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Looking for quality tripod

M

MrWrong

[H]ard|Gawd
Joined
May 3, 2013
Messages
1,476
So I'm fairly new to the photography scene and I need some advice on I tripod. I have no clue what brands are good and what ones are garbage, so any help is much appreciated. I'm looking to stay under $50 if that's plausible. I'm not looking for anything to of the line just a nice quality unit. I'm not sure if it matters but the camera I will be using it with is an Olympus E-PL1. Thanks in advance for any and all information.
 
Tripods can get expensive quickly. Luckily for you, you're dealing with a very small and light camera (relatively speaking). You're more than likely never going to deal with 25lbs super-telephoto lenses.

The top brands are generally Gitzo and Really Right Stuff (for still photography, video is a totally different thing). Some also like Manfrotto (which is actually a part of the same company as Gitzo). However, I think you'll already be over budget on their lowest end stuff. I can look around a bit for you and see if I can find anything.
 
http://joby.com/gorillapod


I have a http://joby.com/gorillapod

But I only use it making .HDRI with my dslr camera and the free standard one that came with the camera.

IT does not have full legs but you can wrap it around poles or set it on tables.

home.jpg


I don't know what you would use yours for,. I do not use them enough to judge for real photography. try at your own risk. it hold the camera stable enough to capture light at night without blur.
 
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Gorillapods are great. But they pose a problem if you don't have anything to attach them to and you want to shoot higher than 6" from the ground. I look at them as a great supplementary tripods, but not so great if it's the only one you own (I'd say the same thing about say, tabletop tripods).
 
UnknownSouljer said:
Tripods can get expensive quickly. Luckily for you, you're dealing with a very small and light camera (relatively speaking). You're more than likely never going to deal with 25lbs super-telephoto lenses.

The top brands are generally Gitzo and Really Right Stuff (for still photography, video is a totally different thing). Some also like Manfrotto (which is actually a part of the same company as Gitzo). However, I think you'll already be over budget on their lowest end stuff. I can look around a bit for you and see if I can find anything.
Click to expand...

I never thought about it but I guess it would have helped to say what I plan on using it to do, which will be mainly still photography. Ive heard of Manfrotto but from the little bit I looked into them them seemed like top of the line stuff and like you said even the lowest end stuff it more than I'm looking to spend. I have a look at the other two brands you listed and see if I can find anything in my price range thanks.

Cube said:
http://joby.com/gorillapod
I have a http://joby.com/gorillapod

But I only use it making .HDRI with my dslr camera and the free standard one that came with the camera.

IT does not have full legs but you can wrap it around poles or set it on tables.

I don't know what you would use yours for,. I do not use them enough to judge for real photography. try at your own risk. it hold the camera stable enough to capture light at night without blur.
Click to expand...

While that does look interesting I'm looking more for a full sized tripod rather than a little one like that. I can see where it would be very useful but to start with I'm looking for a more versatile tripod. Thanks anyway though
 
Tripods are an investment, and there truly is a big difference between a cheaper one, and a quality one. A good tripod will last you decades, So on that thought, I'd suggest considering a lower-end manfrotto/gitzo, but... as Unknown suggested, their cheapest stuff is around $150, so that will blow your budget.

Anything sub $50 will break pretty quick, and won't exactly be the sturdiest thing. I used a $30-40 before I upgraded to a low-end manfrotto, and man the difference was huge. While the manfrotto is built like a tank, and incredibly sturdy, it is also large, heavy, and not exactly comfortable to carry around. I only use it for those instances where I know for a fact, I'll need a tripod, and carry it beforehand. Granted, it's easily one of my best purchases.

I would have to +1 the Gorillapod, IMO, it is as versatile as it gets. It is my go to tripod for 90% of my tripod shots. It's small, can be carried anywhere, mounted just about on anything, and is incredibly sturdy given it's size.

Barring those two, I'd suggest a cheap tripod (something that all photography stores will carry) and just run with it till it breaks, and then replace it with another one. It's not ideal, but... it would be the cheapest option. The good thing about the cheaper tripods is, they aren't heavy
 
I have been doing some more looking and there are a few lower end manfrotto tripods in the $60 range. I think that may be the route I go for now. I figured that the cheaper tripods were pretty much all garbage, but its hard for me to spend close to $200 on a tripod when my camera was barely more than that. I'm sure if I got a higher end manfrotto I would be great and last a long time but at this point being that I'm just getting into photography I'm just not sure if its worth the investment or not.

I guess for now ill go with a cheap one until it breaks. I can always upgrade to a nicer one later if I decide to get more serious about my photography. Thanks for all the input guys.
 
Same here- it's hard to invest in a 'good' tripod given how well the cheap ones work, on those rare occasions you need one. I'm not to the point yet where I need something that's so flexible yet steady like an expensive ball head or a gimbal. I also don't own any fast super-telephoto lenses...
 
IdiotInCharge said:
Same here- it's hard to invest in a 'good' tripod given how well the cheap ones work, on those rare occasions you need one. I'm not to the point yet where I need something that's so flexible yet steady like an expensive ball head or a gimbal. I also don't own any fast super-telephoto lenses...
Click to expand...

It depends on what kind of photography you do. If you're a landscape photographer then you probably use a tripod for every shot you take. I know I do, especially for any 5-7 shot HDRs.

But if you don't really use a tripod much, why buy one anyway? I always feel that if you're going to invest, it should be for a reason, and you should try to get something quality that you can grow into.
 
I don't disagree- but I'd rather have a tripod (and monopod) than not have them, and my bar for a quality 'investment' is rather high. So, since I can't afford perfect, I've settled for the cheapest functional kit I could find :).
 
If you are a landscape photog and do much hiking keep the weight in mind. I purchased a somewhat heavy Manfroto and matching head. Love it but damn it can be heavy when you are already packing your other gear and water. Ugh!
 
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