Hey all - i have been recommended the Manfrotto 190 XPROB.
My requirements are:
light - honeymoon is walking safari so i need to be able to carry.
strong - i live by the beach and want to be able to take pics when the heavy shore winds are blowing
Cost effective - i don't want to spend my monthly mortgage on it.
it's a good tripod, i have the model up from this I think. You will need to consider what head you'll get, as this will impact on flexibility and weight.
It is a bit of a pain to carry around, unless you buy a bag that will allow you to strap it on. Otherwise, consider a monopod.
I've had luck with cheap Jessops ones that are around twenty quid, we used them in tech then I bought one, very light and surprisingly tough - they do feel a little flimsy somehow but that's next to the really old Helios that weighs a ton, plus it's frankenstein mix of random parts by now...
Anyway, the little cheap ones are very good value, especially in the sense that you can be a little less precious with them. Just avoid the twisting locks for the legs and get the flip clip style ones, the little screw ones seem to wear out pretty quick...
I have the 190 and use a 498rc4 ball head. Sometimes I wish I had splurged for the lighter carbon fiber tripod, but the aluminum is manageable. The ball head is a little heavy and you could definitely shave some weight off with a mini ball head, but I really like the stability as well as the flexibility of the quick release plate.
that is a really good tripod. with beach and winds, i would agree with the bogen. i agree with @vikdaddy the head is a big consideration as well. the trigger grip style is nice, just remember there is a tension adjustment on it (my friend did not realize that and was about to throw it out) the nice thing is it is fast ans easy to adjust, and that makes it nice in conditions other than nice, weather wise.
Try it... most good photo stores will let you try it for a bit... and if you like it buy it...
I did the same mistake 99% of tripod users did... I went cheap for my first one... I hated it... hence I never used it... I went for the Carbon Fiber Manfrotto... it is big enough for me... can hold a tank(20kilos)... doesn't tip in the wind(handy if I use it to hold a reflector) and is light enough to carry...
My advice would be hold off until you can afford a super light, strong one... so you simply will not use it... and well you might save $200 between the $200 and $400 one... you are really wasting it if you never use that $200 one...
I have an Ambico brand tripod and I love it. It's very lightweight (especially compared to other tripods), the mount comes off (easier to attach/detach camera), it has a level, and it was in the $50 price range (US dollars). It also has loops for attaching it to a bag and a nifty handle to carry it with. It has withstood public transport and any abuse I've thrown at it.
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It is a bit of a pain to carry around, unless you buy a bag that will allow you to strap it on. Otherwise, consider a monopod.
Anyway, the little cheap ones are very good value, especially in the sense that you can be a little less precious with them. Just avoid the twisting locks for the legs and get the flip clip style ones, the little screw ones seem to wear out pretty quick...
I did the same mistake 99% of tripod users did... I went cheap for my first one... I hated it... hence I never used it... I went for the Carbon Fiber Manfrotto... it is big enough for me... can hold a tank(20kilos)... doesn't tip in the wind(handy if I use it to hold a reflector) and is light enough to carry...
My advice would be hold off until you can afford a super light, strong one... so you simply will not use it... and well you might save $200 between the $200 and $400 one... you are really wasting it if you never use that $200 one...