once your chosen head is fitted, so that you don't need to extend the centre column (just adds a level of wobbliness that you don't need!) yet it's still comfortable to work with.
Secondly consider your weight preference. Big heavy and stable? or lighter, easier to travel with (and probably more expensive if you still want it to be stable!)
Thirdly consider your intended load, now and for the future. Clearly a 600mm lens on a D3 needs something a bit more beefy than a 50mm on a D50.
So do most of the better heads come with the quick release removable plate thing, or it that another 'option'?
I also want something which will get close to the ground, but I've seen all sorts of stuff with reversible columns and 180-degree legs and stuff that flips over - no clue what really works. Any advice?
I also want something which will get close to the ground, but I've seen all sorts of stuff with reversible columns and 180-degree legs and stuff that flips over - no clue what really works. Any advice?
wendyg said:
So do most of the better heads come with the quick release removable plate thing, or it that another 'option'?
The top types use the "Swiss Arca" fitting. And you buy the plate, or L-bracket separately. Search for Markins or Kirk for examples E.g. https://www.photoproshop.com/index.php/cPath/27_92...
We're really not talking "cheap" tripods any more though!!

wendyg said:
So do most of the better heads come with the quick release removable plate thing, or it that another 'option'?
I also want something which will get close to the ground, but I've seen all sorts of stuff with reversible columns and 180-degree legs and stuff that flips over - no clue what really works. Any advice?
I've got a Manfrotto 190 X Pro B which does all the low level and swivelling stuff I could ever imagine wanting. Very pleased with it.I also want something which will get close to the ground, but I've seen all sorts of stuff with reversible columns and 180-degree legs and stuff that flips over - no clue what really works. Any advice?
LukeBird said:
thekirbyfake said:
I've just bought this
Not expecting great quality but as long as it holds the camera steady it'll do until I improve and upgrade my set up.
Bloody hell, that's cheap!Not expecting great quality but as long as it holds the camera steady it'll do until I improve and upgrade my set up.
That's just the sort of thing I've been looking for as well...
Hmmm

Gassing Station | Photography & Video | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff


