(Sorry if this is in the wrong forum, I didn't quite know where to ask it!)

What to look for in an inexpensive tripod? I have a Digital Rebel XT and we're planning on having a baby soon -- so I want the ability to take some shots of the newborn w/ parents in the hospital without having a nurse try to work with my camera! Any recommendations? Or is a tripod a tripod?

Thanks :p

You probably would have got a faster response to this question on the Help Files forum. A tripod isn't camera-specific - it doesn't matter much what camera you have. To some extent, as you suggested, "a tripod is a tripod." Basically it's a camera support. But you can pay anywhere from $25 to hundreds. So knowing how much you plan to spend is important. The basic Mafrotto/Bogen tripods are most popular on this site. I think most people end up spending somewhere between $50 and $100 for an aluminim tripod with a pan/tilt head. Here's a link to the tripod reviews in our review section:

Read and write camera tripod reviews >> (http://www.photographyreview.com/sf-6/mapid-46/befid-96463/pgnum-1/nm-10/productlistcrx.aspx)

Going through those reviews should give you an idea of what's available, what the prices are like, and what features are important.

Hope that helps!

Your response does help -- thank you very much! I'll check out the reviews.