Beginner tripod: Velbon ULTRA-LUXi-F any good?

Joined: 04 Sep 2005 Posts: 12 Location: Nottingham, England

I've been taking some shots with my new Canon 350D but its time i get a tripod, so i can experiment with longer exposures and hopefully get better/sharper shots.

I definitely think the smaller and lighter the better, so that it's easier for me to take it wherever and hence use it.. even if lightness isn't ideal from the ultimate in quality/usabilty point of view.

I was looking into the Manfrotto tripods, especially the neotec one.. looks neat but its a bit too much money for me for my first tripod.

I've then stumbled across Velbon's ultra luxi/maxi tripods, described here

http://www.velbon-tripod.com/ultra_maxi.htm

(hope this link is ok, the rules confuse me a little, especially as i noticed a few other ppl had put links in their posts in this forum)

Namely the luxi-F as it seems a bit stockier and price wise they're all similar. It looks like it could be close to the neotec for ease of assembly, tho perhaps not as close.. looks to go reasonably high for me (I am > 6 feet tall) yet stores small, goes low (the F version in particular) and only weighs a kilogram.

I'm wondering what kind of lenses it'd be good for.. I'm considering getting the canon 70-200mm f4L lens perhaps one day, with other telephotos in the future, the 4L one is fairly light out of all the other L telephotos at least. Combined with camera and everything i should be well under the 5/3kg limit it specifies (i'm assuming this description is 5kg when centre collumn not extended, 3kg when it is)

Anyone had good/bad experiences with these tripods or could recommend any alternatives for a better 1st tripod, and one thats going to be easy enough to carry so it'll get more use :)

Cheers

Jim

Posted: Wed Nov 02, 2005 11:33 pm

I went through the tripod shopping experience this summer and I don't think it was as much fun as buying the camera. There are too many options out there. Hope this helps some a month and a half after your post.

That Velbon is about $130 at B&H. If you are sure you are going to upgrade in the future anyway, why not just go aheand and get a good one you want like the Manfrotto and avoid the $130 sunk cost? My first one had that type of pan/tilt head and I couldn't stand it. Too much tightening and loosening to get the camera set up. Now it sits in the corner of my closet collecting dust.

I'm using a Bogen 3001 with a 3265 grip action ballhead and love it. B&H has it for $209 (kit price) now. I've found ballheads to be the best. Talk about easy to set up, move around, level, etc. They also have the 322RC2 head which moves the grip to the side. My combo is kind of hefty though when I throw it in the backpack for a hike. Hindsight I think I would have spent a little more for lighter weight. Carbon fiber is way too pricey for me though. Remember the trade there too...weight equals stability but you can always add weight to the tripod by hanging something from it like a bag of rocks or sand once its set up (read that here in a forum somewhere). I'd also recommend the flip lock legs versus the screw tightening/ twist-lock kind.

Bottom line...I'd recommend going into a good camera store that has a bunch of tripods out of the boxes that you can play with and get a feel for setup, weight and sturdiness. I've seen a couple of stores that mount the heads on a specially desinged rack like ducks in a row so you can play with them and reposition them. After you find what you like, shop around for price.

Joined: 16 Oct 2005 Posts: 938 Location: Muskoka ONT CAN

I couldn't justify on spending that much on tripods.. I have two 20 $ ones.. sure part of one if broke after a biking accident.. but I think a 150$ one would be broken too.

Joined: 31 May 2005 Posts: 127

I'm shopping for a tripod too. But the carbon fiber is really expensive and plus they don't come with a head. Have to buy them separately. I was thinking, maybe a little weight is good...for those windy situations. Maybe also, a little muscle workout to develop those guns while enjoying photography. :)

Joined: 18 Jun 2006 Posts: 191

i bought a samsonite 4700 from wal-mart, works perfect and was only 39.99.

has 2 levels built in, 90deg adjustment, crank height adjustment....compact..etc....no reason to get anything else.