Tripod recommendations

[kgreen]

I'm looking to upgrade my tripod. I've had mine for several years, & though it was cheap & an impulse buy at the time, it's done a fairly decent job. I've noticed lately when I tighten it down, there's quite a bit of give. When I think I have my shot straight, it moves which is so frustrating. This time I'd like to research a bit & put more money into this buy, without necessarily breaking the bank. I'd like to stay within 150.00 - 250.00 range,but I'm willing to spend more for the right tripod. I use my tripod mostly for fireworks & taking pictures of the stars/night sky. Thanks in advance!

 

[boBQuincy]

It seems like the issue with your tripod is more with the head than the tripod itself. I have been through a number of tripod heads and although they are not inexpensive the Really Right Stuff ballheads are by far the best I have used. They are conservatively rated for weight capacity and when locked down they do not move. If the head comes off your tripod (most do) it might be worth looking into replacing it with one of the RRS models.

 

[xlxo]

To clarify... are you looking at a tripod for a DSLR? Some thoughts...

• I'm a big fan of carbon fibre... the lighter the tripod... the more likely I'm going to take it out of the house. Basalt is a little cheaper, but heavier.
• love Acratech as a ballhead. Durable, but also light. Recently awarded "best overall" on DPReview
  http://www.dpreview.com/articles/7734995233/mid-sized-ball-heads-tested/8
  
• you mentioned overtightening your tripod... consider an arca swiss mount for a more solid interface.
• do you often flip your DSLR on it's side to shoot portraits? Does the tripod want to tip over, especially with a flash? Consider an L Bracket to keep the weight centered.

Sorry if my suggestions pushes your budget... but I learned some expensive mistakes along the way.

 

[elmoandzoey]

To give you some specific recs, some more info could be helpful. How high is the tripod supposed to be? How compact is it supposed to fold down to and what is the maximum acceptable weight? Do you want a ballhead or do you want/need a pan head? What do you want to mount on top (how much weight?).

The RRS heads that Bob suggested are pretty good value. They have Arca swiss plates. Carbon is pretty light but I think a carbon tripod would be more than what you are willing to spend. I have found for myself that weight isn't really the reason why I didn't take out my tripods - it was more of a size issue. The tripod was light but not compact enough to walk around with it.

Since you are shooting long exposure, you're better off not extending the middle column of the tripod for more stability. If you do not need a compact tripod, I suggest looking at a model without or a relatively short middle column. Most higher priced tripod will allow you to remove the middle column and mount your head directly on the tripod.