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Anonymous
Thinking about getting a tripod, since I've wanted to do night shots for the longest time. However, I don't know anything about them. What's a good, cheap tripod?
>> Anonymous
I've got a Dynex 60" one, pretty damn sturdy, holds my Rebel XT just fine. Can take some pretty strong winds... easy to operate. $40.
>> Anonymous
>>117686
Velbon
>> Anonymous
Spending less than $100 is a waste if you want something for exposures longer than a few seconds. Cheap tripods are not sturdy. I would go for a Bogen/Manfrotto.
>> Anonymous !SDPEsPMnww
I'd also like a high quality tripod, but I don't know which qualities to look for. I've seen sturdy-looking $100 ones and big, beefy $400 ones, but I don't know what's right for me.
>> thefamilyman !!rTVzm2BgTOa
>>117692
second.
I've got a Velbon 750R, its great for general and macro (as the minimum hight is quite low), but since i got a 500mm, i find its a tad shaky, you REALLY need a super sturdy tripod for super telephotos, but for everything else, my velbon is great.
>> Anonymous
When buying your first tripod, buy the best that you can since good tripods will last a lifetime.

Can't go wrong with a manfrotto.
>> Anonymous
>>117695
I've seen sub-$100 tripods that are sturdy enough for a small DSLR. The worst problem with cheap tripods are the heads - they creak and don't move smoothly, and that really sucks for framing with telephoto lenses.
>> eku !8cibvLQ11s
>>117720

I've got some semigood (actually, I haven't yet find any bad to say about it) tripod which I bought for 33€ (orig. price 66€). It almost looks like the same as on the OP's photo, but with better head.

Indoors, with remote control can't go much wrong.
>> Anonymous
I just recently picked up a manfrotto 785b. It goes for around 80 bucks, it compacts to 17 inches and extends to up to 60 inches with the middle column extended (which I've never needed). The tripod is technically listed as a point and shoot or small video camera tripod but that has more to do with how tight you can lock the head rather than it's ability to support bigger cameras.
>> Anonymous
Anyone know of any tripods with metal clasps?

The one I have has metal legs, which is great and all, but I've broken 3 of the 8 clasps on it because they're made of shitty plastic. Talk about a retarded design decision, making the most vulnerable part of the thing out of plastic.

I've taken casual looks in photographs shops and only ever seen the same design with metal legs and plastic locks on each leg.
>> Anonymous
If there is one thing you should never skimp on, its a tripod. In this case I am of the philosophy, but it right, buy it once. Good tripods last a long long time. I find quality generally proportional to weight.
>> fence !!POey2hdozCZ
money skimped on a tripod is money spent on camera repairs. seriously, i was in your situation some time ago. i bought a 30 dollar tripod, and i had to spend 60 to get my camera fixed after the tripod head wiggled loose and dropped my camera from six feet.

i went and bought a $300 manfrotto tripod and i haven't looked back since.

check craigslist. if your town is anything like mine, guys are always listing their manfrotto and gitzo tripods for 75, 100, 125 bucks.
>> Anonymous
the one on the picture looks just like my hama star 6X ... (no idea wich one it was exactly) .. 2 years ago, for 20 euros it was good to hold my Lumix FZ7, but after getting a dslr I just use it for remote flash. It just can't be fixed still with more than 3kg of equipement on it.
>> NatureGuy !se3A3TwzdY
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When you buy a tripod you're really buying 2 different things. A tripod head and the tripod itself. As everyone else has already said, you want a heft tripod, even if you're the type to go out hiking and camping. Wind can blow your tripod over or cause terrible shake if not heavy enough. So even though dragging a monstrous tripod is a pain the ass, it often can pay off when less tripods will fail you.

This head is gold if you're shooting moving objects or in weird environments, though the ball heads are nice too.
>> Anonymous
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slik hands down

Camera-Specific Properties:Equipment MakeCanonCamera ModelCanon EOS 5DCamera SoftwareAdobe Photoshop CS2 MacintoshMaximum Lens Aperturef/2.8Image-Specific Properties:Image OrientationTop, Left-HandHorizontal Resolution72 dpiVertical Resolution72 dpiImage Created2007:09:20 22:58:05Exposure Time1/100 secF-Numberf/18.0Exposure ProgramManualISO Speed Rating100Lens Aperturef/18.0Exposure Bias0 EVMetering ModePatternFlashNo Flash, CompulsoryFocal Length90.00 mmColor Space InformationUncalibratedImage Width269Image Height500RenderingNormalExposure ModeManualWhite BalanceAutoScene Capture TypeStandard
>> Anonymous
I've used a Slik with my Minolta X700 and 500f/8 and never had a bit of trouble with wobble.
>> Anonymous
>>117833
f/18 90mm ? wtf?
>> fence !!POey2hdozCZ
>>117842

what's so confusing?
>> Anonymous
>>117833
lol, I have almost the same tripod, only the head is a bit different.
>> Farquod T. Nutterbutter
Some people say you should get the biggest, heaviest, sturdiest tripod that your wife can carry.

For a pro, where the result (the photo) is the only important thing, that may be fine advice.

For an amateur who's taking pictures for fun ... well, who wants to lug some huge monstrosity around? If you buy some unwieldy monolith, there's a good chance you'll end up leaving it at home most of the time. And even the best tripod in the world is worthless while it's collecting dust in the closet.

I have a small, lightweight tripod that stays strapped to my camera bag pretty much all the time. It's always there when I need it.
>> Anonymous
GITZO
>> Anonymous
>>117897
Exactly. Lightweight and the very best one can buy. Costly, but like everyone has said, unless you're stuck in a warzone and some rebel's bullet smashes through one of the legs as you're using it as a club to fend them off because they're out of rations and they've a taste for photojournalists, a good tripod should last longer than you do.
>> Anonymous
i have a little manfrotto 728B. its small and rather light, but sturdy.
>> Jeremo !iKGMr61IHM
Gotta a 190 pro and 488RC4 Ball head, both are manfrotto. Both are awesome.

I've had a D200 with vert grip and a nikkor 17-55mm 2.8 on it and it's held out really well on a 15 minute exposure in fairly windy conditions.

The OP's tripod has a hook which is a great idea since you can attach a sandbag or anything heavy to give it more stability.
>> Anonymous
Make fucking SURE that the head is supported on both sides!

My mum tried to do me a favour by buying me one for my birthday. It's not a bad tripe, but the head is only supported on the left side (the lightest side of the camera ¬_¬) so my shots ALWAYS lean to the left.

Seriously, i cant get a straight horizon at all with it.
>> I||ICIT !!mknjFN/v/49
just yesterday i brought a "cullman" alpha 2500.
its a fairly generic type, goes to about 1.8M so its good for me, not too low (~50cm?) though im not fussed cos i dont have/want/need a macro.

well built, has a pan head, not ball.

pretty much looks EXACTLY like the one shown by OP.

for 100nz bucks its the best i could get, and considering i dont have a lens longer than an 85mm or a lens heavier than a wide angle i hardly see the need for a X x $100 tripod.

go to a camera store and try em out, its not like a lens where specs are everything. you have to see how its built, how it feels, how big, how small, how heavy etc...
hope that helps...
>> Anonymous
I use an Empire tripod from the 1930s. Thing weighs a ton but is rock steady.
>> thefamilyman !!rTVzm2BgTOa
>>117976
you in nz?
>> Anonymous
>>118090
do you also use a magnesium flash powder? I heard those are really bright and stuff so you can shoot even if it's too dark normally...
>> Anonyfag of Borneo !bHymOqU5YY
>>118092
I recall a Vietnam War photo of several women in a Vietcong tunnel where the photographer used gunpowder to illuminate the scene. Any names?
>> Anonymous
I got a used Velbon for $3 a few years ago. Hasn't disappointed me yet.