Tripod Advice

[GFWilliams]

Right, time for a new tripod. My biggest two concerns are how low it can go and how sturdy it is.

I don't need a head for it and budget is up to £150.

What would you recommend?

Thanks

[miniman]

Very happy with my Manfrotto 190. That budget should get you a nice one.

[MartinP]

If you want light weight, an extra £20-30 on your budget would get you a Giottos carbon fibre tripod. I have one and would thoroughly recommend it. The centre column can be fitted upside down so the camera hangs below the tripod and can therefore virtually rest on the ground (but upside down).

[JJM]

miniman said:

Very happy with my Manfrotto 190. That budget should get you a nice one.

+1 I am very pleased with my 190xprob.

Edited by JJM on Wednesday 27th April 16:58

[Dogsey]

MartinP said:

If you want light weight, an extra £20-30 on your budget would get you a Giottos carbon fibre tripod. I have one and would thoroughly recommend it. The centre column can be fitted upside down so the camera hangs below the tripod and can therefore virtually rest on the ground (but upside down).

This.

[Simpo Two]

I would quite like a CF tripod, but the current Old Man Frotto 055 weighs so much it impresses the punters when I ask one of them to carry it

It seems funny to be worrying about a few quid here and there when a tank of fuel is £80, pfft, gone.

[AndWhyNot]

Dogsey said:

MartinP said:

If you want light weight, an extra £20-30 on your budget would get you a Giottos carbon fibre tripod. I have one and would thoroughly recommend it. The centre column can be fitted upside down so the camera hangs below the tripod and can therefore virtually rest on the ground (but upside down).

This.

Simpo Two said:

I would quite like a CF tripod, but the current Old Man Frotto 055 weighs so much it impresses the punters when I ask one of them to carry it

Combine the two - Manfrotto 055XPROB weighs loads and inverts to ground level.

[Simpo Two]

Mine does inverted and horizontal, but it's not something I need to do in combat - I only use a tripod if I have to use a long lens in a church. Which reminds me, I need to kill the Hell-vicar of Dredham Church

[markmullen]

Another vote for the X55ProB, you can splay the legs out very wide and move the centre column to horizontal, that gets it so low that I ended up lying down to use the viewfinder.

[Major Bloodnok]

AndWhyNot said:

Combine the two - Manfrotto 055XPROB weighs loads and inverts to ground level.

OK, how do you get it to do that? I've got an 055XPROB, and I can't see how to get the column out to reverse it.

[Simpo Two]

It unscrews in the middle (well mine does, it's 055ProB not the X version)

[dibbly dobbler]

Well I never - mine does that too! Thanks gents, I'll use that

[AndWhyNot]

Difference to the X version must be release mechanism - mine's just a little spring clip, push in to release, retract and invert column then push clip in again to lock column back in place.

[Major Bloodnok]

Well, whaddayaknow, it works. Cheers, I hadn't spotted the little notch on the collar that lets you push the clip in. It's easier with my old 055C - just release the clamp and the central column slides right out.

[AndWhyNot]

Thank //dean - he showed me

[dblack1]

vanguard makes a tripod almost exactly like that except its not as sturdy when you pivot, but its way cheaper.

[Major Bloodnok]

Thanks, //dean...

[Major Bloodnok]

dblack1 said:

vanguard makes a tripod almost exactly like that except its not as sturdy when you pivot, but its way cheaper.

The trouble is that "being sturdy" is pretty much the raison d'etre of a tripod.

[GFWilliams]

Update for the thread:

I bought this one:
http://www.warehouseexpress.com/buy-manfrotto-055c...

055CXV3 for those of you that have an idea of what that means

As soon as I got it home I got the hack saw off and shortened the central column a lot so that it could go a lot lower without having to be upside down:


It's a lot more sturdy than my old one was and looks cool because it's CF

I shall be trying it out properly tomorrow on a shoot

[xrrr]

GFWilliams said:

Update for the thread:

I bought this one:
http://www.warehouseexpress.com/buy-manfrotto-055c...

Good choice. I bought the 4 section CF 055 last month to replace a 190xprob and it is fantastic (and light). Even more fantastic when it was pointed out higher up that the centre column is reversible!