Need serious help picking out a tripod...

Joined: 17 Jul 2005 Posts: 4

Hello Everyone,

This is my first post here. Looks like a nice photography forum!

I thought I'd list what I have and what type of photography I enjoy and see if you all could recommend a good tripod based on those facts.

Here's what I have:

Olympus C-8080 - I chose this camera because it wasn't as expensive as an SLR (which are nice), but I didn't think I'd be switching lenses for the type of photography I do. That's why I stuck with the 8 mega-pixel prosumer line.
WCON-08D (0.8x) Wide Conversion Lens + Lens Adapter Tube (CLA-8) I bought this to shoot wider angle interiors and panoramics.
Kaidan KiWi-L Panoramic Tripod Head - This is an old model that I don't even see on their web site anymore. It's very basic, but it gets the job done.

I want to get a new flash to mount on the hot shoe of the C-8080, but I'm not sure which one to buy yet. Perhaps you can make a suggestion on that too.

Here are my photography interests:

My wife and I just had our first child, a son, about 7 weeks ago, so I'm constantly shooting shots of him and every "new" thing he does. Currently, I'm using the built-in flash on the camera and it's working great! I can't do a LOT of night-time or dark-room shots because I don't have a tripod. That's where I need your help!
I'd like to get into shooting full 360 degree panoramics. Indoor and outdoor. A tripod is definitely needed for this.
I like to do a lot of lanscape shots too. Nature-type shots.
Macro shots. Mainly short-depth-of-field, small aperture(f/2.8) floral, but I'm up for the challenge of anything (expecially super-macro).
And finally, I just thought I'd let you know that I always shoot full resolution TIFF files. I may eventually start playing with the RAW format, but I haven't gotten into that yet.

So now that you know what equipment I currently have and my shooting interests, can you recommend a good tripod for my applications? I used to shoot analog video and was very familiar with high-end video camera tripods (Gitzo, Bogen, Manfrotto, etc.), but this is all new to me when considering still photography. It's got to be able to be good and portable (light-weight) for moving throughout houses when shooting panoramics. It's got to condense into something small for travel. And it needs to have a levelling bubble (is that common in still photography?)

Any suggestions would be wonderful. One last note: I didn't say how much I'm willing to spend, because I don't know that yet. Obviously, the cheaper the better, but I'll pay for quality. I also don't need to overspend on something that might hold more weight than I need it to hold.

I'll stop babling and leave you to it!

Thanks!!!

Joined: 17 Jul 2005 Posts: 11

Go for a Slik Sprint Pro

Posted: Tue Jul 19, 2005 12:46 pm

I just purchased my fourth tripod--my FIRST real tripod--a couple of months ago. It's a Manfrotto 3021 PRO, with a Manfrotto 3437 head. The combo cost me around $220 new, and I was a little hesitant to get in for that much, but I have absolutely NO regrets. This thing is awesome. Practical, durable, versatile beyond what I realized a tripod could be. It could be lighter, but overall I love it.

Posted: Tue Jul 19, 2005 1:02 pm

Tilt-All is a good, solid tripod that has been in production for about 45 years.

Excellent up to medium format. About $100.00, including the head.

Available everywhere. A proven performer.

Joined: 17 Jul 2005 Posts: 4

Thanks for the info. I'll check them all out. This'll be a great start!

Joined: 06 Aug 2005 Posts: 39 Location: Bullhead City AZ

I have a SLIK that I've had for close on 18 years, if they still make them like they used to.. I'd definitley say look at their range.

Most of the tripods I see in general stores like walmart, target etc or general electronic stores seem really flimsy to me nowadays so I'd definitely check the photography stores if you want something substantial that will take a lot of abuse. But like most stuff its down to personal taste and budget. One of the things I really like about my slik is it has a mount half way down one of the legs so you can mount the camera and take pictures in awkward spaces.

Joined: 14 Apr 2005 Posts: 96 Location: Over there.

I've got a gitzo explorer with a manfroto grip where you squeeze a trigger to pivot the camera- very good for shooting wildlife but I don't think it would work all that well for panoramics (difficult to keep the camera on the same horizontal plane). The tripod though, is very nice. I'm no seasoned pro but I hear anything from gitzo is good stuff and I'm very happy with my tripod.

Joined: 10 Dec 2004 Posts: 307

how tall are you?
are you going to eventually invest in an SLR system?
just hate for you to buy a tripod that's too short, or one that will need to be replaced should you decide to pick up a beefier system down the line. it's easy to get caught up in the tripod game, and end up buying 2 or 3 tripods before doing it right. i'd suggest you pick up some solid legs for now, and use a decent head that has a smooth panning base for your panoramas. i'd also suggest you get a tripod that can be adjusted to eye level without extending the center column. once you extend that, you're turning your tripod into a monopod attached to a tripod. you may also want to look into leveling bubble options.

Joined: 17 Jul 2005 Posts: 4

I'm 5'10". But I don't need a tripod with a nice rotating head. The panoramic adapter fits to the top of the tripod and rotates on its own. I would probably make more use of the leveling bubble.

Posted: Mon Aug 08, 2005 7:13 pm

I have a Linhoff monopod with a small Linhoff ball head. A beautiful piece of equipment and magnificently made. I never use it; I'm not even sure where it is. A lovely piece of equipment though.

If I really considered what kind of photography I was going to shoot, I would never have spent the money.

A tripod is always good. It makes you seem far more than an amateur and can make a dandy weapon in a clinch.

Just think through your purchases--I'm certain I spent enough money on rarely used equipment that could have bought a Nikon F6 in its place.

Joined: 10 Dec 2004 Posts: 307

ahh, sorry i totally missed the part about your head. well, manfrotto makes a leveling base that goes between your tripod legs and head. they also make replacement center columns for their legs that have a built in leveling base. as far as legs go, i would go for something that is close to your height with the column all the way down. keep in mind the leveling base and your tripod head will add a little height. another thing you have to consider is weight. also the leg locks. i prefer the flip lever type locks but some people prefer the twist type. i don't have a pair myself (i use a manfrotto 3021 pro legset) but i have a few friends that picked up some feisol carbon fiber legs, which are a steal at less than $200. of course the options for tripods are endless. only you know how far you want to go with a tripod. good luck.

Joined: 17 Jul 2005 Posts: 4

Thanks for all the great feedback everyone!!!