Nov
28
Melba asked:
Within the price range of $100-$400 and capable of holding at least 15 lbs. Thanks
Edit: We do have a Bogen Manfrotto 3026 ball head and are upgrading from a slik U-212 so you know where we’re at. We’ve had up to 12 lbs on the head and it’s held but the legs on the tripod didn’t appreciate it. Thanks again
Within the price range of $100-$400 and capable of holding at least 15 lbs. Thanks
Edit: We do have a Bogen Manfrotto 3026 ball head and are upgrading from a slik U-212 so you know where we’re at. We’ve had up to 12 lbs on the head and it’s held but the legs on the tripod didn’t appreciate it. Thanks again
Gitzo makes the best tripods for any use.
$400 will buy you a very good tripod.
Gitzo and Bogen are considered top notch.
Gitzo is the gold standard here.
I’ve been happy with Giottos and Manfrotto products for slightly less expensive options.
Its worth pointing out that almost all tripods worth having are separate from the head that actually mounts the camera, although they may be sold together as a package. You need to decide if you want a pan-tilt head, ballhead, or a specialty head. You can usually mix-and-match different companies here if you like a certain head but a different company’s legs.
Here’s the rule of thumb for tripods:
There are three criteria, which are price, light-weight, and good weight bearing capacity.
You can pick any two of those criteria to control: you can get a low-cost tripod that holds a lot of weight, but it’ll be heavy. You can get a low-cost light-weight tripod, but it won’t hold a lot of weight. Or, you can get a light-weight sturdy tripod if money’s no object.
I’ve used this combo to good effect. Its in your price range and it gets you the weight limit you need. It’s not light, though:
That set of legs also has a pivot neck for table-top work, which can be nice for shooting product.
15lbs. is an awful lot of weight to support, especially if you want the tripod to remain plenty sturdy.
Truthfully, I don’t know if it can be done within your budget. My personal favorite tripod, the Tiltall, won’t support that kind of weight for sure.
Considering your budget, I think that you’re going to have to go with a set of aluminum legs-carbon fiber legs to support that much weight are upwards of $800 by themselves.
I’d suggest looking at a Gitzo aluminum tripod. I’ll stay away from specific model suggestions, but offer that you, rather, find a local Gitzo dealer and visit them in person. Find one which suits you as far as height, stability, and price.
Regardless of what you spend on the legs, though, don’t neglect the head. A solid head is equally as important, especially with the kind of weight you want to put on it. An Arca-Swiss ball head is the standard suggestion, but, there again, one which would support 15 lbs exceeds your budget by itself.
Pan/tilt heads tend to be less expensive than ball heads of comparable quality. Something like a Bogen/Manfrottto 503 Video head should do you, and is about as inexpensive as you’re going to get for that kind of support.
Perhaps the Manfrotto 3182?
With very few exceptions the more mass a tripod has, the more stable it is. What you are paying for is feature set, construction quality and customer support.
If you are using the camera in the studio, buy the sturdiest tripod you can afford. As others have mentioned, Manfrotto (distributed in the US by Bogen) and Gizto (now owned by Manfrotto) have good offerings in this price range and you can find spare mounting plates all over the world and their US support is quite good. If your gear will get heavy abuse or you enjoy a 60’s French aesthetic, go with Gitzo. There are other quality tripod manufacturers but you’ll pay much more.
If you are going to use your tripod in the field, a compromise is going to be necessary. That stable mass means more weight to haul around and that can compromise your productivity. Look at the specifications for the weight capacity of the tripod/head combination. Carbon fibre tripods can be a solution but the price will be right on the outside of your range.
Tripod heads? A ball head is useful in the studio, a pan/tilt may offer better results for landscape shots. Again, check the max weight load recommended for the head.
I like Benbo’s
a
The humveepod should be about right. Seriously though, go to the store and check them out first hand, I did a bunch of online research and then went to a store and bought the same pod I’d been looking at but a completely different head.
15 lbs.
The ones Antoni pointed out are 2 section legs rather than the more common 3 which in a weight situation like this is a huge benefit.
go to .. you can search tripods, they have advanced search, where you can search by weight requirements.
Most pro’s use Bogen/Manfrotto or Gitzo supports (tripod’s monopods, heads, etc.) and unlike what some posters have written I recall reading that Manfrotto far outsells the other two.
That said, I personally I prefer the Manfrotto line not because it’s the best selling but because it works the best for me. Also I believe it has superior latches for tightening legs.
HTH.