I am very novice and currently shopping for a tripod for my 5D and cannon G9. Im also dont want to spend too much as I have a budget of less than $200.

What material is better, basalt or carbon? I understand it needs to support the camera. I want a leg adjustable tripod, easy to carry around, not too heavy.

Sorry Im new to this.

Stay happy!

Keep in mind that you will need a head as well to attach the camera to the tripod and to adjust it. You won't find a good carbon fibre or basalt tripod and head for $200 as far as I know. I'd have a look at the Manfrotto/Bogen 190 or 055 line, see if you strike lucky.

Carbon ones are great to carry around, because they are very stable and light, but you budget is nowhere near to what they cost...
I believe your best option is to look for a used set of alu-tripod like the 055 line mentioned above, with a three-way or ball head.

With that budget, buying second hand is the only sensible option. Perhaps go for a monopod now and save for 3 legs later? What are you using it for? There is no way a 190 will support a 5D btw. 055 solid as a rock and slightly heavier.

You're screwed at that price. Try a Slik 700DX.

Yeah, you either go cheap, old, and heavy, or new, expensive, and lightweight.

If you can carry the thing in you car or on your back, that opens up a lot of low-tech and low money options. Usually they are designed for large format cameras and telescopes, but they'll work with a DSLR as well. Just not light. 14-20lbs is the average for these beasts, but stable is a given.

No problem. You can get an aluminium tripod *including a three-way head* for much less. I can assure you, that the quality of the tripod will not make *any* difference in the quality of your images for a long time to come.

Save the money for lenses, they are much more important. The cheapest *good* lens is the 50mm f/1.4; that is one, which you will keep for a long time. You waste your money with cheap lenses.

Careful with that...I started with a cheap (~$150 US) aluminum tripod, and found that a minor breeze would cause the camera (a medium-sized DSLR) to vibrate enough to be noticeable in the photos, and a moderate wind would cause enough vibration to make the images unusable. I threw it out, got a good (though expensive) carbon fiber tripod, and had no more problems. If you want cheap, I'd recommend getting a good-quality used tripod rather than a cheap new one.

Lisa

Hi,

I used to have the combo below, which was pretty good:
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/3221...e_630_with.html

Regarding Manfrotto I had a C055 and a 190. The 190 was OK but I was never satisfied with the C055 so I went for the Velbon. I had Pentax 67 with 300+1.4x extender which has issues with vibrations from the focal plane shutter even when using mirror lock up.

A good QR (Quick Release) make life easier. I'm not always impressed with expensive stuff. Carbon Fibre is very nice, but no tripod is better than it's weakest link and CF itself may vary. It is not really CF but Carbon Fibre armed epoxy, there are different kinds of CF for high strength or stiffnes. How the fibres are inbedded in the epoxy and how the epoxy is baked matters a lot.


So I had:

A Gitzo Reporter 204
Manfrotto 190
Manfrotto 055
Velbon Sherpa Pro 630 (And was very satisfied)
Added an Acratech Ultimate Ballhead and made a large investment in RRS QR&plates. (Very satisfied)
Got an RRS BH40 ballhead (Very satisfied)
Added another Sherpa Pro 630 (Still satisfied)
Added a Gitzo GT3541LS (No opinion yet ;-)

Best regards
Erik

I've had the manfrotto 055 - solid as a rock. The carbon fibre version is just as solid and I recently sold mine for the equivelent of about $160 2nd hand.

Had the Velbon 531 carbon fibre. Not up to the task of a 5D and L zoom lenses type weight IMO.

My first serious tripod was a Manfrotto 055 carbon and it was wobbly with all the different cameras I used on it (ranging from a 5D at the time to 5x4).

While I use a Gitzo some photographer friends of mine have recommended Velbon on a few occasions.

There is a well-known way of preventing this; I am doing it almost always, as a habit: holding down the tripod with one hand, at the top of the legs, or under the head if the column is far extended; or, light pressure with a finger on top of the camera. I am doing this even if I am shooting with remote control, mirror lock up, time delay.

Another solution is hanging a bag underneath; it requires only a hook and your backpack, or a bag and some rocks. The result is better than with using the best tripod.

Another good solution to the wind problem is to not extend the legs all the way. My otherwise sturdy Manfrotto 3021 is very subject to wind vibration when fully extended. But reducing the extension of each section by as little as1.5 inches completely solves the problem, solid as a rock in pretty good wind.

Best tripod I have is a beat up old aluminum Quickset. 2" wide legs make it solid as rock even when the center post is holding the camera 9+ feet off the ground. Just barely manageable by one person, but worth it if you're shooting exposure blended panos. At 9 feet, you can set the focus at optimum position and still have even fairly nearby objects in focus at f8. Don't for forget the ladder. One of the best bargains on ebay.

You sure one needs to go to ebay for the best bargain on a ladder?

:-)

OK, be that way...