Help with tripod purchase

[danny wdr]

I am on a slightly limited budget but would like to know what the best pod would be for a
D90 w/a sigma 150-500mm. Also are ballheads easier to use than others? Thanks.

[mjs1973]

I find ballheads to be easier than the pan/tilt style heads for the simple fact that you have one knob to use to adjust all the movements of the head. The pan/tilt style heads you have 3 separate controls you need to adjust in order to position your camera.

I have a large Sigma zoom lens (170-500mm) that is my primary wildlife lens. The tripod/head combo I use is the Bogen 3021BPro and the 488RC2 head. It's a pretty decent combo, but I find that the head can creep a little bit with a long lens. I find the RC2 quick release plate to work pretty good with this combo because of the tripod collar on the lens. This makes going from horizontal to vertical shooting very simple.

If I had it to do over again though, I really think I would go with an Arca Swiss style head and quick release plate. From what I have read and seen, they seem like a much more practical system. Of course they are more $ so depending on your budget, this may not be an option. If you do a lot of hiking, I would also suggest a carbon fiber tripod to save weight, but again, they cost more $.

[danny wdr]

thanks for the feedback!

[JamesV]

Great info what Mike gave you.

What is your price range for the tri-pod and head?

You can take a looking at B&H Photo and Adorama to look at prices and reviews.

I have a Silk 190X Pro tri-pod with a Manfrotto 486RC2 for my Canon XTi, with the 100-400 being the biggest lens. I agree with Mike about the little bit of slipping in the angle when I tighten the ballhead down.

James

[danny wdr]

Thanks, I'm really not sure how much I am willing to spend. I will take a look and hopefully be able to afford something lol. I am by no means a pro but want something decent.

[WesternGuy]

danny, I have a Manfrotto 190CXPRO3 with a Manfrotto 468MGRC0 ball head. Not the cheapest combination you can buy, but definitely not one of the priciest. I have now used both the ball head (my new Manfrotto) and a pan-tilt head (old tripod from film days) and the ball head is by far the easiest to use. The only thing you might want to think about is that a tripod (and ball head) is usually one of those pieces of equipment that you buy for life, well, maybe not quite life, but it will generally be something you will have and use for a long time - sort of like a high quality lens. I have used my 100-400 on my gripped 5D on it and have had no problems with the ball head moving although you do have to be careful moving all that equipment on the ball head (same with any camera-long lens combo). The point I guess I am trying to make is you don't have to spend a fortune on a good setup, but don't scrimp just to save a few bucks, because in the long run you get what you pay for and the cheap ones are not worth it - but then you probably already knew that. Good luck with your choice. Let us know what you decide and maybe why.

Cheers,

WesternGuy

[danny wdr]

thanks for the advice

[Frog]

Which is best for you and your budget, I can't say. I will say that I read some advice some time ago that said not to try to get by cheap. You'll end up buying a bunch of un-satisfactory products which will be money down the tube that you could have put toward a decent one.
We don't all need the very best but we all need something that will work when we need it to.

[OldClicker]

Remember that mass (weight) is your friend. (For macros, I have a realatively cheap old aluminum set of legs with a geared head that is steady as a rock, but it weighs 14 lbs.) The only substitute for weight is $ - engineering and engineered materials. If you are going to get a cheap one, get a heavy one. - TF

[danny wdr]

Friend is gonna let me borrow one of his until i can buy a really good one. I didn't realize just how much some cost and I don't like settling for cheap stuff.

[JamesV]

Friend is gonna let me borrow one of his until i can buy a really good one. I didn't realize just how much some cost and I don't like settling for cheap stuff.

Thats great to hear, nice to have friends that you're able to borrow from. Plus look at the design and what you like and dislike about it, so when you do purchase one you know what to look for.

Have fun and post some pictures when you can.

James