Is six pounds considered heavy or light for a tripod?

[ltilley]

I'm about to press "submit order" on a 3001 Bogen tripod with a 3029 head. The specifications say it weighs 6 pounds. Is that considered heavy or light?

THANKS SO MUCH in advance!!!!

[livin4lax09]

heavy... mine probably doesn't weigh all of two pounds.

[mjs1973]

It's heavy, but that isn't always a bad thing. I have a Bogen 3021B Pro w/ 488 RC2 ball head. According to the specs on the B&H site, it weighs 6.6 pounds. With that weight, you also get stability. If you do a lot of hiking and plan on taking your tripod with you, you might consider something lighter. I still carry mine with me tho and it's not too bad. It all depends on what you plan on doing with it. If long hikes are your thing, you might consider a carbon fibor tripod if it's in the budget. Otherwise I don't think the weight is all that bad.

[ltilley]

Thanks Mike and Brent. Well, my budget is about $200... and I won't be doing much hiking. Mainly outdoor portraits and some landscape photos. So, maybe for what I need, 6 pounds isn't so bad? I'm thinking I might pull the trigger. Oh, I'm so indecisive!!!!

[ltilley]

OKAY..... now I'm VERY indecisive. UGH. If I have $200 to spend, should I splurge and spend $250 and get one on the carbon fibers from Slik. Are they as sturdy as the Bogen heavier tripod???

[mjs1973]

OKAY..... now I'm VERY indecisive. UGH. If I have $200 to spend, should I splurge and spend $250 and get one on the carbon fibers from Slik. Are they as sturdy as the Bogen heavier tripod???

I know that feeling all to well!!! I have never used a carbon fiber tripod, but I'm sure I will someday (when 6 pounds starts to feel like 20!) The carbon fiber tripods are supposed to be just as rigid as the heavier aluminum ones from what I have heard and read. If you can swing the extra money, it might not be a bad idea. Think of it as an investment and think about what you would like to do with it, both now, and in the future. You can't go wrong with a good tripod. The heavier tripod isn't going to do you any good if you leave it at home because it's too heavy to lug around with you. Then again, for what you're descriping, maybe the extra $50 wouldn't be worth it.

Be sure to check out the Reviews section on this site to see what other users have to say about these tripods, if you haven't already done so.

[Photo-John]

OKAY..... now I'm VERY indecisive. UGH. If I have $200 to spend, should I splurge and spend $250 and get one on the carbon fibers from Slik. Are they as sturdy as the Bogen heavier tripod???

Just buy the aluminum one. Unless you're going to be hiking miles, it won't matter. And it's going to save you a lot of money. I'd buy a Bogen aluminum over a Slik carbon tripod, even if the price is about the same. I think the Bogen will be built better and operate better. If you want to spend more money, spend it on the tripod head. That's a better place to put your money. It will have a more direct affect on the quality of your photography experience. Carbon fiber is nice, but it's not that important unless you're hiking or traveling. Plus, I think that 3001 Bogen is one of the most popular tripods ever.

[another view]

The 3001 is a great choice. I'll bet the 6lbs is the shipping weight - I can't imagine the whole thing weighing that much. I'd also stick with the that one - but I do love my Gitzo c/f tripod. It's about the same size, possibly a little lighter but sturdier and doesn't get cold in the winter (ever pick up an aluminum tripod in the winter without gloves on? ). OTOH, it's quite expensive but I got a great deal on a used one. Never seen a Slik c/f tripod in person, but used to have one of their aluminum ones and probably wouldn't consider one of theirs again...

[ltilley]

WOW... thanks y'all! John and another_view - thanks for the advice. I just ordered the 3001 and I'm very happy with the decision (especially with the two of you backing it up).

I went ahead and got the newer head - the 804RC2 head instead of the 3029.

I want a study and stable tripod. Maybe I'll lose 6 pounds to equal out.

THANKS again all who chimed in!

Lisa

[photophorous]

WOW... thanks y'all! John and another_view - thanks for the advice. I just ordered the 3001 and I'm very happy with the decision (especially with the two of you backing it up).

I went ahead and got the newer head - the 804RC2 head instead of the 3029.

I want a study and stable tripod. Maybe I'll lose 6 pounds to equal out.

THANKS again all who chimed in!

Lisa

Hi Lisa,

I have the 3001 with the 3030 head. You'll like it. It's very sturdy and well built. I feel much better with it holding my camera than the wimpy thing I had before. Enjoy!

Paul

[Spec A!]

A thing about Carbon Fiber Tripods that always gets me- (if you have one and love it, great!) I could never justify spending that amount of money for something that's lighter than your typical Bogen. As much as having a heavier to lug tripod around can suck, at least you'll know it's S O L I D and won't be as prone to movements/wind/whatever that can cause blur or worse- fall and damage your equipment.

[another view]

Carbon fiber is stiffer than aluminum - at least comparing the 3001 and the Gitzo 1228 which are similar in size. From my experience with these two, the c/f is less likely to be affected by wind. Like I said, they're very expensive and I probably wouldn't spend that much on a new one but now that I know how much I like them... They also have a newer, less expensive series made of Basalt but I don't know much about it. One thing, a tripod won't be obselete next year unlike a lot of other photo gear...

My story is that I bought a bunch of equipment from a guy, sold it piece by piece and more than made back my money - but still had the tripod. Did that a couple of times and did pretty well, but situations like that where you can make a profit don't come along too often.

[darkman]

[QUOTE=Photo-John]Just buy the aluminum one. Unless you're going to be hiking miles, it won't matter. And it's going to save you a lot of money.
[QUOTE]

Agree with John. I have a light weight Velbon CF and a bogen 3021 Al. The CF goes with me when I need light and compact ( I bought a 4 section version for this reason). If it's windy I need to tie it down as it does get top heavy.

The 3021 is used any other time. It's heavier and has a wider leg stance, together these equate to stabler. Of course, there are heavy CF models too. The gitzo 1228 weights the same as the bogen 3001, but cost $500 more. It may have a wider leg stance that helps out with some stability.

[SeanL]

If you're shooting in a studio, its fine, if your hiking with it and shooting waterfalls, its heavy.

[J!m]

Go with the Bogen.

I have the uncanny ability to break... a log; but, I have not broken either my tri or my Mono pods. I don't remember which model the tripod is, but the head is a 3030. The mono pod also doubles as a weapon (and has small legs in the base that fold out in a pinch)

If I can't break it, it can't be broken.

And, the weight is the price you pay. The majority of my lenses weigh more than six pounds each, so a six pound tripod is nothing...

You certainly do not want several thousand dollars balancing on a second-rate tripod...

[Photo-John]

A thing about Carbon Fiber Tripods that always gets me- (if you have one and love it, great!) I could never justify spending that amount of money for something that's lighter than your typical Bogen. As much as having a heavier to lug tripod around can suck, at least you'll know it's S O L I D and won't be as prone to movements/wind/whatever that can cause blur or worse- fall and damage your equipment.

Lighter isn't really a problem. My little carbon fiber tripod has a hook on the bottom of the center column that I can hang my camera bag (or anything else) from. That eliminates any stability issues related to weight. Carbon fiber tripods are nice - and sexy. But it's hard to justify the extra expense when people have been successfully using heavier tripods for so long. For the amount of money it costs to buy a big carbon tripod and fancy ballhead, you could buy a new lens. Which is going to contribute more to your photos? I'd go forthe less expensive tripod and a new lens. That's why my main tripod is a beater Mamiya that's probably 20 years old, rickety, and the legs stick closed. But it's heavy and when I get it set up, it does the job. And I paid $75 for it, used, over 10 years ago.

The new Gitzo Basalt tripods are nice. They are a real alternative to carbon fiber. I also like the way Gitzos work more than the way Bogens work. That's mostly a matter of taste, though.