tripods

[richardh8828]

is this tripod any good?
http://www.hqproducts.com/eng/produc...tl_HQ-TRIPOD35

it will be carried a good bit...and i want to be able to look up at the sky with it too..

its £30something quid so its not bad...

will a sony A200 fit on it?

[postcardcv]

Cheap tripods are a false economy, it may be light but it will almost certainly lack stability too. Have a look for a secondhand Manfrotto, a set of 190 legs with a decent head would be ~£75 used (assuming it's in good nick) and will be much better than the one you've linked to. If you can't stretch your budget to a better tripod then it may be worth looking at monopods instead. Personally I'd rather use a decent monopod then a poor tripod, heres one to look at - http://www.cleyspy.co.uk/manfrotto-6...pod-i1759.html

[richardh8828]

how stable would a monopod be?
like say if i wanted to take a photo of the moon and needed a really slow shutter speed like 20 seconds would it be a crisp photo or will it blur..

i like the thought of a monopod...easier to carry etc

[postcardcv]

a monopod wouldn't be any good for long exposures for that you really would need a tripod (though a beanbag on a car roof would probably work quite well). With a 20 second exposure of the moon you'd probably get motion blur!

[robski]

A 20 second shot of the moon will be blurred with any tripod. The moon moves across the sky at a fair rate of knots.

[yelvertoft]

As Peter (postcardcv) says, cheap tripods are a waste of time and you'll only end up getting rid of it and getting something better later. As an alternative to a Manfrotto 190, take a look at the Velbon Sherpa range. The heads aren't as good as the Manfrotto range, but they are very good value for money.

Some typical prices and range availability.
http://www.warehouseexpress.com/cate...=257&Range=570

Duncan

[postcardcv]

Originally Posted by yelvertoft

As an alternative to a Manfrotto 190, take a look at the Velbon Sherpa range. The heads aren't as good as the Manfrotto range, but they are very good value for money.

I'd agree the Velbon Sherpa are a good range, I like the 600R - variable leg positions and splitable central column (great for low level stuff) make it a very versatile tripod... and only ~£85 new.

[andy153]

Hi Richard, following on from the camera question I use a Manfrotto 055MF4 Magfiber tripod with a Markins M20 Ball Head and Arca Swiss/Kirk quick release heads and matching plates on all my camera bodies and lenses, A Manfrotto 055V tripod with an Arca Swiss B1 Ball Head, and a Manfrotto 679 Monopod with a Markins Q3 Ball Head.

[bechy]

Here is a good resource for tripod with detailed description of its features:
http://vesnakozelj.com/photography/e...amera-tripod-1

There is also an article about monopods:
http://vesnakozelj.com/photography/e...camera-monopod

[Meekyman]

Hi Andy,

Sorry for butting into this thread, but I'm looking at a Manfrotto 055MF4 that a friend has for sale. Can you use the handle strap to hang a bag off for more stability (thinking high winds mainly)? I was looking at the newer CF Manfrotto tripods but they seem to lack that ability, i.e a hook!

Cheers

Graham