Help me spend my bonus

ElDude · 25 Jul 2011 at 21:29

(lazy C&P from TP forum

)

Friday is yay and woo time as I get my tiny bonus and back pay. I think the time is right to invest in a decent tripod and stick my Sherpa in the cupboard.

I'm not going to go mad as I spent £400+ last month on a monitor and router!

What I'm after is a tripod for use with a wide subject of things, so after reading around I'm currently leaning towards the Redsnapper range and ball head. People seem to be raving about these tripods and they seem good value, but are they really that good?

Normally I just do candid stuff, or macro, so I don't use the tripod much but I'm starting to get an itch to take more low light shots with/or long exposure. Previously I've tried using this Sherpa I have for landscape but as soon as there's a little bit of wind the whole thing vibrates, so I'm looking for something that could handle a bit of wind (baring in mind I'm in north Wales and most things of interest are up windy hills ).

Also, while I'm being cheeky and pestering you lot, during this weekend I went taking photos on/around a beach and have acquired a small portion of a beach in my Sigma 50mm. My lens pen seems to have cleaned it's last lens as it just seemed to be shifting the muck around. I think I'm going to need some form of suction to remove some sand, so what would people recommend, along with the lenspen I now need to replace?

I would buy a 580 flash too, but it's not dark enough yet to justify it

Oops, forgot to mention the budget. I'd like to limit the expenditure to £300 but £400 at most, including a head. A man has to buy beer you know!

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Just to add, on the other thread I've been pointed away from Redsnapper, and to possibly look at Gitzo.

Any other opinions?

ElDude · 25 Jul 2011 at 22:09

Oh cmon, 21 views and no one owns a decent tripod?

Derek W · 25 Jul 2011 at 22:14

ElDude said:
Oh cmon, 21 views and no one owns a decent tripod?

only got a lowly old manfrotto 190xprob with 804rc2 head. 150quid so considerably cheaper than your budget

ElDude · 25 Jul 2011 at 22:35

I'm really after something that weighs enough to sit steady when up mountains, etc. It's windy around here, don't ya know

#Chri5# · 25 Jul 2011 at 22:35

I fancy a Vanguard Alta Pro at the moment - a very funky range of adjustments via the centre column

ElDude · 25 Jul 2011 at 22:41

#Chri5# said:
I'm fancy a Vanguard Alta Pro at the moment - a very funky range of adjustments via the centre column

That does look very interesting. I'll have to have a look into some reviews for that

James J · 25 Jul 2011 at 22:48

The red snapper range are good solid tripods. I bought one myself and if you use the spikey feet and bury it abit, window doesn't really affect it. Note, I haven't put it in strong wind though to really test it out but I doubt any tripod would withstand that lol

ElDude · 26 Jul 2011 at 00:08

Looking about, so far the ones that seem to pop up a lot are the Manfrotto mentioned above, and that Vanguard is really tempting me. I love the thought of having a tripod that hangs over an edge that I could trigger remotely. Ooo saucy

Johnny|lucidcomposure · 26 Jul 2011 at 00:26

mines a manfrotto 055PROB. Had it since 2005 and its still going strong. tuff and heavy for up in the windy places or motion of the ocean

wakayoda · 26 Jul 2011 at 00:56

I'm using an ancient Jessops tripod that I found in my garage, its got blue bits though

Jimmy1983 · 26 Jul 2011 at 07:49

redsnapper

ElDude · 26 Jul 2011 at 07:54

I have to say I'm tempted by the Manfrotto 055CXPRO4 but I don't want a 4 section one. The thing that bugs me is that their range seems to be listed as light weight, which doesn't fill me with confidence.

Ah well, I'll look again when I come home from work.

Wind chimes aside, that looks quite nice. I'LL HAVE TO SHOUT OVER THE WIND CHIMES THOUGH!

ElDude · 26 Jul 2011 at 08:07

Johnny|lucidcomposure said:
mines a manfrotto 055PROB. Had it since 2005 and its still going strong. tuff and heavy for up in the windy places or motion of the ocean

What head are you using? The 488RC2 or 4 seem okay. I've got no experience with heads though, and they all look a little weak to me. Are they actually any good?

Derek W · 26 Jul 2011 at 08:34

My tripod had been up hills not overly windy but windy nonetheless. The pictures came out fine (albeitI naffed up an it shot). I know gaffer has a more robust gitzo tripod with wimberly head. although. If I remember correctly the head is more expensive than your total budget!

Wedge · 26 Jul 2011 at 09:32

Derek W said:
only got a lowly old manfrotto 190xprob with 804rc2 head. 150quid so considerably cheaper than your budget

I also have one of these, but because of a friend who delivers to Hama i also have one of these........

Awesome tripod!

Johnny|lucidcomposure · 26 Jul 2011 at 09:47

ElDude said:
What head are you using? The 488RC2 or 4 seem okay. I've got no experience with heads though, and they all look a little weak to me. Are they actually any good?

Using a revised pistol grip.

RC322

Its amazing for quick composure but I would prefer one of the 3 way geared ones.

bigredshark · 26 Jul 2011 at 10:03

I have an old Manfrotto 055xprob which is pretty good with a 804RC3 head on it, lightweight it isn't though. I have the use of a Gitzo GT3530 which is fantastic, lightweight and tough but the legs alone are significantly more than your budget.

To be honest virtually anything from the 055 upwards will stand up to mountain use if you weight it down (which they're designed to do). Spending more just means you're dragging less weight around.

ElDude · 26 Jul 2011 at 14:08

Well I'm looking for weight really. I can't see the 3kg ones being that resistant to wind.

bigredshark · 26 Jul 2011 at 14:27

ElDude said:
Well I'm looking for weight really. I can't see the 3kg ones being that resistant to wind.

None of them will be on their own, they'll need weighing down, which they're designed for. But any decent tripod (that is a Manfrotto or similar from £150 or so) will withstand most winds fine. Choosing a heavy tripod won't help much, what you want is something suitably rigid.

Andy90 · 26 Jul 2011 at 14:28

I've got a Manfrotto 055CSPRO3. Its a 3 section Carbon fibre model. Has a 804RC2 3 way head on it.

It is noticably lighter to a comparable metal one since it is carbon fibre. I've not had any issues with it and regularly support a Canon 50D and EF 100-400mm L lens on it (and that weighs quite a bit).

The advantage of the above tripod is that it has a central column that can be moved into a horizontal position, the legs of the tripod can then be splayed totally flat so that the camera is literally inches above the ground -useful if you're taking Macro shots.

Maximum load capacity is 8kg. Fully closed it is 65cm long, maximum height with centre column fully extended is 175cm and with the column fully down it is 140cm. It weighs 1.65kg.

Yes it is expensive - but a a very flexible bit of kit.

The only drawback is that some of the parts are made of magnesium alloy, which is coated - Manfrotto recommend you give it a good clean in fresh watre if you've been to the beach - saying that the magnesium alloy parts are at the top of the tripod not at the bottom of the legs.

Bigredshark has it right, you want a good rigid tripod, one that doesn't bounce if you tap it. Bear in mind if you're going to be heading up mountains you want a good compromise between stability and weight - its surprising how they seem to put on weight when you've been carrying them all day.

Far better to get small bag in which you can stick a couple of rocks and then suspend it under the tripod with some nylon string than carry the additional weight all day.