Tripod Suggestions - d200

[Miqee]

Hi,

this has probably been answere before, but my search really only found answers for light cameras.

I have a d200, heaviest lense is a tamron 70-300, and would love to find a good compact tripod to travel with on my upcoming trip to disneyworld. I already have a monopod which i'll be using to take pictures i nthe more crowded areas such as parades, but i would like to also have a tripod to do some nice night shots and closeup work.

Got a decent budget to spend so please let me know what you would suggest.

thanks

Colin

 

[Dan Murphy]

Welcome to the DIS, Colin.

As for search, don't bother, it has been non-functional since last summer.

I, and a number of folks here use the Gorillapod. I like it. I have the middle one, the dslr.


http://www.joby.com/

 

[Miqee]

thnaks for the welcome Dan.

I had thought about the gorrillapod, thugh i had a bad experience with the middle sized one when i had a d50. The zoom was unavailable then (unsure abouts it's availability in the uk now too) and it could never really take the wieght of my midrange setup with sb600 flash, never mind a long zoom lense. The idea is great and when used with a basic setup it worked wonders.

The joby site says the zoom can take up to 3kg, should be enough for me, though i'll get the scales out to be sure .


Colin

 

[boBQuincy]

I have the GorillaPod SLR-Zoom model (with a Velbon ballhead). It is a nice setup but is about at it's limit with my 30D and 70-200, even with the tripod collar on the lens to balance it out. For a lighter lens it is real nice.

If you need something that can handle a little more weight I also use a Velbon Maxi 347 and recommend them for a lightweight tripod.

 

[tinksdad]

You need a tripod that will hold your heaviest lens, camera and flash (if used) steady without vibration or movement. Now that is the obvious part. The less obvious part is that a good tripod isn't particularly cheap or lightweight. The better carbon fiber tripods are the lightest out there and will hold quite a bit.

I have the Bogan/Manfrotto 3021Pro that has been pretty good, but weighs about 5.3# and the Giottos MH-1000 ballhead that tops out at 1.4#. So both of them weigh almost 7#. Not terrible, but not worthy of lugging around all day.....

I'm thinking about getting on the carbon fiber Gitzo next time with Markins ballhead, a total of 4.2#. But I have to save up first!!

 

[DebºoºS]

I have a Slik Master Classic. It's not lightweight (5lbs) but it's very stable with my D200 & tele lenses. I also have a smaller/lighter Slik. Can't remember which model. It's good with a lighter outfit.

 

[Groucho]

How compact is compact? A couple companies do make "serious" table-top tripods. Something like this one. Photo from Adorama:

$30. I would assume that it's available for a comparable price across the pond. It can support 3 lbs, which is a lot less than a "big" tripod but a lot more than the normal cheap pocket tripods.

For a somewhat larger tripod, I love my Slik Pro 713 CF II with Bogen/Manfrotto 484RC2 ball head. It can support ~10+ lbs comfortable and is lightweight - 3 lbs without the head, and is reasonably small (smaller than my Bogen monopod.)