Looking for a sturdy tripod under $150 (6 options listed inside)

[996GT2]

UPDATE:

Ended up getting Manfrotto 055 Classic Legs and the SV BH8 Ballhead. Total was around $140



I'm considering getting the following:

Smith Victor BH8 head-$60, weighs 725g, has 40 lb load rating (has a pan lock, which the Giottos lacks):
http://www.adorama.com/SVBH8.html

OR

Giottos M7001 with 621 QR plate: $65, weighs 595g, has 13 lb load rating
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produ..._621_M7001_Ballhead_with_Sliding.html#reviews

And one of the following sets of legs:


Manfrotto 190XDB-11 lb load rating, 3.5 lbs, $98
http://www.adorama.com/BG190XDB.html?searchinfo=Manfrotto+190XDB

OR

Slik 700 DX: 15 lb load rating, 5.8 lbs, $100
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/557127-REG/Slik_615_317_700DX_Pro_Tripod_Legs.html

OR

Cullmann Magnesit 525: 13.2 lb load rating, 4 lbs, $90
http://www.adorama.com/CUM525.html

Which combination would be better? I know the heads aren't the best, but I am not planning to use heavy lenses with them and I feel that I can always upgrade down the road if I decide to get a long telephoto.
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I'm currently looking for a tripod to support my gripped EOS 40D and lens. Normally I do not use any lens heavier than a Tamron 17-50, but I may get a 70-200 f/4L down the road. I don't plan to use a really heavy lens like a 70-200 f/2.8 or 100-400 with the tripod, so I don't think I need any thing super heavy duty.

That said, I'm looking to spend between $100-150 (less if suitable options exist).

Some options I'm considering (all are under $150):

1) Manfrotto 190XDB legs ($98) with a ~$50 ballhead (do any decent ballheads exist for under $50?)
http://www.amazon.com/Manfrotto-190X.../dp/B000N81BXO

2) Slik 330 DX ($100) with the included 3-way pan head (might get a ballhead later down the road).
http://www.amazon.com/SLIK-PRO-330-D.../dp/B00009R6R9

3) Dolica Proline CX620B104 Carbon Fiber tripod w/ballhead ($130, might upgrade the ballhead down the road, I've heard reports of people putting 500mm lenses on the Dolica's CF legs after upgrading to a better ballhead like a Cullmann 35nm).
http://www.amazon.com/Dolica-CX620B1.../dp/B001MYL1BA

4) Cullmann Magnesit 525 Aluminum legs ($90) with a decent ballhead under $60 (suggestions?)
http://www.adorama.com/CUM525.html

5) Flashpoint TP-102 aluminum tripod with ballhead ($90)
http://www.adorama.com/FPTP102.html?...shpoint+tripod

6) Flashpoint F-1128 Carbon Fiber legs with a cheap ballhead (this would go over 150, but if there's a ballhead around $50 that works well with this, I'm all ears).
http://www.adorama.com/FPTPF1128.html?searchinfo=f-1128

Or is there something better than these 5 that I should consider in my price range?? Weight is not a huge concern, but I would like for the tripod/head combo to not be over 6 or 7 pounds at most.

My biggest issue right now is finding a suitable ballhead for around $50. Does a decent ballhead (preferably with pan lock and adjustable friction) even exist in this price range? If not, how much would I have to pay to get a decent ballhead for my setup? It doesn't have to be super heavy duty since I won't be using it with a very heavy lens.

Thanks in advance

 

[tdawg]

Not sure how good this one is, as I've never used it, but the price is right: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc..._Pan_Tilt.html

I've got the 486RC2 that I think works perfectly. It's been replaced by the 496RC2, but it's $80.

This is pretty slick: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc...Arca_Type.html. Not sure about the brand, but the weight rating should be plenty and the best part is it has Arca-type rails, so you can add RSS plates later if you wish. Under $50 too, but it's currently OOS at B&H.

 

[Dark Penguin]

What about the slik 700dx?

I think the head referenced in this article is around $70 without the quick release...

http://www.birdsasart.com/giottos.htm

The required tripod purchasing article (Keep it in mind if you find yourself upgrading your tripod in small steps.) ...

http://www.bythom.com/support.htm

 

[996GT2]

Slik 700 DX looks very sturdy, but I'm a little worried about the weight. The legs alone would be about 6 pounds, so add a ballhead and the total combo would be about 7 pounds? I guess that's not too bad, since I'm about 6" and 185 pounds myself and hit the gym a few times every week.

I'm also heavily considering the Cullmann Magnesit 525 legs, because they only weigh about 4 pounds yet still carry a respectable 13.1 lb load rating. Does anyone have personal experience with these legs? There aren't very many reviews online.

 

[996GT2]

Updated, narrowed down to 1 head and 2 leg choices.

 

[tdawg]

Given those choices, for me it would be the Manfrotto legs + Smith Victor head. Under 5 lbs with good camera support capabilities.

 

[soydios]

190XPROB + 498RC2 is as good as it reasonably gets (without getting way expensive carbon fiber or Arca stuff)

190XDB looks like a good enough compromise (it's got all the core features, so cheers). the 494/496RC2 heads give up the separate panorama rotation, which is immeasurably handy if you're, well, doing panoramas.

 

[996GT2]

Thanks for the input guys. Looks like I will probably be going with the Manfrotto 190XDB legs and the Smith-Victor ballhead.

Just a quick question though. I saw on POTN forums that a lot of members have tried the cheaper, Chinese made Benro/Weifeng/Amnova/Dynatron carbon-fiber tripod legs. I actually saw a set of rather tall AT-A105T Amnova legs (Gitzo copy, rated to hold 22 lbs and goes up to almost 70 inches) on sale for only $95. Would one of these be a better or worse option than the Manfrotto 190XDB legs when looking from a durability standpoint?

 

[996GT2]

Update:

Ended up buying a set of Manfrotto 055 Classic tripod legs from FM for $75, and then got the Smith-Victor BH8 ballhead (rated @ 40 lb). The legs already came in and they're super steady. Hope I can say the same about the ballhead

 

[jpeyton]

I have the 055XPROB legs and they work great on my gripped D700; I'm guessing the classic ones are the same legs without the horizontal center column?

 

[alfa147x]

Bookmarked, im looking in the same range

 

[996GT2]

I have the 055XPROB legs and they work great on my gripped D700; I'm guessing the classic ones are the same legs without the horizontal center column?

Basically. Mine have the push clamps instead of the screw clamps on the current 055 XDB basic models.

 

[alfa147x]

Please report back on how you like that head, I am really considering it right now