Choosing a tripod for D200

[bill_verkest]

Hello,

 

This is my first time here. I don't know anything about cameras of photography

but know my wife sometimes comes on this board and is a member so don't want

to say her name.

 

My wife has a D200 and I would like to get her a tripod. Please make

suggestions. Especially interested if anyone who has a D200 would recommend

something. price rage would prefer if there is something less than $250

Also where to purchase, I like shopping online if possible.

 

Any help is much appreciated.

 

Thank you

[johnmarkpainter]

Manfrotto / Bogen would be good and they have some in that price range.

 

For a Stylish option, check out the Berlebach Reporter (Wooden tripod).

[wilfred_wong]

for $250, i think you can either get a fairly sturdy but heavey tripod, or a fairly portable but not so sturdy one. What do you need?

 

$250 including the head?

[rich_taylor____mequon__wi]

First, consider how she will use it. If she's going to be carrying it into the woods (hiking), weight is a consideration. If it's mostly going to be transported by car or bike and only carried short distances, then just about any tripod in that price range won't be excessively heavy.

 

Your most cost-effective option is probably to get a complete tripod rather than separate legs and head. Again, however, this depends a lot on what she is shooting and what her level of expertise/expectation is. You don't want to get something that won't fill her needs, nor do you want to buy a Porsche to go to get milk.

 

I'd suggest giving us a little more info on what she shoots, is it a hobby, is she a pro, etc., so you can get some more specific recommendations. There are just so many choices

[ShunCheung]

Besides tripod weight, which will affect your ability to carry it while hiking, there are other factors such as how much weight you are planning to put on that tripod, i.e. whether you will put a big and heavy lens (e.g. a 300mm/f2.8) on it to use with the D200 or you will use nothing other than maybe a 18-70mm DX zoom. The photographer's height may also be an issue if you want the tripod to reach your eye level, without using any center column. If one does a lot of flower macro, you might want a tripod that works well at low level ....

 

In other words, there are indeed other factors besides using a D200 on this tripod.

[klix]

If your wife is between 5'4" and 5'10" and the longest lens she has is < 300mm and heaviest tripod under consideration (legs only) weighs 7 lbs or less, then:

 

1) If the budget of $250 is for BOTH legs and head, you'd want to look at the Bogen / Manfrotto line of products.

 

2) If the budget of $250 is for legs only, I would recommend the Feisol CT-3401 or CT-3402 -- these are carbon fiber and weigh less than 4 lbs each.

 

3) To get a great/reasonably priced set of legs and ballhead, bump up your budget to about $450 to $500. In that case, I'd get either one of the above Feisol tripods or a Bogen 3021, and a Feisol or Acratech ballhead (assuming a ballhead is what she wants/needs, and not a 3-way pan head).

 

If you can respond to the questions already posted in this thread, you'd get more definitive responses.

 

KL

[geraldo]

Option 1. A Monopod! You can go to photo stores and buy them for $90 or you can go to Big Box stores and get them for $25. I love it on the D200. I shot a drag boat race this weekend...and I'm panning boats doing over 200 mph on the dock by the water and even shot a crash where one of the boats disentergrated at 5 fps...and not one blurred pic out of 1200!

 

Option 2. If you can get your hands on it buy her the $800 18-200mm almighty Nikon lens with vibration reduction to where you'll never need a tripod again...lol

 

Option 3. If she really needs a tripod so that she can position the camera precisely where she wants it so that she can step away to slighty adjust the flower arrangement in a still shot - then follow these guys advice, they are good people and know what they are talking about.

[robert_hooper1]

I can recommend Feisol. They have a well built carbon fiber line of camera supports which are priced reasonably. My suggestion would be the model CT-3401N with center column. You can order on-line:

 

http://www.feisol.com/english/feisolen.htm

[rjacksonphoto]

Most photographers tend to be pretty picky about their equipment. I would suggest spoiling the surprise and asking your wife. I know I would prefer that over my wife asking a bunch of people online and deciding what major piece of equipment would work best for me.