Support systems are typically the last thing people think of when purchasing photography gear. After spending years on POTN, Fredmiranda, and other photography forums I predict there is a 1:100 ratio of support system questions to "which lens should I buy" questions. The truth is most people don't realize the right support system will take their current lenses to a new level.

When people do finally get around to picking up a support system, above $100, they're still in "skimp" mode. "Skimp" mode in photography actually costs more than just doing it right from the get-go. There is no such thing as being thrifty in photography.

With all that said, I have to join the ranks myself. I went down the Sunpack > Bogen > Gitzo route. I didn't understand how Carbon Fiber, extra strength stability, non-creeping ballheads, etc worked to make my photos better. Now that I'm using the right stuff, all I can say is

So what's good? I'm sure this will spark some debate....



IMO Gitzo legs are the light at the end of the tunnel. For ballheads, Markins, Acra-Swiss, Really Right Stuff, and Kirk are all names you cannot go wrong with. Then there are numerous niche products made by various companies (Wimberly, Novoflex, Acratech, Joby, etc).

Hopefully this thread will help us all make better purchasing and use decisions on support systems. If anything, I hope it will also encourage us all to pack a stability system every time we go out shooting!

Let the conversation begin....

 

I'll be the first to admit that my support system is lacking, but it suits my needs perfectly. I rarely use a tri/monopod as 99.95% of my shooting is handheld. But for that .05% (macro, studio style portraits) - it works perfectly.

Manfrotto 3021 tripod, 680 mono, 488rc2 head. Very decently priced, tripod combo holds a 20D + grip + 70-200 2.8IS + 1.4x TC in portrait mode very well.

I would like to hear personal reviews on the higher end , lighter legs, as well as some of the lower end (affordable) stuff like dynatran.

 

While I agree with you, Alex. I also have to disagree.

There's no way I could spend $700 alone on just legs when I decided to upgrade my tripod right before the WV Meet. So it was either, midrange or do without. And we all know support is better than no support at all.

Instead, for ~$300 I picked up the 055DB and the 488RC2 Panning Ballhead.

When I get around to it, I'll pick up the low angle adapter for $6 which you can replace the center post with on the fly. (It stores on the bottom side of the center column so it si there when you need it.)

Also, there's a $29 short center column too. It's just on nationwide backorder right now...




Couldn't find it in black on the B&H site at all..

 

I just bought the Bogen 190XPROB with 486RC2 ballhead, and pretty happy with the combo. I use them mainly on hiking, so its compact size and weight (together they weight about 5lbs, about the same weight as the equivalent Bogen CF model) and I don't have anything bigger than a 200mm f2.8 lens.

I agree with Poindexter, many have rely too much on IS and VR on their lenses rather than invest money on better tripod systems, which they can keep and use for a longer time.

If you have a big tele (anything above 300mm f/2.8, +body weight over 10lbs), Gitzo Mountaineer series + Wimberly, RSS, etc are popular choices.

I have tried cheaper tripod brands like Dynatran and Induro, they are "ok." Depending on models, they generally weight a little more and less stable than those they copied from. But for the price, they can't be beat. For me, sometimes, a tripod is a tripod if it doesn't get moved around too much but for traveling and wildlife? I do suggest one to invest in a good tripod system that one will not regret in a trip or 2.

Some key factors to consider when you're shopping for a right tripod system:
1. Load (how heavy your gears are, camera body + lens + head)
2. Weight (Aluminum, CF) depending on brands can range from 3 lbs to over 10 lbs
3. Size (how tall it will go, or how low it will come down to, or folded/closed size)
4. Price (Last thing I will consider, again, good tripods last you a long time)

 

I know CF damps vibration better than aluminum (isn't wood even better?) but I don't figure my 3021Pro legs are holding me back at all. When the photo has to be the best it can be I also use the self-timer or electronic cable release. And if I'm in the field I'll hang my bag on the center post for extra stability.

Now my cheap-@ss Bogen ball head and QR plate? Different story. I know exactly where that causes me grief. Some day I'll buy a Markins and Arca-Swiss style QR plates.

 

I use cheap quantaray (i guess made by sunpak) tripod and I'm happy with it. I usually like to get the best of best or at least close to it, but I find that quantaray tripod let's me do what I need to do without hindering my shots.

it holds my 70-200 and grip with 2 batteries without any problem.

Only time I will consider spending $1000 on tripod and head is if I purchase somthing like 400mm+ lens which will require extra stability.

 

I have a Dynatran Magfibre tripod. It's a cheap tripod, got it on ebay for $100. It holds a 5D w/ BG-E4 / 70-200 f/2.8 IS just fine. My only complaint is that it's fairly heavy. I want to get a gitzo, dont know the model #, to save some weight.

 

I have the Induro A314 set of legs. Just like the Bogen 3021 pro, I think they are awesome legs for the money. My heaviest lens is a 70-200is F/2.8 and my body is a 30d with battery grip. I'm sure Gitzo is nice but the "law of diminishing returns" returns very little after the Induro or Bogen level stuff for me. Plus, f the French.

 

:subscribing:

 

Well....if this thread was made about 3 months ago, I would tell Alex to lay off the sauce. Now, I could not agree more.

First of all, Alex is correct that going "cheaper" in this hobby actually costs MORE in the long run. I went cheap with my first "pro" tripod, and bought a SLIK. I don't hate it. Its a decent set of legs for $150. However, It is sensitive to vibrations. It has a built in, NOT removable pan head (so the ballhead sits on top of the pan head). It has open/close clamps, not twist clamps. It has a center column which is not removable. Overall, pretty good for an amateur, but definetely not what I should have bought.

As for ballheads, again, I decided to save a buck, and went with a Giotto ballhead. Besides having creep (when it gets tightened, it still moves about a 1/8 of an inch to settle,) it broke during my trip to Israel....made in china POS. Luckily for me, I bought it from a local shop, which gladly gave me credit for it, so I can buy my new ballhead.

For a replacement, I got the Manfrotto 468MGRC5, which is the second largest they make. It has a few feautures I loved, and it is built VERY well.


As for tripods....well, we can sit here all day and argue that a $650 pair of legs isn't worth it. You know what, it might not be. But ask yourself this. How many times are you planning on buying a tripod? I personally have played with a bunch of them, and GITZO is definetely the way to go for me. If it's a product that I can keep for the next 10 years and have trouble free use out of it, why the hell not? Heck, $700 is small potatoes in this hobby, where money flows out of my wallet like Guiness down an Irish dockworker's throat.

A few photogs I know who have old SLRs (film), pro strobes, etc etc, have spent a small fortune on those things, but they are now over 30 years old, and still work to this day. If I have to buy a new tripod every year for $100, it would quickly run past that $700 mark.

That is just my .02