Cheap Tripod?

I mean the luggage is checked in - it is hold luggage.

But on flights to and from the US they open my case, which has the tripod in it, but never my husbands with nothing but clothes. Many a note from those lovely TSA people in my bag on US trips.

Tripods cannot be taken as carry on.

Cheap Tripod?

No.

I know from good experience that anything under 100 quid is going to break sooner rather than later. A good tripod (with head) is over a grand but a decent one might be had for about half that.

Both Minolta and Polaroid did some really solid little table top tripods which can also be held against a wall or a tree... or even your chest/shoulders. Pentax may have also done something similar there's one shown on page 196 of the K-5 Manual, holding a flashgun.

There's a Polaroid one on US ebay at present link the postage is too high for the UK though.

Looks just like a gun when it's in the pouch!

I got a Hama traveller with ball head, £16 on amazon. Perfect for my needs, stable and portable.

link

The crazy thing is we went to Guernsy two years ago and also in my rucksack was a multitool (complete with knife etc- I'd completely forgotten about it). There is also a small first aid kit with sissors. I was passed through un-hindered in both directions.

My wife had her handbag searched and the "Brunhilde" in charge confiscated her nail file and made ominous noises about a metal cased biro.

As for copyright - I might sue them - this was made more than 15 years ago. It started life as a simple vertical which I stuck in the ground to which I later bolted on two legs. I might look sharp but it's quite rounded - would make a better clubber than a stabber

Bernard

Might a monopod fit the bill?
Got the carbon version from Velbon and it's quite light and fold up small.

Many thanks JamieT, that's the tip I was looking for!! Great price & reviews!

http://www.ephotozine.com/article/hama-traveller-mini-pro--review-14487

I will double check on a height comparison when I get home, as I might just plump for the next model up 'Compact Pro' which is on Tesco Direct & Play.com for only £19, and extends a bit further (I'm 6"2), however the extra weight is probably going to put me off.

http://direct.tesco.com/q/R.210-4437.aspx

While obviously not going to be as sturdy as more expensive models it looks excellent value for money, and considering I had been getting away with using my dads old compact thing from the 70's (which is ball head attached to 3 car aerials) I'm sure these will fit the bill.

I also think your kit can make them more sturdy, for instance for long exposures I mainly use GX10 & SMC A 35-105, a pretty heavy combination which usually left me pulling the compact out of the dirt.

Phew, while LBA or this TBA can be fun I hope this Hama is the end of this chapter


LOL - This in one hand and an SMC A 35-105 in the other and I think they'll need to call Samuel Jackson

Cheers Gang!

Best of luck with this, but my guess is the instability, loose fittings and general build quality will have you desiring something better in about a week. From my experience anyway.

Have you been at the moonshine?

Here's the thing. You can buy cheap stuff over and over and always have it fail doing what it should do... hold your camera steady. On the side of a hill. In the sand. In the wind. If it works then you just got lucky. If it doesn't then the money you've spent is wasted and the time you've spent too. Not to mention the energy you've spent humping the thing around.

Worse yet, if it breaks or tips you might lose your camera and lens investment. Is this worth the risk? I am not risk averse and never buy insurance... a mug's game. But being foolish is another matter. I get vaccines before going to Asia. I put a metal lens hood on my lenses so when they bump something I'm protected. I use a wrist strap so a camera doesn't fall out of my grip. (All this to provide some perspective on my POV.)

If you want a tripod that provides good support (instead of having spindly wobbly legs), is built to take it in the real world (and doesn't fall apart or slip) and also is light enough not to kill your back (so you actually carry and use it) then you need to spend some money. Read what the experts say and they'll recommend something like the Gitzo GT1541 ($600 for legs only) or the Gitzo GT2541 ($1000 with ball head). These are by no means the most expensive tripods either.. ever looked at what video crews use? Your brain will freeze at the thoughts of the payments!

Yes, I've tried the cheap Hamas, which fail even the most cursory examination: they are weak, unstable, failure-prone and heavy. I bought Manfrotto, which are a decent consumer brand, but like most things found in high street stores, they require you buy in at the expensive end before you get decent kit. Up-sale is the name of the game. And I've bought what looked like a good deal, a light-weight Slik Sprint unit. Fell apart in a week -- just try to contact the company to get your money back. What a laugh!

You can go through all this, or I can give my best advise which is to buy once and never again. There are ways to get Gitzo quality at half the price, so the total kit comes in at 500 monetary units. (I'm not going to recommend specific kit since six months is too short a time for me to have tested what I have and evaluate longevity.)

If this seems like too much money, I recommend you stick with Shake Reduction. It works pretty darned well for many use cases.

P.S. I am obviously writing about full-sized tripods. If you want a mini-tripod that is another matter.

I agree that it is such a hard thing to try and find a good one that is compact. I'm off trravelling soon so have been searching for something good and small and not yet found one to buy.

I have had a hama star tripod and it broke after just a few uses so I am unsure the one you linked will be much better i think it is just a bit more money than the cheap star ones cos of the better head.

If anyone has any more suggestions it would be great to hear them.

Thanks
Harry

I totally agree with you in principle- buy quality- no argument.

To suggest that there is nothing on the market at less than a grand that is worthy of a long and trouble free life is just silly.

I have a perfectly servicable set of Giottos aluminium legs that cost £120 and a head that cost £60. Perfectly adequate.

Your Slik tripod is faulty and I would suggest you need to take it back to the retailer rather than the company. Your experience with this tripod may be tainting your view of all the other tripods on the market I would think.

I'm sure there are not many people on here who would spend the same amount on a tripod set up as the camera body they use. Ultimately its a bunch of sticks with something on top to attach to the camera- exotic materials can be expensive granted but there are limits!

I am sure these expensive tripods are very good .....

meanwhile , back in the real world!

How about something like this if you want cheap?

That's great PE at least I wouldn't trip over that one

I'll have a look around Poundland later!

I also hate the prices of Manfrotto, hence I looked for alternatives that are less cheap but still OK. Didn't check the prices in the UK but here in Germany you get Benro tripods for about half th eprice of a comparable Manfrotto. They come from China nd first ones got some bad test results in the web - I can only speak from my experience - I use a travel tripod with 4 segments and I guess per year I shoot about 2-3000 Pictures with a tripod - as I have it since two years I mounted it about 4000 times already and it is still in perfect condition. Due to heavy outdoor activities it has some scratches but every screw - every moveable part is still working like on the very first day.
I used a tripod-head combination for up to 7 kg gear and with this bundle I never had problems to find a stable stand for my K20D with 18-250 mm zoom lense.
If you are not a trade-poser - Benro might be an option......