Help selecting a tripod

[spigot]

Wife has a D40 and she wants a tripod. We're both beginners in photography, so I don't want to get anything super fancy, but I've heard that Bogen tripod are really nice. I'd like to get something she won't be disappointed in and could use for a fairly long time. Doesn't have to be very portable, as I would probably help her carry it around. It would mostly be used around the house. She wants to be able to take family pictures including herself with the timer or remote control.

Speaking of remote, is there a good shutter control for this camera? Does it work well enough that you could use it behind your back or something and not have it seen in self photos?

Thanks

 

[996GT2]

The Nikon ML-L3 infrared remote is a very cheap and good solution for the D40, D60, D80, etc.
http://www.nikonusa.com/Find-Y...ctDetail.page?pid=4730

As for tripods, Bogen/Manfrotto make some great ones from $75-$100+. I'd also advise you to check out Slik and Velbon, since they make some less expensive (but still good) tripods. Since your wife has a D40 that doesn't weigh much, it isn't completely necessary to get a heavy duty carbon fiber tripod costing hundreds.

 

[soydios]

The 190XPROB tripod and a 488RC2 head would serve you well even as you move up in cameras and lenses. The 055XPROB is just a bigger 190XPROB, which you don't need for a D40. The 488RC2 head, on the other hand, offers a separate horizontal adjust which is great for panoramas, which the 486RC2 lacks.

This is the exact remote that I have for my D50 and D90: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000VEQVEO
It works very well, see the Anonymous review for my comments on it.

 

[spigot]

Are the ball heads better or worse than the 2-way or 3-way heads, like say a 804RC2 or 808RC4? I've never used a tripod before, but it looks like the handles on these heads would allow for easier positioning.

 

[soydios]

Originally posted by: spigot
Are the ball heads better or worse than the 2-way or 3-way heads, like say a 804RC2 or 808RC4? I've never used a tripod before, but it looks like the handles on these heads would allow for easier positioning.

the ball head puts speed above precision: turn to unlock, move, turn to relock. it's faster positioning.

the n-way heads put precision above speed: turn to unlock, pan, turn to relock, turn to unlock, tilt, turn to relock. it's precise positioning.

with a ball head you can run into the problem where a heavy lens+camera will flop around on top of the ball if you unlock it without a good grip on the lens. this effect gets to be a real problem with large lenses, like a 400mm f/2.8 that weighs ten pounds plus camera.

the advantage of the 488RC2 is that it has that separate panning lock, so you get the best of both worlds: the speed of a ball head with the precision and consistency of a separate panning lock for panorama shots.

 

[FP]

GorillaPod.

They are on sale right now @ 30% off. Check the Hot Deals forum.

 

[Shimmishim]

Another vote for the bogen/manfrotto combo. I have the 055xprob and 488rc2 combo and it's uber sweet.

 

[ivan2]

I find Benro has the best price/performance ratio. Their price is comparable to Velbon but for the ones that I have handled, the build quality is at least on par with Manfrotto. You can get the aluminum pods for less than 200 on ebay. I have their MC series carbon fiber pods and they absolutely blow everything away at the price point.

If you are going with them, make sure to get the one that has the arca swiss style head (the K* series I believe), it suppose to work with kirk and arca swiss plates and it is awesome.

 

[jpeyton]

If you want a inexpensive tripod sturdy enough for a D40, get this Bogen/Manfrotto 785. It's small, and the pistol-grip ball head is easy to use.

I don't recommend it if you plan on graduating to bigger cameras or lenses in the future, but it will support a D40 kit with ease.