Tripod?

Hello everyone. I am in the market for a tripod and I'm not sure what is good, and what isn't. Does it really matter? Is it a case of you pay for what you get kinda thing, or are they all just tripods? Does it really matter? Can anyone give any suggestions please. Oh, and I own a D70, if that helps,lol. Thank you in advance,
jules. :)

There's a huge difference between a good tripod and a bad one - maybe even moreso than between a cheap lens and a high end one (for one thing, if the camera's not steady, what good is a better lens going to do?!).

The right tripod for you depends on a few things. Budget? How far will you carry it (backpacking, or a 50' walk from the car)? How tall are you (really, if you're 6'-1" like me it can be tiring to stoop over one not quite high enough). The equipment going on it is also a consideration - not always so much the camera as the lenses if they're long and heavy.

A good starting point that I always recommend (and used to own but it's kinda short for me) is a Bogen 3001 and 3025 head which is sold separately. It's a good compromise of all of the above points, and under $150 USD complete (probably much less than that).

AV summed it up pretty good, height and weight are very important. I just got myself a new Bogen 3021BPro with a 488 head, and I love it. I too am about 6'1" and I can comfortably shoot without raising the center column. I do have the battery grip on my DRebel, so that dives me an extra inch or so. Something else you might want to consider on the other side of the spectrum, is how low will the tripod go? This could be very important if you do a lot of macro work. Another thing to consider is leg movement. Do the legs more independently or do they all move together? My old cheapy had all the legs moving together, and with the Bogen's independent legs, it is much more versitile. What you plan to do with it, will determine your needs, but I just wanted to mention some other things to consider. My suggestion, and I'm sure others would agree, get the best that you can afford now, so you don't end up having to replace it down the road.

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Originally Posted by mjs1973

My suggestion, and I'm sure others would agree, get the best that you can afford now, so you don't end up having to replace it down the road.

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I agree. My first tripod was a waste of money. It was pretty good sized and looked sturdy, but I could almost hold the camera more still than that tripod could. One thing about a good tripod, it can last you a lifetime. No software upgrades, better AF system, etc to worry about like with a lot of other photo gear.

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Originally Posted by mjs1973

AV summed it up pretty good, height and weight are very important. I just got myself a new Bogen 3021BPro with a 488 head, and I love it. I too am about 6'1" and I can comfortably shoot without raising the center column. I do have the battery grip on my DRebel, so that dives me an extra inch or so. Something else you might want to consider on the other side of the spectrum, is how low will the tripod go? This could be very important if you do a lot of macro work. Another thing to consider is leg movement. Do the legs more independently or do they all move together? My old cheapy had all the legs moving together, and with the Bogen's independent legs, it is much more versitile. What you plan to do with it, will determine your needs, but I just wanted to mention some other things to consider. My suggestion, and I'm sure others would agree, get the best that you can afford now, so you don't end up having to replace it down the road.

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What mjs1973 has is an example of a good combination.
Another thing you must take into account is the head. If you use long heavy lenses, a ball head with tension control is a MUST. Accidents do happen and if you accidentally release and slip, then that lens is crashing down and hitting something. Oh and remember, the load rating is only good for weight that is acting vertically along the column. A long lens will cause a shift in your centre of mass and cause a decrease in the effective load rating. So even if your kit weights in at about 1.5kg, a 2kg max head or legs might not give you the support you need. Go overboard a little bit as an insurance. The worst that could happen is a camera to the ground after a small gust of wind