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Tripod? Anonymous
Alright, so I'm thinking of getting me a tripod. I got me a D40 a couple months ago and I want a tripod for those pics that are hard/impossible to do handheld. I'm thinking something cheap and light. What does /p/ suggest?

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>> sage
A tripod
>> Anonymous
>>71348
Carry around a backpack with a stack of tall lightweight books.
>> Ridge
I picked up a 6.5ft tripod for $40 at Best Buy...they have a half dozen models raning in price from like $10 to $100....
>> Anonymous
>>71348

Oh hell, no, don't do that. If you ever get a tripod, do not get anything cheap and light, EVER. Go for a high-quality Manfrotto or some other big name like that. Cheap and light tripods will not give you you a sturdy, rugged support that you're looking for, they will not grant you a lot of flexibility in uses and WILL fall to bits really pretty soon. When you buy a cheap hunk of no-name scrap, you'll soon be going after another one. A good tripod will, on the other hand, last you years, if not a lifetime. It's an investment that will pay itself off in the long run. Bite the bullet and buy a tripod that you can be proud of owning. Also, make sure it has a quick release system.

As for the tripod heads, there's really two main options here. The ball-type head will allow you quicker setups and ease of use. The 3-way, however, will allow greater precision setups at the expense of time and complexity. If you do events, sports and stuff like that mainly, get the ball-type. If you mainly do macro, still life, studiowork and shots that one generally thinks through and sets up, get the 3-way.

Forget cheap and lightweight tripods. They don't exist to the photographers who mean business.
>> ac !!VPzQAxYPAMA
>>71514
Not everyone can afford to drop hundreds of bucks on something that, nine times out of ten, can be substituted by a nearby wall or trash can of appropriate height.

Having a $300 tripod is great. Having a $20 tripod is better than having no tripod at all if you can't afford to go all out. And cheap, light tripods offer two really large advantages over expensive, heavy tripods.
>> Anonymous
>>71516

Save up.

Also, if it comes down to using walls and trash cans, it's a good idea to carry around a beanbag with you. You can make your own by filling a sock with dry rice. Place that between the stable object/surface and your camera. It'll allow greater control over what the camera is fixed at as well as provide a way to protect the camera from accidental damage such as scratches.
>> Anonymous
oh, and I have a heavy, expensive $400 bogen tripod. It's useful, but not crucial. it's too heavy to carry around all day, and a flash is lighter and looks better indoors. Definitely an auxiliary purchase if you're just running and gunning with a D40.
>> Anonymous
>>71529

Shit, I like you. Some people have attempted to suggest to me that my fondness of buying expensive things is about compensating for whatever I may lack in my pants, but it ALL about the *quality* of everything that makes the game. I'm not rich, btw. It's all hard-earned. But worth it.
>> Anonymous
>>71523

>>71529here.

Wrote my post before I saw this.

The person who told you to get a beanbag and save up is right. $25 won't do much for photography gear. It might get you a used filter.

My Gitzo can fit into a backpack, but I usually grab a spare strap of some sort (camera bag strap, messenger bag strap, whatever) and sling it underneath the legs and fold them tightly together. Like I said earlier, it's extremely light.

Unfortunately, it's too expensive. I got mine second-hand for almost nothing, before I knew how much they cost or that Gitzos were extremely good. It seemed appropriate and was actually the cheapest tripod I found. I wouldn't own one if I had bought it new. Look out for a deal. 90% of all the photography equipment I own was gotten second-hand at far below the market value, and I suspect the same is true for most people on here.
>> Anonymous
>>71534

word on this. I'm always seeing cheap bogen tripods on craigslist. 100, 150 bucks. I have serious doubts that the average user can wear out a tripod in 10 years, so you might check used equipment out, OP.
>> Anonymous
man-frotto-o
>> Anonymous
>>71529
could be off-topic: so what's a monopod then? when do you use it???
>> Anonymous
>>71606

Essentially only a single extendable leg of a tripod.

For some subjects you just can't use a tripod. Its size, shape and weight mean you can take it around easily, you can hurt other people with it and tripods are often banned in public buildings/events.

A monopod will not give you the same level of stability as a tripod would, but its one leg is made to give you at least some camera support as you're shooting. It's particularly useful for tele settings. Monopods are frequently used at sports' events.

That and you can use it as a walking stick.