Hi all! So I'm needing some help. In a rare moment of madness I booked a photography workshop last night. It's a two day course on the Dorset coast in March.
The only problem is I don't own a tripod, in fact I'm not even sure I know how to set one up properly! I own a Fuji xt2 , a couple of prime lenses and a telephoto zoom. I'm looking for something which is lightweight, idiot proof but also stable enough to hold my camera and the zoom lens on a windy beach. Any help would be very gratefully appreciated. Thank you!
Great news Caroline:)) As with everything you get what you pay for and it’s no different with a tripod, you need a balance between weight and sturdy so I would not place too much emphasis on portability, you’re unlikely to be walking miles and if you have a camera bag that allows a tripod to be carried you can carry a good sturdy one relatively easy.
As for the filters, yipppeeee!
@carvl Hi Caroline, I spose it all comes down to budget, as ever you get what you pay for. Perhaps a way round it is do any of you friends have one you can use before you commit to spending any money on it.
How ever think the landscape course idea is wonderful.
@padlock yes I agree but unfortunately none of my friends do photography and even if they did I think I would be slightly nervous about the saltwater etc on their equipment. I should of mentioned a budget sorry , ideally something for under £100. Thank you for your advice :)
Hey it really depends on what you want to do with it. If you don’t need to travel to much with it, doing trek, backpacking,... You can go for something heavier you’ll get something cheaper and sturdier.
I’ve got a sirui t-005x for a few years now, I quite happy with it. It’s about 2lbs, 35cm when folded and 100$. While still being quite sturdy if you use a micro less system. I travelled in quite a few countries with it, put it into water and what not. But it’s still going strong.
One of the caviat for my use is when it’s really windy (I’ve got to lest it with my bag). The other one is it’s maximum height of 1.4m, it’s enough when I travel but once in a while it’s nice to have something higher.
Small note, it uses an arca Swiss plate. It’s practical but it’s not a quick release plate as with Manfroto. It will take 5sec to mount your camera instead of 1.
No real advice... watching this space to see what others recommend as I am not in love with my current tripod...
my first tripod was clunky but I loved it... easy to open and close, had a decent head for panning and fine adjustments... it was a bit big for packing and lugging about, and useless for hiking, but I loved it nonetheless... it was a slik f730... it broke after 3 years or so...
Then I got a fotopro c5i... it folds up smallish, but is heavy and I struggle with the thingy that lets me adjust the angle of the camera... and no ability to pan...
Then I got a Cameron cf500 which is very light and easy to pack for travel and hiking... but again I find it fiddly and I really hate the thingy for setting camera angle... never stays where it’s put... never...
Not sure of cost of last two as they were gifts...
@floranhachez thank you floran thats very helpful , I hadn't even heard of sirui before so I will definitely check that brand out now. The issue with it not being heavy is more because I'm only 5"4 and not good at lugging stuff around!
@carvl Hi Caroline, it is perhaps easy for me to suggest getting a more expensive tripod having been used to getting the best as a work tool. However, don't be seduced into buying cheap, you will only regret it and end up buying better sooner than you thought.
A good tripod looked after will last you for many years, I have a Manfrotto which is over 20 years old and still works as good as the day I bought it.
For what you need I would suggest the Manfrotto 190 Go Tripod £105 at Wex photographic. I consider this to be the minimum you should get, you will need to add a head to this though and for that I would suggest the Manfrotto 496RC2 Compact head £70 from Wex. It is solid and well built and a good tripod head is very important, I have seen people buy a good tripod which is wasted by the purchase of a cheap tripod head that fails to hold the camera secure.
@northy I think it's because of all the issues you have just mentioned that I've put off investing in one, it just seems a bit of a mindfield to me! If I find one that suits il let you know!
I use a MeFoto Backpacker with a mirrorless set-up.
It's very light and easy to carry and comes with a neat case. It has a built-in hook in the base which you can attach something heavy to in order to make it more stable if it's windy (I attach my camera bag or a plastic bag with bottles of water inside in a pinch).
The twisty-leg locking mechanism can be a bit finicky in the cold, but as long as you remember to "check twice" it's OK and is very quick to put up (and take down - which is equally important in the cold!).
It comes in lots of different colours (mine is fetching purple https://365project.org/humphreyhippo/2015/2015-03-06 ) and the best bit for me is, because of the way it folds up, it's very easy to get into a suitcase for overseas holidays. Mine has been all around the world, has survived the worst that the British weather is likely to throw at it and I'm not looking for a replacement - which with my chronic case of 'gear acquisition syndrome' is as good a recommendation as I give. ;)
@humphreyhippo I believe others have recommended the same tripod... I had wanted one but my husband had not been able to find one and got me the foropro instead...
I have a Vanguard Alta Pro 263AT. I really like it. It's not too heavy and is quite sturdy. It's also quite versatile in the way you can manipulate the legs and height. I bought it a couple years ago now, so I'm sorry I don't remember what I spent on it, but it was in the middle of what one could spend on a tripod. I think the inexpensive ones break down too easily and of course the expensive ones (though probably worth it) are too expensive for my budget. So this one was a great option for me. I would suggest that if there's a camera store near you that you go check out what's available to you. Then do some research on the internet to see where you can get the best price for what you want.
@fujiguy thank you James for the excellent advice, it does look a very good tripod and completely appreciate what you say about buying good quality it's just that this would eat into to my budget for filters. Unless I can persuade my husband to give me an early birthday present!
@olivetreeann thank you Ann, I completely agree with you about going to a camera store, that's going to be my next stop. It's just nice to go in with a bit more knowledge then what I had before I started this thread. The Vanguard looks like a good option too. Many thanks again for taking the time to answer.
Thank you so much to everyone who took the time to reply to this and for the recommendations , I'm now going to see where stocks them so I can go and try them out with my camera. I'll let you know which one I decide on. This has been a really big help , so many thanks again . Hope you all had a good weekend :)
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As for the filters, yipppeeee!
How ever think the landscape course idea is wonderful.
I’ve got a sirui t-005x for a few years now, I quite happy with it. It’s about 2lbs, 35cm when folded and 100$. While still being quite sturdy if you use a micro less system. I travelled in quite a few countries with it, put it into water and what not. But it’s still going strong.
One of the caviat for my use is when it’s really windy (I’ve got to lest it with my bag). The other one is it’s maximum height of 1.4m, it’s enough when I travel but once in a while it’s nice to have something higher.
Small note, it uses an arca Swiss plate. It’s practical but it’s not a quick release plate as with Manfroto. It will take 5sec to mount your camera instead of 1.
my first tripod was clunky but I loved it... easy to open and close, had a decent head for panning and fine adjustments... it was a bit big for packing and lugging about, and useless for hiking, but I loved it nonetheless... it was a slik f730... it broke after 3 years or so...
Then I got a fotopro c5i... it folds up smallish, but is heavy and I struggle with the thingy that lets me adjust the angle of the camera... and no ability to pan...
Then I got a Cameron cf500 which is very light and easy to pack for travel and hiking... but again I find it fiddly and I really hate the thingy for setting camera angle... never stays where it’s put... never...
Not sure of cost of last two as they were gifts...
A good tripod looked after will last you for many years, I have a Manfrotto which is over 20 years old and still works as good as the day I bought it.
For what you need I would suggest the Manfrotto 190 Go Tripod £105 at Wex photographic. I consider this to be the minimum you should get, you will need to add a head to this though and for that I would suggest the Manfrotto 496RC2 Compact head £70 from Wex. It is solid and well built and a good tripod head is very important, I have seen people buy a good tripod which is wasted by the purchase of a cheap tripod head that fails to hold the camera secure.
It's very light and easy to carry and comes with a neat case. It has a built-in hook in the base which you can attach something heavy to in order to make it more stable if it's windy (I attach my camera bag or a plastic bag with bottles of water inside in a pinch).
The twisty-leg locking mechanism can be a bit finicky in the cold, but as long as you remember to "check twice" it's OK and is very quick to put up (and take down - which is equally important in the cold!).
It comes in lots of different colours (mine is fetching purple https://365project.org/humphreyhippo/2015/2015-03-06 ) and the best bit for me is, because of the way it folds up, it's very easy to get into a suitcase for overseas holidays. Mine has been all around the world, has survived the worst that the British weather is likely to throw at it and I'm not looking for a replacement - which with my chronic case of 'gear acquisition syndrome' is as good a recommendation as I give. ;)
I think this one is a reasonable compromise.