Cheap Tripod?

Hi, I'm looking at these cheap tripods on ebay for around a £10, they seem to be selling well does anyone have any experience?
I am looking for something light, cheap & travel friendly, I have a big Velbon but it doesn't leave the house due to size, weight & rather sore edges!
I really do not wish to spend £100+ on a Manfrotto

Thanks!

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Universal-Camera-Camcorder-Tripod-Stand-ALL-MAKES-/180...

There's a few others as well...

Don't waste your money. Maximum weight only 2kg, maximum height - with the centre column fully extended only 51". It doesn't even fold up that small.
A recipe for back ache and wobbly camera.
It is cheap for a reason. Cheap tripods are generally a mistake. Why not bung the Velbon in the car boot and take it with you?
Mine goes pretty much every time I go for a photography outing or holiday.

I just wouldn't trust anything that cheap. I can imagine the head wobbling around, etc. I think it would be better to spend the same on something secondhand. I got a couple of very good old tripods from ebay. One was a Kenlock and the other a 'Cherry Dash', both very well made and stable. One was £2.70, the other 99p.

seconded on that - I have a Hama Star somethingorother and it's truly awful. No way I would trust it with my K5 - the 055 and 222 head are wobbly enough (yes, you can see it, especially over 300mm).

190 legs are the minimum I'd look at; there are Benros and Gitzos available for similar prices but the 'frotto MYs are cheap and cheerful and not strong enough.

Bret

“It’s unwise to pay too much, but it’s worse to pay too little.

When you pay too much, you lose a little money, that’s all.
When you pay too little, you sometimes lose everything, because the thing you bought was incapable of doing the thing it was bought to do.

The common law of business balance prohibits paying a little and getting a lot — it can’t be done. If you deal with the lowest bidder, it is well to add something for the risk you run, and if you do that, you will have enough to pay for something better.”

- John Ruskin



But at the end of the day it's your camera on the top, with maybe you and friends having your pics taken, when it falls over

Good Luck
Bernard

Cheers for the swift replies - I don't know why I'm having so much troulble with this tripod situtation as Im usually good at finding bargains - all road seem to lead to more money

When the Velbon does come out it is when I'm with the car and not going far from it - it is great and sturdy you could use it for oil drilling in the North Sea, but I just don't enjoy walking around with it

2nd hand is good idea, I have been keeping an eye out in the local charity shops too but nothing sturdy enough so far...

Maybe a Gorillapod is the way to go, probably more likely to get it through hand luggage?

When I'm travelling I usually just take a Slik Mini Pro V "table top" tripod and a bean bag - most of the time I find somewhere to put one of them although obviously it's not the perfect solution.

Simon

[IMG]http://i1236.photobucket.com/albums/ff444/Frogherder/IMGP6829.jpg[/IMG]

Some time ago I made the above from a length of 20mm aluminium angle from B&Q, a ball head from Jessops and a few other scrap bits. (I spray painted it this year as it was getting sad)

It generally lives in my rucksack and has not caused any security problems at any airports (as yet) I've been through.

It carries my K10D happily and will perch on uneven ground quite well (a bungy cord will hold it firmly on a gate/tree.

Bernard

I'm surprised it hasn't been picked up at airports - it looks a bit pointy!

Cash converters ? My local has one or two models in.

LOL bloody right - looks like it could fo some serious damage, hope we're not giving someone ideas! Seriously though looks very light and obviously does the trick, nice work Frogherder

I've got a couple off weeks before my next trip, if nothing 2nd hand appears, looks like it will either be the Silk Mini Pro, Silk Sprint Pro or a Gorillapod type thing

Think you need to be careful with this one - you might get sued for design copyright with the Ultrapod...

link

Yours looks quite a bit sturdier though as well as more lethal!!

Simon

I am astounded you can take that on board as carry on Bernard. A normal tripod is seen as a potential weapon and must be checked. That looks far more lethal tbh.

I just check my tripod in my luggage, removing the ball head if necessary. It is the only bit of photography gear that gets checked mind.
If I'm taken only a small case then I don't bother with any sort of tripod.

How do you know they check your tripod? As far as i'm concerned the last I see of my luggage is when it trundles through the little curtains, until it magically reappears on the carousel at my destination. So I've no idea whether they check it or not.