What Tripod Are You Using And Why?

I have a Bogen 3021 that is 0about 15ish years old and leftover from my film days and a ballhead. its heavy but solid as a rock, you could shoot a macro in a hurricane with it :) though with the weight I do leave it behind more then I should and will be buying a carbon fiber one soon

I use a big heavy rolling film camera tripod in the studio. For the field an aluminum surveyor's tripod because of it's versatility.

For field outdoor expeditions I carry a nice shooter's tripod made to rest a rifle on. This functions perfectly to rest your telephoto on and move about quickly. You can find these at outdoor and sports equipment places where they sell guns.

I am using a Gitzo GT2531 and an Induro PHQ3 panhead.. I chose the tripod based upon my height without raising the center column..If you raise the column, you create an unbalanced situation... I chose the PHQ pan head because I do alot of pano's now,,being that I use my left hand for tilting the head, I needed a pan head that had knobs on the left side(most are on the right). I also did not a long center column so i replaced that with a smaller one. In addition i liked this tripod because I can quickly level the center column and set up for a pano. I used to adjust legs to get the camera and tripod level.

I have a set of Benro Carbon fiber legs with a gimbal head-rated up to 23# This one is for "roaming" out and shooting. I have an old as the hills quickset that can handle 150# and weighs nearly that much-it is for set shooting where I won't be hiking between shots.

Vanguard AT - Why? Seemed like a good value. They have a great guarantee. Replaced the whole thing once and another time I bought replacement piece for $20.

I use a 35 year old Velbon VS-3. I Bought it as a teenager, and it´s the oldest piece of equipment I´m still using regularly. Special feature: It has a tiltable center column. With my 70-300mm zoom, it comes to its limits, if the center column is fully extended.

I use it, because I have it.

Colin Utz
http://colinutzphotography.com

Make unknown. Bought at a car boot sale several years ago. After a small repair it works for me.

I use an Induro carbon. If you are looking at live view and things look like they are shaking especially when domed way in on a telephoto, try turning off image stabilization and see if that steadies what you see. It could have been the tripod shaking or it could have been IS continually readjusting.

I speak from my experience, I had a good Manfrotto 055 aluminum head with three way. Stable but heavy for the photographer traveler.

Now I have a Benro Travel Angel c2282tv2 (bought in America by holgacamera) with which I am fine there; comfortably fits a 300mm lens, is carbon and weighs 1.8 kg (3.96 lb) to be closed is long 47cm (18.5 inch) (thanks to the system with folding legs and 180 °). I think it is high 138 cm (54.3 inch) with center column (the middle column is better not to consider it in no tripod). is equipped with a carrying bag, feet in rubbers and metal, short central column. It is removed and a leg becomes monopod. With the same leg is the ability to mount a knob (with compass unprofessional) and turn it into trekking pole (this is lighter tripod to put in your bag).

I can say that with the Manfrotto 055 now old and worn out, I was a few pictures micro moves with the 200 mm lens. With this BENRO is no longer happened. Half the weight and half closed is short.

From my point of view for the traveler is the best system because they are agile and strong, more than you can imagine to handle it, in any case give a good impression tactile and visual. Even if you have four sections, the 5 sections do not recommend it because the more unstable and suffers the twist because of the 5 sections including the last too thin. Certainly being light they are less stable, if there is strong wind you can anchor the hook under the central column. However I have never had any problems and I take photographs with exposure up to 30 minutes.

Manfrotto is a great brand, too bad it does not make a strong enough traveler. There the befree but I think it's best to use it with slow court. Obviously there are the excellent 190 heavier and bulkier the traveler.

I did extensive research before buying.
In the series traveler put it in first place Gitzo (Gitzo metteri the first place anyway) then Feisol, Sirui, Benro, Triopo ... and many other brands as above mentioned.
The chronological order also applies to the price ...

They cost a few hundred dollars up. But then it is dangerous to put thousands of dollars of equipment on a tripod from $ 100.

For a medium-high spending but for a very good quality, I would opt for the feisol ct3442 without center column (if one wants to can take part) with ball head CB40 or CB50. This tripod weighs just over 1 kg (2.2 lb), to be closed is short 47 cm (18.5 inch) and has a maximum height of 142 cm (55.9 inch), but I say that we have worked with 500mm lens from above. The only question I have is the convenient option of using the camera held vertically with the head cb 40. This is because no center column. But you can ask the distributor that is very helpful. There is a Feisoleurope but there should also be Feisolcanada. The Triopo good value for money.
The Gitzo not talk about it, for me it is the best ever, even if it costs three times as much, three times longer.

Consider that in the models traveler generally do two series; 1 and 2.
The first series is the most agile and lightweight but supports less weight. The second set is the perfect compromise between capacity and transport ... I forgot the Manfrotto 055 that now no longer use.

Most of these models are imported from the east, of excellent workmanship and material. But I would say that the manufacturers are a bit 'optimistic with regard to the maximum load. We say that if damage to a model 18 kg capacity is better to divide them also for 2.5 times ... but you may notice that still remain many kg capacity. The declared capacity of Gitzo and Manfrotto is more realistic). Good products are also produced in Germany or the Netherlands.

This is my personal experience dictated from my research and from various witnesses, but may be worthless, because the choice of tripod is very personal, as personal needs of each photographer. But in general things to consider are always the same: the kind of photography that is realized, as I need high, what do I need low, how much weight I put on, what I need heavy, how many hours do you have to carry in the shoulder, if I need a head three-way, a geared head or a ball head etc etc.
One important thing would be to choose a tripod with a maximum height (with center column down) that comes to the sternum + 10 cm (3.9 inch) around, head (ball) + 10 cm (3.9 inch) of the eye camera. This in order to work in the best posture to use classic.

All steel, solid-as-a-rock Vivitar tripod that I've had since 1975--it's 40 years old!!!.

I have 2 that I use all the time. The one I use at home is a Quantaray QSX9001, which is no longer for sale, but there are others, all under $100 and pretty hefty.
My take anywhere tripod is a MeFoto "Roadtrip" tripod. http://www.mefoto.com/products/roadtrip.aspx If it is possible to love a tripod, this is it.

I have a Monfrotto 055XProB with a 488RC2 ball head. I bought it about seven years ago and have had not a single problem with it ever. It can handle all my lenses, even the 150-600mm Tamron. The center column can be used perpendicular to the ground, which is nice when you want to get really low, as in this shot:



I use it probably 90% of the time. After going through a few lighter weight "travel" tripods, I finally broke down and bought a Manfrotto BeFree (aluminum, not cf) earlier this summer. It's not as sturdy as the heavy one, but it weighs less than half as much so I take it whenever I'm hiking more than a mile or so. The great thing about having both tripods from the same manufacturer is that they both use the same quick release plate, so I'm never fumbling for, or without the plate I need. :-)

I do not own a tripod, but do have a nice, well-built, Oben ACM-2400 monopod. My question relates to the use of VR. I know it should be turned off when using a tripod, but what about when using a monopod? Seems to me it should be.