What Tripod??

[Mick00]

I am looking at getting a tripod for my canon 40d just wondering if anyone had any suggestions on what one to get? thanks

 

[EnchantedPrincess]

bump...I would like to know as well.

 

[MarkBarbieri]

That's almost like asking "what camera should I get".

Tripods range from $20 to over $2,000. You can get them as a single unit or separated into legs and a head. You can get steel, aluminum, or carbon fiber. You can get ones designed to hold very light point & shoot cameras when there is no breeze or tripods designed to hold 50 pounds of camera gear in rough conditions.

What kind of camera and lenses do you want to use it for? Will you be carrying it long distances? How much are you willing to spend? Is this for occasional use or do you intend to use it a lot? Are you OK with setting up on reasonably level ground or do you want something that you can set up on a pile of rocks?

 

[DueyDooDah]

You'll also need to know how tall you are, max height of the tripod you intend to get, how tall is the head and the distance from the bottom of your camera to the eye-piece. You should be able to stand up straight while viewing through the eye-piece. If you have to stoop, you'll be tired and sore after a good day of shooting.

 

[Master Mason]

I can't tell you what to get, but I'll tell you what I did get.

I got a Slik 714 CF and a monfrotto 488 mini ball head.

 

[Mick00]

Ok well I would be willing to spend about 300$ for one, would that be enough to get a fairly decent one? I am mainly buying it to shoot fireworks so it wont be used on an everyday basis and I wouldnt be carrying it around all day with me most likely. Thanks

 

[Groucho]

$300 is plenty to get a very nice one.

I have the Slik 713 CF II and am very happy with it - it's quite sturdy, fairly light (carbon fiber), has most of the usual advanced tripod features (legs can go at different angles, reversible center column, spikes or rubber feet, etc), and is reasonably priced for what you get - usually slightly over $200. Add a ball head ($50-100 depending on how big of a one you want) and you're all set.

 

[handicap18]

Ok well I would be willing to spend about 300$ for one, would that be enough to get a fairly decent one? I am mainly buying it to shoot fireworks so it wont be used on an everyday basis and I wouldnt be carrying it around all day with me most likely. Thanks

With that budget I would get the Manfrotto 055XPROB tripod and the Manfrotto 486RC2 compact ball head or 488RC2 Midi ball head.

These are a little bigger than what I went with which was the Manfrotto 055XP and the Manfrotto 484RC2 Mini ball head. I like the extended hight of the 055XPROB, but my budget was very tight and I went over it a little. They are very sturdy and can hold more weight than you would ever consider having in camera gear.


Also don't forget a tripod bag. I've found one has come in very handy for storage and traveling.

 

[boBQuincy]

Then there are the camera clamps themselves, most of which are lacking. The generic rubber padded platform is a pretty bad interface between the head and the camera.
A dedicated clamp from Really Right Stuff or similar will work wonders for steady images (not to mention a secure mount for the camera).