Photo of my tripod, taken by workshop participant Janice Borland Benoit. I wasn't really trying to block her view!
Tripods and camera bags are probably the two photo accessories (necessities) that I have purchased most often over the years. On my most recent Fall Workshop, a couple of the participant’s were asking what would be a good tripod and head to buy and also that doesn’t cost a fortune.
Well I have gone down that road, trying to buy what I thought (at the time) was a good tripod and also trying to save some money. All I ended up doing was spending a lot of money on different tripods/heads that I wasn’t really happy with. And then finally, years after I had first started buying all of these different tripods, I ended up buying the more expensive tripod. The one that I should have bought in the first place. Does that sound familiar to anyone?
Now there are some reasonably affordable tripods out there, so I thought I would ask my Facebook friends if they had any advice. I got 35 responses, here are some of them:
1. Manfrotto 055 or 190 legs with 029 head–I’ve had three 055’s over the last 30 years & they stand up to heavy use/abuse
2. Carbon fiber, great ball head, be prepared to spend $400+
3. Induro makes some great heads and tripods, much less expensive than Manfrotto or Gitzo.
4. I have an Induro AX214 with a Really Right Stuff BH40 Ball Mount with their large quick release plate. Cameras have L Brackets and lens have standard brackets. Stable and not too heavy. The RRS mounts are not cheap and are precision. Could not justify the added cost for carbon when I bought the base may think different now.
5. I use a Induro series 2 carbon fiber tripod on workshops. Just as strong as Gitzo but half the cost. I’ll leave the head for the participants to decide. Other workshop participants seem to love the Induro. It fits in my medium dufflebag which is a big plus.
6. I recommend the Manfrotto 190XPROB. It’s fairly light, and can take a beating. Plus it’s not too expensive so it may be a financially more appealing option to workshop attendees. I jerry-rigged a removeable strap using two carabiners and a canvas belt I bought from Value village. I have a matching Manfrotto Pan-Tilt Head 804RC2 and Ball Head 486RCS. The ball head is light weight but is not as accurate to adjust as the pan-tilt.
7. I’ve been using a Feisol Traveler and ballhead for a few years now. It’s very reasonably priced. Good build quality. The tripod is sturdy. The ballhead handles a reasonably amount of weight. They make heavier duty legs and heads as well. http://www.feisol.net/index.php
8. Love Gitzo carbon fiber and Arca Swiss ball heads. Not cheap but they will last a lifetime. Much lighter to lug around. Bogen makes decent tripods as well. Lots of new ball heads on the market since I bought mine. Check out http://reallyrightstuff.com/Items.aspx?code=TRIPODS&key=cat
9. For tripod head I like my Slik AF-2100 Pistol Grip Head. Only $99 which is pretty cheap. My first one lasted at least 10 years (still works). I prefer it over my much more expensive arca ball head.
10. A very good value for money tripod can be found in the Vangaurd Alta Pro. They are well made and offer more functionality than some of their equivalent yet pricier counter parts – http://youtu.be/uJ7HHv3SOuo – their pistol grip head is also one of the best I have seen. Another Tripod I have been really impressed with is the Velbon Sherpa.
11. Gitzo GT1830 – it’s a bit long, but I needed the height. Shorter legs are available but, for me, it’s lighter than my Aluminum Manfrotto 190 was, and gets me an extra foot without the centre column extended. I am using an Acratech ballhead, which isn’t cheap, but I found my inexpensive manfrotto ballhead gave when I had heavier glass attached. If your students can afford big glass then they should also heavily consider the investment in supporting it properly.
12. Yes, you have to pay to get something worth it, my current setup wasn’t my first and it cost more in the long run.
Any other suggestions??????
