tripod for wild life and nature with gimbal

[amolkhedgikar]

Hi I am new here. I tried to go thru the earlier questions but none seems to

have covered my querry. Pl let me know if anyone has.

I have been shooting bird/wild life handheld with canon 400D. I want to

upgrade to the sigma 50-500. since I dont own a tripod yet this seems the

perfect time to buy one. I shoot mainly wildlife in all forms(esp gators). I

need a sturdy but not too heavy tripod that I can use with the bogen 3421

gimbal head-that is the only one I can afford right now and have read some

good reviews here about it. My budget is not too gr8 either I can stretch it

to $100 at the most for tripod heads.

Can any one suggest a tripod that will work well with the above kit? I know

its asking too much but I seek advise from all of you. I have to walk long

distances with my stuff in a back pack.

Thanks

[joseph_smith3]

I am not familiar with your head, but your price limitation for a tripod pretty much limits you to a very narrow range. I suggest you look for a used Bogen/manfrotto 3221 or equivalent model. Joe Smith

[jam_pasion]

Hi, Amol! I agree with Joseph that your best option for a tripod at your budget would be the Bogen/Manfrotto 3221 or 3021BPro used. Check KEH.com for these. But if you have to walk with these tripods strapped to your back pack it will not be very comfortable. Now, if you could stretch your budget by about 75% to $175 you could get a carbon fiber tripod from Feisol which will be much lighter and probably just as sturdy - more than enough for a Bigma(50-500) and the gimbal. Check it out at Feisol.com. And by the way there is no shame with using the Bogen gimbal. I hear that it is just as good as those priced well over $400. Check out this wildlife photographer's gallery www.pbase.com/liquidstone.

[amolkhedgikar]

Joe, I am aware of the constraints but sadly cant help them right now. Thank you for the input.

 

Jam, Feisols look decent. I have never owned a tripod before so I would need some help with the model nos. I have seen that gallery and I decided on the bogen 3421 after seeing thae same. I just hope I get similar results(of course after putting in similar efforts:). Please dont mind if I come back with more questions.

Thank you

Amol

[eye-of-searle]

Slik 700DX legs. This is a very sturdy set of legs that can take a lot of abuse. I've had mine for about 5 years now and have beat the hell out of them. They look like crap now but work perfectly. You would be hard pressed to find a better more stable set of legs for the price. These legs are very sturdy and will have no problem with your camera and 50-500mm Sigma which is a pretty big and heavy lens.

 

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=2636&A=details&Q=&sku=168060&is=REG&addedTroughType=categoryNavigation

 

Jim

[yellowwoodguiding]

The Bogen 3221 is a good model, but I found the center column has some play in it regardless of how tight you crank the knob. My advise be to get a cheapo tripod for the next few months than go straight to a high quality tripod like a Gitzo or equal brand that you know your going to buy later on anyway.

[lauren_macintosh]

You might look at the gitzo G1276M head I just got this head so I can try to do birds and wild life since I can not afford a wimberly set up:

[jam_pasion]

Hi Amol. I looked up some part #s for you and I think the model that will best suit your need is the 3 section feisol ct-3301n($170). Fully extended without the center column or head it is about 5 feet. I don't know how tall you are but for a person of average height (5'9") it should be more than adequate. Take note that most people will recommend three section tripods because they are inherently more stable than the four section ones. Unless of course portability is a high priority.

[amolkhedgikar]

Jam Thanks a lot for taking all the pains and getting back.Could you also tell me where are you checking the price from? I think I can stretch the budget if the feisols are good and I think they look good.

[jam_pasion]

Amol, just go to the Feisol website and go to the "direct purchase" link. Or you could purchase it in the U.S. from a distributor. I think they are called 'Threshold Concepts.' They do charge a premium though. Personally, I would buy directly from feisol. I purchased a ballhead from them last year the, CB-70h, and I received it in five days.

[amolkhedgikar]

Thanka Jam; I will try that.

[gelareh_khoshgozaran_haghi]

Hey, I think I'm late but what I suggest for a 50-500 mm lens is not only a good tripod but also a tripod collar. If you only use a tripod with such a heavy lens it will loosen the connections and may even cuz blur!

[bryan_andersen]

My Bogen/Manfrotto 3021BPRO doesn't have column play when locked down, but I'm not happy with damping in the legs. The legs are too thin, you really need fat legs for high mm telephoto work. You will need to use the trick of draping your hand over the lens to add a bit of weight and damping with it for good shots.

[amolkhedgikar]

Thanks Bryan I know what you mean have seen people complain abt the thin legs.

[walang_pangalan]

http://www.bythom.com/support.htm

 

Jared Gricoskie, above, had the best advice. You are not going to get a good tripod for $100, so why even try? Get some used piece of crap for now -- a beat-up 3021, for example -- and aggressively save for a better one. You might even find a local willing to give you theirs.

 

As for the "thin legs", just don't extend them (general rule for any tripod). To those who complain about stooping or "I can't do knee crunches!", buy a $10 stool. Or just accept it as a small price to pay before you get the good stuff: find solace in your growing bank account balance while perusing tripod catalogs.