|
Forums >
Photography Talk >
Tripod leg suggestions.
I'm looking for a set of tripod legs for digi teching with, but also as my travel tripod. As such, they need to be: 1. Lightweight (under 3lbs) 2. Compact. 3. Stable. 4. Durable/well made 5. Capable of supporting at least 17lbs. (22+ preferred) 6. I'd like them to go to at least 5.5ft (More is better). And super bonus points for legs that tick all those boxes, but are on the cheap side of the spectrum. Suggestions?  Cheers! Jun 18 15 11:00 pm Link elementfoto wrote: You wanna buy a cheap lightweight tripod to hold 22 pounds? Jun 19 15 12:06 am Link I think you need to look for one (plus head) made of unobtainium. Jun 19 15 12:22 am Link Put aside the weight and the compactness requirenments, don't realistic given the rest of your requests, and perhaps something like that: Induro AT313 + Sirui K-30x (if you haven't already a ballhead) may be a suitable compromise. But if you really want something compact and light lower you requirenments. Jun 19 15 12:51 am Link elementfoto wrote: Google the Websites that review Cameras and Lenses...They also review Tripods...Go there first...ie DP, they just reviewed some high quality tripods...Test Drive them...Then make your own conclusion. Jun 19 15 01:00 am Link Images by MR wrote: Let me put my 3 grand camera and 2 grand plus on that! It will be A OK! lol Jun 19 15 01:11 am Link nm Jun 19 15 01:17 am Link Jun 19 15 03:51 am Link cheap, sturdy, light. you only get to choose two when it comes to tripods. Jun 19 15 04:19 am Link Michael Alestra wrote: Yep, it's like the old adage for professional photography services. You get: Jun 19 15 07:53 am Link I have a Manfrotto tripod rated to hold your 22 pounds. It has double legs and an extremely heavy duty head. It happens to be a tripod intended for video, but it works fine for stills as well. It was, by no means cheap. I can't imagine a cheap tripod I would trust with a 22 pound load. Jun 19 15 08:53 am Link You should consider one more factor: minimum size when stowed for travel. Will it fit into your carry on luggage? Jun 19 15 09:12 am Link elementfoto wrote: You realize this product doesn't exist, at ANY price, right?? Jun 19 15 09:14 am Link Good Egg Productions wrote: Dan posted a link to a tripod that was very close. It's cost is $388. Jun 19 15 09:44 am Link Jerry Nemeth wrote: Yeah, but when people say "less expensive" in the context of tripods, I assume they are thinking in the $50-100 range. Good Egg is right...I think the requests the OP is making are a bit silly. Jun 19 15 11:45 am Link Shot By Adam wrote: Yes! For what he wants you have to pay the price. Jun 19 15 11:53 am Link I think the MeFoto globetrotter Carbon Fibre actually meets your specs. Its 3.7lbs, but that includes a head. Its likey under 3lbs without the head (they only sell kits). Jun 21 15 05:03 am Link elementfoto wrote: Manfrotto 681B Heavy Duty Pro Monopod @ $79.88 Jun 21 15 07:31 am Link Having owned lots of tripods, including those rated for 17lb+ and those under 3 pounds (both because they're CF and because they're crap), I can tell you two things: 1). Most brands' weight rating isn't what you think. Manfrotto-level stuff and up generally rates the tripod based on how much weight it can hold steady. Less expensive brands usually rate based on how much weight it can hold without sagging, or in some extreme cases without collapsing. That usually means that a $200 set of legs rated for 17lbs will hold it just fine, but it won't take a clear picture. Unless you're in the Manfrotto+ range, look for something rating several pounds more than you think you need. 2). If you're shooting exposures longer than a second or two, or shooting outdoors in the wind, you don't want a tripod that light. The tripod needs to have at least close to as much mass as the camera does, or it will be too top-heavy to resist wind. It may not fall over, but again you're looking at less than optimal performance. I'd buy two tripods- one for travel, one for going from A to B. Vanguard makes some good, reasonably-priced CF units, and they also offer a hanging bag for filling with ballast that works much better than hanging your bag from the center column. I don't think you'll get as much support as you need for under 3 pounds, but 4 would be very reasonable. Then check Craigslist or eBay for an old split-leg Bogen unit. It will probably weigh close to 20 pounds, but they're rock solid, they support anything shy of pro video gear or a 500mm prime without wobble even when panning, and you should be able to get one for $200 shipped, tops. That should put you at $500-$550. Even if you went with a high-end Gitzo, I don't think you could meet all your specs in a single unit. Jun 21 15 07:50 am Link Thomas Van Dyke wrote: Did you miss the part when he mentioned that he wanted the tripod legs for digital tech-ing? Jun 21 15 08:10 am Link Dan Howell wrote: He did also say he wants to use it as a regular tripod too. Thomas didn't address every need, but that's because no one has been able to do that so far. Jun 21 15 08:21 am Link Zack Zoll wrote: You even say it. The OP wants tripod legs for two purposes. A monopod is wholly inappropriate for one of those purposes, so the suggestion is in error. Why are you defending it? Jun 21 15 08:42 am Link I'm simply pointing out that there isn't a single product in any price range that addresses the OPs needs. Which need gets ignored is basically irrelevant, because we're all suggesting things he's not after. I suggested two different tripods. How is that any better or worse? Nothing short of a Gitzo owner that needs drug money is going to get him there, so we're all wrong. No point in debating how wrong. Jun 21 15 08:49 am Link The closets thing I could find is this monopod/tripod combo: http://www.revolvecamera.com/products/2 … nd-monopod Its only rated for up to 18 lbs. Jun 21 15 09:48 am Link This is probably as close as you're going to get to your list, it's not my item. http://www.ebay.com/itm/Manfrotto-475B- … &rt=nc Jun 21 15 12:25 pm Link Jun 21 15 01:01 pm Link I have a similar Manfrotto, light it is not! My current favorite is a Benro C 298EX carbon tripod. It is discontinued but you can sometimes find on on eBay or look for the replacement model. It is light, rated for about 26 pounds and does well with anything up to my 4x5 Linhoff (a boat anchor) on top of it. It's not cheap but less than Gitzo. Jun 21 15 01:02 pm Link Buy (read: invest) the right tripod the first time around and you'll spend less in the long run. Really. Once you add a tripod head (yes, invest there too)----you'll be at your height requirements. I'd look at a Really Right Stuff TQC-14 or TVC-24L. Anything worth putting on a tripod in the first place is worth investing in a secure stable tripod platform. Jun 21 15 01:07 pm Link I have a Manfrotto tripod, just because the head I bought from a fellow PAG person was a Manfrotto. It is carbon fiber, AND IT WASN'T CHEAP. I think the whole thing cost about a grand. Someone else said : cheap, sturdy, light. you only get to choose two when it comes to tripods. It reminds me of when I owned a jewelry store, and people would come in on a Monday, when they were getting married on the coming Saturday. They wanted the complicated wedding sets to be made perfectly, cheaply, and fast, (by the coming Saturday). I used to tell them that they might be able to get some combination of TWO of those criteria, but never all three. -Don Jun 21 15 01:19 pm Link |
