Tripods: Better heads for a cheap tripod?

[steve_simons]

Hello,

 

I currently have a cheap-o Optex T265 tripod which was the cheapest

one at the local shop, but thanks to a crappy head I've had some good

opportunities go to waste.

 

First thing is, if I turn the head to the right, it loosens itself

and becomes very wobly. Second thing is, it's very "stuttery", even

when loosened/tightend, it's hard to compose a shot because you can

move it and it'll "bounce" back to where it was before, you usually

have to move it drastically down so you can never get the composition

you want.

 

Lasty, it's not very stable. I was shooting some potentially great

shots today with my D30 in the late afternoon, the exposure was

perfect and the composition was decent, but even with Mirror Lockup,

self timer, and the tripod, 1/8 shutter speed (f/22 ISO 100) was too

slow and my shots are blurred enough that they're unusable.

 

Can I get a new head for this tripod or should I just dish out the

extra money and get a better quality tripod?

[steve_simons]

I'm stupid... I just fixed the turning then loosening thing. But yeah, opinions, I shoot a lot of landscapes and wildlife photos, should I be looking into getting a quality tripod?

[mike_elek]

I'd go for the new tripod. Spend a bit more money and get exactly what you want. Plus, you now know what features you want (and don't want) in a tripod.

[dan flanders]

Back when you could get a M2 body for under $200 I got disgusted with all the popular tripods and broke the bank � paid over a hundred for a tubular Linhof with center column and stabilizing stays. Some friends laughed at me but it is still providing an exceptionally stable base for studio work and I even mounted a surveyor�s level on it for some yard work! Anyhow, a lightweight portable tripod is an oxymoron.

[jason neymeyer]

Remember a tripod is exactly opposite your digital camera in this way. You spend a lot of money to buy a high quality digital camera, but then in a few years it has been replaced by a better and (probably) more expensive unit.

 

A high quality tripod (probably expensive), with a good head can last you a lifetime. So if you can afford it, you can't go wrong spending a little more to get a good tripod in the first place. If the one you purchase is sturdy enough, no matter how your photographic hobby progresses you can use that same tripod even if you get into large format.

[al_kaplan1]

Bite the bullet, break the bank, buy yourself a Gitzo tripod and head.

[david choo]

I love Gitzos myself, but Bogen would be the "Best Buy" if you dont want to spend too much money. A small Bogen tripod like a 3001 and a 3030 head would work great for you i think. If you wanted something heavier that would last many many years, a 3221WN and 3030 head should suffice.

 

The tripod is probably the most important piece to landscape photography. =)

[wyverndude]

I have a no-name cheap tripod myself. It is decently large, and it has center column braces. I bought it for $4 through eBay with the column elevator broken.

<P>

I meant to fix it, but haven't ever bothered; it's easy enough to just pull the column up to where I want it.

<P>

I have a Bogen gear head on it, and use it for my large format work.

<P>

I would guess I could probably get a lighter or smaller tripod that would be just as rigid, but mine is not that heavy, and I have no rigidity issues with it, so I've never seen the need.

<P>Somone in this forum once said that when it comes to tripods, you can have inexpensive, portable, or rigid; pick two. This is the most lucid and succinct tripod purchasing advice I've heard yet, and I wish I could properly credit the originator.

<P>Choose your compromise, then buy a really good head. Some of the inexpensive tripods with cheesy plastic heads (mine was an example) are actually a nice solid set of legs -so don't judge the tripod by the (easily upgraded) head.

<P>It sounds like you're pretty sure that the legs you've got aren't up to task; if you're sure of that then start over -but you might want to try a better head first. You can always put the really nice head on the next tripod.

[Brian]

Generalizations are unsafe, but it's usually the head that's the weak spot in a cheap tripod. So you can improve matters by putting a good head on a cheap set of legs. However, you find yourself in situations where the legs are the weak spot, and so you find yourself spending again. I've been down this route myself, and as it's been said, you learn by your mistakes: and one thing we all discover is that there is no cheap, light, stable tripod. Let me put in a plug here for the Slik Able 300DX. It's not light but it does the other two pretty well.

[craig_gillette]

I'd agree somewhat that some of the less expensive tripods, the head is a bigger problem than the legs. That's been the situation with several tripods I've had or other family members have had. And I swap between a couple of heads on these pods depending on what I need from the leg sets.

 

But if it's really, a really low quality tripod, the legs won't be all that satisfactory over time, even with an adequate head.

[dan flanders]

My previous posting was somehow truncated. In my most arrogant opinion there is no way a cheep tripod can be improved by a new head. If it is shaky with the old head it will have the same problem with the new. If you need a tripod at all you need the best you can afford. In many ways it is more critical than any other accessory other than camera and lens (and in some ways more than another lens). Breaking the bank forty years ago was one of the most successful photographic moves I ever made. I still have and use the Linhof that I could not afford today if they still made it.

[wyverndude]

Harry: no one here has said that a shaky tripod can be made into a good one by replacing the head; in fact, everyone in this thread who has suggested putting a good head on a cheap tripod has specifically made a reference to the need for a good set of legs to start with.

<P>

A good set of sturdy/rigid legs need not be expensive -but it will likely be a little bulkier or a little heavier than it's more costly brethren- and it's <I>very</I> likely to come with a cheesy plastic head, and a non-prestigious name on the label.