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Hate to gape but... need help with tripods

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caderobinson
Posts: 1193 - Karma: 4,770
I understand how gaper this sounds so dont judge.


I honestly dont understand why tripods cost so much/why I should pay so much for a tripod. I understand durability but what other benefits do non-cheap tripods serve. money is wicked tight right now so i'm all ways looking to save

also if you guys could reccomend me tripods itd be great. I would mostly film with the tripod but I do take pics from time to time.
+K for solid answers.
Jan 9 2014 8:04PM
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BolderPro
Posts: 767 - Karma: 426
There are really two major parts to a tripod, The legs and the head.

If money is tight then I would worry less about the legs because the big differences you are gonna see in legs are how much weight they can hold, how heavy they are, and how easy they are to fold up.

The head, however is a rather important part. A nice fluid head will give you MUCH smoother shots then a cheap fluid head and will make a substantial difference in the value of your shots. I assume you are shooting video? and if so definitely aim to get a fluid head. (which will allow for smooth pan/tilts) Whereas if you are doing more photo I would recommend a ball head which will not pan/tilt very smoothly but will just lock into different angles.


Jan 9 2014 8:32PM
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BolderPro
Posts: 767 - Karma: 426
Sorry for double post but just saw you asked for recommendations

I dont know what your budget is but a SOLID starter setup would be a manfratto 701 head and some 055xprob legs. This setup is VERY nice and will last a long time!
Jan 9 2014 8:34PM
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No.Quarter
Posts: 5257 - Karma: 16,965
shitty tripods suck, they need to be babied when you expand them or the plastic will shatter and your hopes of shooting low ISO film on a dark, cold morning will shatter as well.

But for video, a nice fluid head is loads more important than the latest, greatest carbon-kevlar-unicorn-blood-infused legs
Jan 9 2014 9:08PM
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caderobinson
Posts: 1193 - Karma: 4,770
Thanks guys +k to both of ya
Jan 9 2014 9:20PM
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caderobinson
Posts: 1193 - Karma: 4,770
My budget is very small dude. Right now its around 100. So i dont know if there is even near a good tripod for that much.
Jan 9 2014 9:23PM
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pcurran871
Posts: 263 - Karma: 152
Try your local classifieds and craigslist for people maybe selling off old camera gear. Definitely as the others have said get a fluid head if you are filming as it makes a huge difference to the quality of your shots.
Jan 10 2014 12:36AM
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caderobinson
Posts: 1193 - Karma: 4,770
will do
Jan 10 2014 8:27PM
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Jiberfish
Posts: 1041 - Karma: 310
this would be probably one of the best choices at that budget: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/745960-REG/Vanguard_ALTA_PRO_263AB_100_Alta_Pro_263AB_100.html
Jan 11 2014 12:41AM
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snowbummer
Posts: 20 - Karma: 87
I just got this tripod. Was on a budget but this thing is solid. Bit large and heavy put for the price I'm not complaining. Exceeded any of the expectations i had in this price range.
Jan 11 2014 2:24AM
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MLJ
Posts: 1849 - Karma: 3,649
I got a manfrotto setup for around 150 and its solid, definitely could have gone cheaper. try checking around craigslist and ebay, but id recommend to go as expensive as you can, becuase it makes a real difference and you will regret it in a year or whatever when your gear will really start limiting you if you progress to more difficult/ higher quality filming.

Good luck!!
Jan 11 2014 7:40AM
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lIllI
Posts: 1255 - Karma: 1,986
Try doing a diagonal movement on a Manfrotto 503 using a 200mm lens in -20˚F weather and you'll see why people spend as much on their tripods as they do on their first car.
Jan 11 2014 12:40PM
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lIllI
Posts: 1255 - Karma: 1,986
Forgot to add - the real reason why people spend $2,000+ on tripods is because it's cheaper than buying $500 tripods. It's a simple investment:

$2,000 tripod: buy once, cry once. It will last you decades.

$500 tripod: buy it once, replace it 8 months later no matter how much you baby it. After almost 3 years, you're approaching the $2,000 mark just from replacing your shitty tripod, and in the end you're stuck with the same shitty tripod that's going to break down again. At this point the $2,000 tripod is still going strong.
Jan 11 2014 12:43PM
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Laurent.
Posts: 10056 - Karma: 25,313
A Gitzo will last you a lifetime and you can use one to catch crooks.

Srsly.


Jan 11 2014 1:56PM
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caderobinson
Posts: 1193 - Karma: 4,770
Im a 13 year old kid. I have never even seen $2000
Jan 11 2014 2:57PM
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lIllI
Posts: 1255 - Karma: 1,986
Yes you have, just not at once. Which is exactly my point.

I bought my first Manfrotto setup when I was 15. I babied that thing and ended up replacing it four times over the course of 5 years because it was such a cheap piece of crap. After my fifth time forking over another ~$400, I realized that if I saved my paychecks long enough to drop $2,000 on a tripod, it would be cheaper than using disposable tripods. Plus there's the added perk of the nice tripod actually working well, instead of having to try a pan nine times because friction heads suck.
Jan 11 2014 6:31PM
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lIllI
Posts: 1255 - Karma: 1,986
Forgot to add: You don't have to spend $2,000 on a tripod to get something decent. The Sachtler Ace works well from my brief time using it (despite its shitty legs), and is fairly cheap at $600 (I think?).

If you're going to spend $200 on something to tide you over, your best bet is to find some vintage Bogen legs on ebay or craigslist (the ones with the silver legs; if they're black they're new and therefore garbage) and compliment that with a used Manfrotto 701 head (which is just as "nice" as the 501 and 503 heads, only smaller). Don't bother buying anything more expensive unless you buy a Sachtler or Miller. Manfrotto is disposable low-end stuff at best.
Jan 11 2014 6:35PM
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eheath
Posts: 61639 - Karma: 123,423
This so much. I know it's difficult to invest $1000+ on a tripod but I bought a $300 manfrotto setup when I was 19 and it lasted 2 years without breaking something. I spent 1500 on tripod and it's been super solid for 2 years now.
Jan 11 2014 7:27PM
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BolderPro
Posts: 767 - Karma: 426
I get your point and agree strongly but not everyone is that serious about filming. A lot of kids and people that are on here are just filming so that they can watch themselves and they're friends ski and have fun. If I went to the mountain and saw all the kids that are currently rocking manfratto tripods or less owning 2000$ tripods instead I would be a little worried.
Jan 11 2014 11:08PM
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CrotchKiller
Posts: 9037 - Karma: 6,943
People telling this kid to spend over a grand or even 2 fucking grand on his first tripod are fucking high. Sure it makes sense to spend more now but OP is probably in his teens and spending 2 grand on a tripod was laughable when I was his age. I spent 400 on one of those "piece of garbage" manfrotto almost 4 years ago and it still works fine. Try at least giving OP some reasonable advice
Jan 12 2014 8:33AM
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lIllI
Posts: 1255 - Karma: 1,986
I don't think anyone is telling him to do that...
Jan 12 2014 1:16PM
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raymondcabral
Posts: 747 - Karma: 1,094
Are you retarded?
Jan 12 2014 4:15PM
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eheath
Posts: 61639 - Karma: 123,423
I think op should buy what he can afford but I was just making a point. Cheap tripods break. I myself had a cheap tripod for years and I would never go back. If you know you'll need a tripod for 10 years, it's worth investing. Obviously if you cam afford it and you need a tripod then buy what you can.
Jan 12 2014 4:20PM
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lIllI
Posts: 1255 - Karma: 1,986
OP asked why certain tripods fetch high prices, and I explained it to him. I then gave him a very sensible frugal alternative.

I know English is hard for some people, but feel free to quote where I told him to spend $2,000 on a tripod...
Jan 12 2014 5:53PM
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eastcoastfilmer
Posts: 66 - Karma: 342
Tripods are durability and how much weight they can hold. Build quality and quality of materials used.
also the height that they can go. I got an old on from a friend that his dad pulled out of a foreclosed house he bought and i gave his $60 for it. Great build quality and can go 7 or 8 feet up. They are selling now for $450 and these are older ones (made in Italy can also hold 35 pounds of weight)

Start low and work up. or find one you like and keep an eye on ebay and craigslsit
Jan 15 2014 8:54AM
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