Digital SLR Tripod? ?

Question

I'm looking for a good dSLR camera tripod (Canon XSi). I'd like to purchase a travel tripod or handheld as well as a full sturdy tripod. Any recommendations on some that are not too bulky and heavy but still great performace would be great :) I am a newbie to SLR photography.

Answer 1

Don't buy cheap - buy once. Manfrotto, Slick, Gitzo are all good makes.

A 'travel tripod' i.e. one that's light weight are not worth buying unless they're carbon fibre. Stability is what you want from a tripod.

Get a decent ball head, not pan and tilt, they take too long to set up. A good ball head will lock solidly without 'droop' whatever lens you have fitted, and are a joy to use, just frame the shot, and lock the ball head, stays exactly where you put it, with a fluid head you don't even have to lock it, it just stays where you put it, but they are expensive. You just don't get that from cheap gear, your constantly having to 'adjust' which makes using them so much of a pain you don't use them at all.

Sometimes technique can mean you don't need a tripod at all. Lean against a solid object. I mean really lean, stand a good 2 or 3 feet away and put all your weight against it, this get rid of any side to side movement. Support the under the lens with you left hand and hold the camera with your right. Really tuck your elbows tight into your chest, the camera, your torso and your arms form a triangle which is very stable, this get rid of up and down movement, take a breath, hold it, and shoot the shot. Using this technique you can hold a 500mm lens with a shutter speed as slow as 1/60th of a second with no sign of camera blur, but it needs practice.

Chris  

Answer 2

Bogen/Manfrotto, National Georgraphic or if you want to step it up a bit Gitzo/ They make good aluminum alloy and carbon fiber tripods

Answer 3

I got a bogen tripod with the hex plate...

Answer 4

try yahoo shopping

or adorama.com

Answer 5

Budget for around $300 ...

Davis and Sanford, Slick and Bogen / Manfrotto are just a few who make quality tripods.

Pick one that will hold at least 10 pounds

You should only have to buy one tripod in your lifetime