Tripod Suggestions

AishaD5200AishaD5200
edited June 2014 Posted in » General Discussion
I'm planning to buy a good tripod under $100 (tripod that can support up to 4 pounds). I'll be using it with a Nikon D5200, 18-140mm Nikon zoom lens and Raynox DCR-250 macro lens. Major usage will be Macro shots and apart from that I'll use the tripod for occasional landscape photography. I came across the Benro A-150EXU Digital Tripod Kit with ballhead and quick release plate. Is that a good option for Macro? If not, please suggest some other options. I don't have much knowledge on tripods, so can anybody please help me to select an affordable tripod setup for my Macro photography needs? Thanks in advance.

Comments

  • LevonpocheLevonpoche
    edited August 2014
    Manfrotto tripods are best.
  • brutobruto
    edited March 2015
    I like Manfrotto too, though they are not as inexpensive as many recent Chinese tripods, many of which are shameless ripoffs of older Manfrotto designs.

    Of course the best Manfrottos for macro work are pretty expensive. If you get one with a good head and the "pro" style center column (which can be switched to horizontal easily), you will be happily able to put it anywhere and catch macro shots in difficult places. The horizontal column allows you to move the camera in and out, as you would with a macro rail, making good macro work much easier. If you can afford it, you will never be sorry to have more tripod than you need, and a good one will outlast a few cameras.

    Small ball heads are pretty handy, especially for following action and for portability. Be aware that since the camera is used to steer the handle-less head, it will tend to unscrew itself unless you tighten it very tight and often, unless you get a plate that prevents rotation (Manfrotto offers these). A ball head may also be hard to get into exactly the right position and stay there. A three way head makes framing and fine adjusting easier, though it's a nuisance to follow things that move, and the protruding handles make it less compact to carry. Avoid two way (video) heads, which do not allow you to adjust the horizon except by adjusting the whole tripod, and avoid tripods whose legs cannot be spread independently.

    Many advisors would suggest you max out your budget on a tripod. A cheap one will be an annoyance which you'll soon need to replace, while a good one will be with you for a long long time. On the other hand, if you need a light portable one, it's more important to have one you can actually use. The best machine in the world is no use if it's home in a closet.
  • brutobruto
    edited March 2015
    As long as I'm talking about Manfrottos, here are a couple of quick and dirty pictures of mine in action. This is a big one, but they make similar features smaller.

    This is an older (probably 15 years or so) Manfrotto 3221. It's very big and once expensive, and on it is an accessory leveling post made for video, and an older (15 or 20 years) ball head. This would be a pretty pricey rig these days but it's mostly from yard sales. You do not need such a hefty rig, I'm sure, but this illustrates how the "pro" style post operates, and what you can do with such a versatile rig. The camera shown is a Nikon F4 which is very heavy and a better match for this size pod than the digital, but you can see why this rig rocks for macro.

    Images deleted because Imageshack no longer works right. I have since updated the head anyway and bought an embarrassingly expensive ball head.

    By the way, this old style head uses a big hexagonal plate, and the one shown is an "architectural" plate that holds the camera from rotating.
  • Wassy24Wassy24
    Manfrotto tripods are good but I think Vanguard tripods suit better your purpose even though it's a bit more expensive.

    You can check this wonderful review for camera tripods here:

    http://dailycrazydeals.com/best-tripods-for-digital-cameras/
  • brutobruto
    That's a pretty good rundown, but be a little aware that some of the tripods shown in the "for sale" section are very large and heavy. The Slik 700DX, for example, which is a great bargain because it is well made and includes a smooth operating three way head, is pretty big and heavy.

    Make sure you look up the working height of any tripod, and determine if it is going to be too short or too tall. I am not terribly tall, and find, for example, that the bigger Manfrottos open up too high. It slows you down if you cannot simply extend the legs to their maximum. You can mark the legs, or even modify them, but it's something to keep in mind. If you're tall, a smaller tripod will force you either to bend over or to extend the column, compromising stability.

    I like the look of the Vanguards, and the multi-angle post. I don't know how they stack up in real life, but they're worth a look.
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