The FreeiPodGuide Forums

[Vector]

Hey guys, I am looking for a good tripod that works well, is easy to use, and can be carried around with ease.

I am going on a trip and I would like to have the option of carrying my tripod with me when I go to take pictures.

Any suggestions?

I was just gonna get one of those cheapo ones from walmart.

[JennyWren]

I've got a GorillaPod and I love it. It's super light yet strong enough to hold my somewhat heavy Canon S3 (it's the GorillaPod SLR). Very handy for taking pictures on uneven ground, or you can wrap it around poles etc (I've used it a few times to take photos looking straight down at something). I also find it easy to carry, I just wrap the legs around the strap of my camera bag and I can hike unencumbered.

[dmorris68]

Jenny, I'm assuming he's wanting a full-size tripod.

Vector, what type of camera, and how much do you want to spend? Like anything else in the photography world, you definitely get what you pay for. The cheap Wal-Mart specials won't hold up, or keep a heavy camera like a DSLR steady. OTOH for a point & shoot, it would probably be fine.

If you have a DSLR with a zoom lens, for best results you really need a higher-end tripod, something approaching pro-level. At that level, the legs and head are purchased separately (although most shops will sell a combo deal). If you want lightweight for extended hauling, carbon fiber legs are the way to go but quite pricey compared to alloys, around $200-$300 just for the legs. And nice heads, especially ball heads, are very heavy, as well as pricey. They're all metal, not plastic like the el-cheapo panheads you find on the Wal-Mart specials.

You could easily spend $1000 if you wanted to, but that isn't necessary for the vast majority of us. For reference, I recently purchased the Slik Pro 700DX AMT titanium alloy legs and this Bogen-Manfrotto ball head for my DSLR. A little over $200 total, it's very nice and well-built, but I wouldn't want to be hiking with it for very long unless I had it rigged to a backpack, because it's heavy. Even with the titanium alloy legs, the hinges, base, ball head, etc. are massive hunks of metal. All together it weighs about 7 pounds.

You can find some Slik combo deals at B&H with a pan head for around $100 or a little more if you want to spend that much. But again, if you don't have a DSLR I don't see the point -- the Wal-Mart special will probably work okay for you.

[Vector]

I have a Nikon D60.

I have seen Gorilla pods and at first I hated them but now I think it wouldn't be bad to have as an additional tripod for wrapping around things.

I am not looking to spend too much, honestly I would probobly think around $50-60 max because once I start school again I will be using the tripods that I can rent out.

EDIT: The reason I said walmart is because i ahve gift cards

i was looking at this one:

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=4948189


And here is a Targus gorilla pod:

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=9722055

[dmorris68]

The D60 is pretty light, as long as you don't have big glass on it. The problem with department store tripods is that the cheap pan heads won't hold the camera in position, they drift. Depending on the type of shooting your doing that may not be a big deal, but be forewarned.

That Sony tripod is decent, but made for point & shoots and mini camcorders. A DSLR with long lens will likely be too much for it.

The Gorillapods are nice to have in the bag for macro work or when you have access to a table or wall and don't want to lug a full size tripod. Just be sure you get the ones rated for heavy DSLR's or you'll have the same problem with drifting.

[JennyWren]

Yeah, sorry, I was thinking you were looking for something more travelly. I'd recommend one of the larger GPods as a secondary tripod.

[Jams44]

Bogen Manfrottos are great and very durable. I won a Bogen Monopod from Calumet Photography and its compact but also very sturdy.