tripod to buy

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  • 01-13-2006, 06:58 AM
    chopperward
    tripod to buy
    hello

    i am looking to buy a tripod.

    i found one that i think is okay for what i want. not too heavy, rotational (vertical and horizontal)

    Just have a query about the height of tripod. what should i be looking for if i am shooting cityscapes , landscapes et al.
    i know that you should have one that can go up to same height as the user. i am 5ft 10 and cant find one !

    the make is manfratto

    the spec is below:

    Closed length: 61.00cm

    Max. height without centre column: 135.00cm

    Max. height: 178.00cm

    Min. height: 8.00cm

    Max. load capacity: 6.00kg

    Weight: 2.30kg
  • 01-13-2006, 02:45 PM
    ken1953
    Re: tripod to buy
    I have read a few reviews lately on different tripods. I've been looking for one about 6' tall (72"), because I am almost 6'4". I don't think you would want one of the ones I'm looking at, but both Manfrotto and Slik had tripods that were 75" when retracted. So I'm pretty sure they would make several at your height. I'm afraid I don't know the conversion of inches to metric, so I'm not sure of the one you are looking at. But a little research and hopefully some other ideas from here and you should find something very comfortable for you.
    Ken
  • 01-14-2006, 06:51 AM
    mjs1973
    Re: tripod to buy
    Don't forget about the head you put on it, and the height of the camera. They will both add a few inches to the overall height of the tripod. The specs for my tripod also say that is 135cm (4'4"), without the center column extended. (Bogen 3021BPro). The ballhead I have on my tripod is another 4.25" tall (Bogen 488RC2). My camera, Canon DRebel w/ battery grip, is another 4.75" tall, from the bottom to the view finder. That gives me a grand total of 5'1". I'm 6'1" tall and I have to bend my knees just a smidge to look thru the viewfinder. Standing up straight, right next to my camera while mounted to the tripod, the view finder is at my chin. An extra inch or two would be nice for me, but the higher you go, the less stable things become.

    Depending on what head you put on the tripod, and what camera you use, I would think that the tripod you're looking at would be just fine. Remember, you are 5'10" tall, but your eyes aren't at the top of your head. Hope this helps.
  • 01-16-2006, 05:49 AM
    chopperward
    Re: tripod to buy
    thanks for feedback. i dont mind crouching a little.

    one of my main concerns was the weight of it aswell. i want to do quite a bit of work in london so dont want to be carrying around heavy equipment!
  • 01-16-2006, 06:00 AM
    mjs1973
    Re: tripod to buy
    The tripod I have weighs about 5 or 6 pounds I think. Not something I like to go hiking with, but I do take it with me, because my cheap light weight tripod from Wal-mart isn't worth using most of the time. You could get a very sturdy, light weight carbon fiber tripod that would be much easier to carry around all day, but the price goes up with them.