Recomendation for tripod

Jtorrespr1

Senior member
Sep 13, 2005
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I have Canon 3ti with a battery grip, I use 18-55 and 55-200mm lens with it.
I put the camera on a scale avg weight 2.50- 2.85lb (in case the info is needed)

I'm looking for a sturdy, reliable tripod, good weight to carry around.
My budget is $100.00

any suggestions is apreciated.

thanks
 

Gintaras

Golden Member
Dec 28, 2000
1,892
1
71
I have Canon 3ti with a battery grip, I use 18-55 and 55-200mm lens with it.
I put the camera on a scale avg weight 2.50- 2.85lb (in case the info is needed)

I'm looking for a sturdy, reliable tripod, good weight to carry around.
My budget is $100.00

any suggestions is apreciated.

thanks

First question: Why do you think, you do need a tripod?

Tripod is needed:
When hands are not that steady, it happens with age, when you get older.
When in Studio shots(but you say: "to carry around", it means, that doesn't apply to you)
When you use telephoto or heavy(pretty expensive) telephoto lenses. I do hasve 70-300 lense, but 99.9% I take photos handheld and I'm not 18 anymore(I've posted a couple pics I took today with that lense, handheld). To be honest, I've used tripod a couple of times while trying to take photos of the moon at night.

And if you think, that you do need a tripod, you might want to buy a remote control for your camera. Even on tripod, pushing shutter button anyway more or less does shake a camera.

When you shoot in low light.

So, if you get blurry pictures due to handshake or using long lenses, or taking photos in low light, you might want first to try a monopod, if that doesn't help you, then you should consider a tripod.

Again, best suggestions you could get going to dpreview Canon forums - the one that for your camera.
 

Kanalua

Diamond Member
Jun 14, 2001
4,860
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JohnnyRebel

Senior member
Feb 7, 2011
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$100 isn't going to get you a really nice tripod. For ~$40 you can get this starter tripod: http://www.amazon.com/Dolica-AX620B1.../ref=pd_cp_p_1

Spend a little more (~$150) for a decent travel tripod: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_no...+angel&x=0&y=0

or spend a little more for this great starter tripod/ball head combo: http://www.amazon.com/Manfrotto-055X...I?tag=at055-20

+1. These are great recommendations.

Think a bit about how you plan to use yours, and what you actually need. I like the Dolica (recommended above), but usually just use them to hold flash heads/umbrellas inside. I have used one for the D200 and it all went well.

Thom Hogan stresses the importance of the camera support system and says that you can't get a good tripod/head for less than $1000. http://bythom.com/support.htm.

[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]A Good Tripod and Head Should:[/FONT]
  • [FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Set up in seconds, without fiddling.[/FONT]
  • [FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Hold its position no matter what the angle of the camera.[/FONT]
  • [FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Be completely field cleanable.[/FONT]
  • [FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Go from ground level to full height without compromise.[/FONT]
  • [FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Lock all positions securely enough that you're comfortable walking away from the tripod even on windy days.[/FONT]
  • [FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Be able to follow action and still provide support.[/FONT]
  • [FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Resist all attempts to bend and break (Galen used to demonstrate his Gitzo 1228 by standing on it).[/FONT]
  • [FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Allow the camera to go from horizontal to vertical orientation instantly.[/FONT]
  • [FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Be dragged over rocks, through mud, sit in the ocean, or any other environment you want to shoot in, and show nothing more than a few scratches for the effort[/FONT]
  • [FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Be light enough to always carry with you.[/FONT]
  • [FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Be heavy enough to hold your heaviest lens and body secure in the worst possible conditions and at the worst possible angle.[/FONT]
FWIW,
JR
 

jhansman

Platinum Member
Feb 5, 2004
2,768
29
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While those are great recommendations, I wouldn't spend significant cash on a tripod/head without a hands-on evaluation of some kind. If you have a local photo store, see what they have in stock and play with them a bit. Ease of use, sturdiness, transportability, etc. are long-term factors that usually cannot be determined by online reviews or the opinions of others.

My Bogen 3001 has served me well for over 20 yrs., and the addition of a ball head has given it something of a new life. Were I to replace it, my first step would be visiting the largest photo store I could reasonably drive to.
 
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