Camera Labs

Hey guys.

Just wondering if anybody knows of any cheap tripods that arent pathetic... I really dont need something fancy... around 160cm max height but something that can compact down to below 70cm. As long as its good enough to hold it up and wont fall over thats fine.

I found a few Hama ones that seem alright... whats their reputation are they terrible?
Cheers!

It really all depends on which camera body and lens you intend to use it for.

Zorro

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http://zorrofox4.deviantart.com/



Various lenses, SB800 & Manfrotto 190 with 460MG head

of course...

well, for now just a 400d and the heaviest lens i have is a 80-200mm EF which really isnt heavy. When i get into it more ill be willing to fork out more for a tripod.

After looking at a few more tripods i saw velbon.I believe they are quite good... do the CX-440/460/660 sound suitable

thanks alto guys your always so helpful!

Those look not too bad. I had a Velbon many moons ago but I inevitably kept coming up against it's limitations, be that extension, stability or just the general lack of sophistication common to "budget" legs. I'm betting within a year of buying the Velbon you'll be itching for something more substantial. As the saying goes, "you pays your money,..."

Zorro.

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http://zorrofox4.deviantart.com/



Various lenses, SB800 & Manfrotto 190 with 460MG head

Hello

I have the "Platinum Plus 6400UT by Sunpak" I paid $69 or $79 for it at "Best Buy".
It holds up well and I have had no problems. it is very stable and does the job. it extends upto 63.6" (161.5cm). on a scale of 1-10 I would give it a 8.8. Hope this helps

Nick

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Canon Rebel XTI, Tamron 70-300mm w/180-300 macro AF, Canon 18-55mm,Canon 50mm F1.8, Sandisk ExtremeIII 2gig.
Nikon N2020.My Flickr

I'm with Zorro on this one - a tripod is for stability, so if it wobbles, there's little point. I'd sooner buy a Gorillapod than a cheaper, compromised tripod.

See our Gorillapod review.

the problem with the gorillapod is if you yavent got anywhere to "hook" it onto, you have to put it on the floor. and that wouldnt be too easy.

Agreed, but I've found some poor tripods need their legs to be retracted significantly before they become stable, so they're not that high either!

I do hear what you're saying though. The Gorillapod can stand alone, but it's too low for most uses - it really needs to be gripping something at the right height...

I'm pretty pleased with my Velbon CX 404 - which I snagged from new for 40$ at London Drugs. It can articulate, lock and adjust in all dimensions - handles my camera both vertically and horizontally.

Works like a charm. Have field tested it at night in deep snow on an uneven surface. The only thing I need on it is a leveler - perhaps with a small LED for night time shots. But I can rig that myself after the fact - why pay a 100$/hour Manfrotto guy to do it for me? lol.

When balancing my admittedly limited photography-budget and evaluation price/performance, I really don't want to spend more than absolutely necessary on something like a tripod. I'll darn well make it work for me, rather than forking up big $

On another note: with all the data they put in viewfinders today, I'm surprised I haven't heard of a leveler there yet. Low-tech - should be easy to include.

Cheers

The D3 can do it but only in one axis.

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Graham
Flickr

hey guys,

juts an update for you. I received my velbon cx460 on Tuesday and im really pleased with it. I havent got to use it much yet but from what ive used of it it seems very good and it only cost me £18.

Very pleased, when I've used it more ill give you another update.

is the CX-640 an okay tripod?

Hi "Steven Oliver"

Can i ask you were you got your tripod from for £18? and is it very stable???
Cheers

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Ed


Canon 40D + Grip | Sigma 10-20 EX | 17-85 | Sigma 70-200 f/2.8 EX II | 50 F/1.8 | 430 EX II + Other Stuff
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