i need a tripod but don't know which

well i own a nikon d80 but i get mad when i take pictures of landscapes.

i know that getting a good tripod should help increase my potential in most

ways. but i don't which one to buy. I hear manfrotto, bogen, sunpak, quataray,

etc but i have no idea which one to get. I know cheap is not always good but too

expensive for me is not good either. i need some thing that will do very good

all the time that is light and reasonable (within $200 USD) what can you

recommend me?

 

thanks in advanced

 

Jr

Bogen 3021Bpro, not the lightest but a lot of utility. The Slik Pro 700dx is also very sturdy and less expensive. both trade off some of the potential "lightness" for better stability, capacity and height. I'd suggest the 804rc2 head. You'll pay more for a competent ballhead but they aren't as well suited to landscape use as are the pan/tilts. this set up will keep you in good stead until you either get sgnificantly heavier gear than most beginners have or significantly more experience and enough knowledge to make informed selections. You might be able to consider slightly shorter models in the Bogen line which would reduce weight some - that could depend on how tall you are as to whther it requires to much bending over or not.

Are you hiking long distances? What sort of focal length is common for you? Are you averse to buying used? Do you have a sense of commitment to photography? I ask that last point as you could own and happily use a high grade support for 20-30 years and be very happy about the purchase every time you use it. There's a certain economy in that, too. I progressed through affordable units (over a 35 year span, Star-D, Smith-Victor, Tiltall, Bogen/Manfrotto, then Gitzo) and should have skipped some steps in there! I would think that your Nikon would be quite easy to control with wide to medium focal lengths and that something as light as a Bogen 3011 (or similar model) and decent head could make a nice hiking rig for you. I bought one to use with medium format rangefinders and it is very sufficient for that.

 

Maybe I'm showing my age, but I find that I tend to skip taking heavy gear on more tortuous excursions and end up too often in great photo opp's with no camera or a small hand held rig as a concession to the overall weight issues. Zero in on a few likely candidates and watch the auction site. It's quite amazing how little money that certain pods can sell for sometimes. If you're not sold on something you buy that way, you can always sell it again and get your money back out of it and switch to something else.

With USD200, you might check out the Manfrotto 190 series (Bogen 3001).

well i been looking at monopods but then it will e used in everythign i can shoot at. i am traveling to the palomar mountains this august and i know that the palomar observatory is about a mile away from where i am staying so i might do some long walk an then i might hit san diego. But i am an ammatuer that likes photography and my commitment is growing. I need to practice but i shoot mostly before dawn and during the night.I looked at the manfrotto 190xpro but don't know if it will help.

I second Allan Chan's recommendation. Will hold 11 lb. - no problem for a MF SLR so should work just fine for d80. I put a Manfrotto "medium" ball head (484, I think) on mine. Also look at what Calumet offers under their brand name. They have a package deal (legs and head combos) that are quite competetively priced. I think they are Bogen products being OEM'd.

Buying a tripod for the first time is a good reason to visit a camera store rather than buying by mail. It gives you a chance to try out the ease of setting up and collapsing the legset, checking the height, weight and how low it can go. Will it easily fit in your luggage? How rigid is it? Is a ball head supplied? If not, try out what is available and see if its added weight and height is appropriate to your application. I've had many tripods ranging all the way up from "flimsies" to extremely rigid (heavy). To my way of thinking there is no "best", but many very good. A good starter might be an aluminum one of the Manfrotto line distributed by Bogen. Certainly good value for money. Eventually you may wish to get a graphite legset for its lightness without sacrificing rigidity. (Expensive!) As to whether a pan/tilt is better than a ball head, there are many different opinions there. (I had a couple pan/tilt heads but then after owning several ball heads found one that suited me just fine.)

I agree with Alexvisit a store and play with different tripods using your camera with your largest lens. <p>You'll also have the opportunity to try different heads. For landscapes, I prefer a pan/tilt head. Others prefer a ball head. It's a very subjective thing.

well i went to ritz and all they offer is sunpak and quataray which is sunpak at the end. But none of them is what i am looking for. does any body else knows where i can go to? store wise

Where do you live?

sorry fellas for not writing back but the heat here in arizona beats me up. But i live in phoenix...any good store i can visit that is not ritz?