Tripod for camera

[chunkolini]

Junior has got himself on an art and design Btec course on the strength of his photography. (Ma and Pa very chuffed).
he has a nice SLR and is now after a tripod for christas. I have looked on the internet and come away with brain strain.
He wants Manfrotto, they seem to look the part but may be a bit pricy.
Can anybody reccommend a mid bracket tripod say around the £90 mark. it need to come complete with the mounting thingy for the camera.

 

[Shox Dr]

I have a benbo had it for 20yrs very heavy but a very handy bit of kit if you are in to wildlife etc

 

[chunkolini]

That looks cool, had a browse at prices and secondhand looks a good idea.
Any others out there?
it looks as though there are cheapo tripods and expensive ones. No middle of the range?
Bit like tools I suppose.

 

[Psymon]

I have a manfrotto with a 222 pistol grip head.
Like this one http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Manfrotto..._Tripods_Heads_Stablisers&hash=item2ec441c02e

In all cost me about £125 second hand. To be honest you need to spend a few quid on a tripod to get a sturdy one.

 

[chunkolini]

Mum is wincing at the prices, but it is a tool and they cost.
I bought him a really cheap one a few years back, he was about 10 and he looked so professional using it. Mrs C does not know what we are letting ourselves in for.
Unfortunately he does have his Dad's high standards when it comes to buying stuff.

 

[Wozzaaah]

Redsnapper!
Never seen a bad review of them Chunko.
I have a Cullmann which is a Chinese one with a German name and tbh it looks the part but is way too flimsy for the kit I have.
Those RS283 are raved about on the photography forums, If I thought it would take the weight of my 150-500 'Sigmazooka' I'd buy one myself.

 

[Shox Dr]

Are the benbo' s still unique in the way you can cantilever it.

 

[Country Joe]

Would a manfrotto 190B be thought of as middle of the range?
Seem to be a bit less than £100, and quite well made, stable, sturdy etc.
Centre column can be re-positioned, ie stuck out sideways etc, making it quite versatile in a funny sort of way.
There are other "strange" aspects to it too, that make it handy for those times when you need a "non standard" tripod type setup.
I'm starting to wonder if any of this is making sense, now - so I'll stop here!
All the Best,
CJ

 

[chunkolini]

Some great ideas there.
Next I have rouse Junior from ManFlu hell and see what he thinks.
I like the idea of the Benbo one, sounds like a pirate. Also like the differing ways it can go together.
Wozz, the redsnapper gear is exactly what I was looking for, high quality but not daft prices.
When it returns from it's cave I will attempt to communicate with the teenager.
Cheers all.

 

[gordon stephenson]

I'm with Shox Dr, I too had a good Benbo tripod when I was into photography.The 3 legs were totally articulated with a single pinch bolt to lock, Another advantage was the fact that they had tubular legs with the larger diameter being at the bottom so they could be used in dirty outdoor conditions,Also had the cantilever arrangement mentioned above,Really top class piece of kit.

 

[mike os]

really depemds what he wants it for..... stills, landscapes etc...last thing he will want is a heavy pod is he is going up a mountain with it

otherwise weight is king

personal choice giottos, benbo manfrotto... all are good, go for a mid range ally job, carbon is fantastic (esp if into landscape or travelling) but too much £££

head will be down to preference, the grip type are good if you like them, i love the manfrotto 322, balls take a bit of getting used to ( just dont OK), pan & tilt is standard and probably the best choice for all round.

 

[Robotstar5]

really depemds what he wants it for..... stills, landscapes etc...last thing he will want is a heavy pod is he is going up a mountain with it

I've always got a monopod strapped to the camera bag and only take the tripod when needed.

 

[zx9]

I would second the Redsnapper as a good quality tripod at a reasonable price. I have a very old Benbo which now looks like I dug it out of a skip I used it with an EOS 5D and EF180macro, not a light combination but and its a big but, the Benbo is like fighting a set of bagpipes, they take a bit of getting used to.

Tripods are like welders, buy the most expensive you can afford or you will be buying twice.

 

[slim_boy_fat]

Have a look at http://www.ffordes.com/, I've dealt with them and they're excellent!

Have a browse at their stock, they keep quality products and don't sell/trade in rubbish.

They're amenable to your phoning up for advice too.

 

[gordon stephenson]

Here is a quick Benbo demo' http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zxNHauCqlhM

 

[zx9]

Don't forget to budget for a good head too!

 

[Shox Dr]

, the Benbo is like fighting a set of bagpipes, they take a bit of getting used to.

Tripods are like welders, buy the most expensive you can afford or you will be buying twice.

Yup and yup

 

[chunkolini]

Great intro to a new art.
if Junior survives manflu we will be shopping.
My theory is something like the Redsnapper for everyday use; then when it gets complicated the Benbo. Then a monopod.
Yet again a website purporting to be about welding comes up with the goodies.
Junior asked me why I get so much useful info from here.
I realised eventually because this is a site inhabited by people who 'Do Stuff'.
A rare thing these days.

 

[chunkolini]

Update on this one, Junior ha survived Manflu.
We had a look at tripods and have gone for the Redsnapper one, he fancied the Beno but recognised that it might be a bit of a hassle at times.
My guess is he will end up with both in the long term.
Big thanks all for the input. Will report back when he has test driven it.

 

[Wozzaaah]

Good stuff!