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Hi Guys,

It's time for me to upgrade from using my dad's 15 year old Tripod. Its not quiet string enough anymore. I was looking at this one in particular. CLICK ME !

It has to support the D70 with the 70-200 AF-S VR Attached, and according to the load limits it will easily.

Questions:

- Has anyone used or know someone who has used this tripod ?
- Does it look decent ?
- Can you recommened anything else < $200 (Might stretch the budget a little if needs be)

I'm not really ready to spring for Manfrotto setup at this time, as i would rather put the money towards another lens or SB800.

Thanks and Regards
Ben.

Save yourself the money, buy a heavier duty set up the first time round.

1 of 2 things will happen:
a) you'll upgrade to something more heavy duty later
b) your gear will end up on the ground

If you value your 70-200, consider something a bit more heavy duty.
A Manfrotto 190 and a basic Manf ball head will get you a good entry level proper tripod. For probably $100 more than the end import cost of the pod linked to above it's worth it. Also if you meet the criteria for the bargains section (see FAQ) check out the Benro tripods there.

A good tripod really isn't an option if you're serious about getting good results. You don't have to cough up for a Gitzo, but usually the starting price for semi-decent tripod legs alone is around $200.

Can you tell us a bit more about what type of shooting you do so that maybe a couple of members could suggest appropriate models?

Ben,

as daniel_r said, save your money for something semi-decent. Having a good tripod can make all the difference. You want something solid to hold your 70-200VR. I would say that it is just as important to get a good tripod as it is to get another lens or sb800.

visit Vanbar and try a few and you'll know what you are up for. Make sure you take your gear with you to try it out.

Cheers,

Andre

Thanks for the tips guys.

I could stretch the budget, how much are we talking here ? If i could get something in my hands for less than $300 I would do it right away, Is that a good enought budget ? 95% of the time I'm shooting cars, i did a few last night and the results were a little off due to movement on the tripod.

I'll look into the suggested models, and anymore that you guys could post would be great.

Regards
Ben.

*added*

Would this be suitable ?

http://en.benro.cn/newEbiz1/EbizPortalF ... ent=false#

I think the Benro C-028 might be a bit too light duty if you want to use it with your 70-200 VR - the C-028 has a load rating of 2.5KG. What the manufacturers really should tell you is that the load rating is for ideal conditions If things get breezy, the tripod will get the wobbles up a bit.

To add up what capacity you need:
head + plate + camera body + lens + lens foot + flash (if mounted on
body)

I normally add 2KG of safety/crappy conditions allowance.

$300 - that's a good starting point. The prices here aren't ideal, just general retail. You can probably do better if you hunt around a bit.

This will get you a set up that is reliable, fairly sturdy for the price and reasonably durable. It's no Gitzo CF, but it's not chaotically unstable either.

Manfrotto 190PRO 5kg load, 145cm. $209

486RC2 Head load 6kg, weight 0.46kg $126

A good article about selecting tripods here

Thanks Daniel,

That looks like a very ideal setup, I will have a look around for prices. thanks for the link too, very helpful.

Ben.

Hi Ben, does your current tripod allow you to replace the head? If so, then a good interim solution might be to get a good ballhead for a start. With our old tripod, the legs were just fine, but the head was awful. Unfortunately you couldn't detach the head.