Best bang for buck tripod?

[dan_south]

<p>There's no bang for the buck if the pictures come out looking soft. Better to put off buying that new lens or camera body for a while and invest in a good tripod, head, and L-bracket or QR plate early in the game. You may never have the opportunity to go back and capture the shots that you lost to vibration.</p>

<p>Your tripod doesn't have to be massive or particularly heavy, but it needs to be STIFF, rugged, and versatile.</p>