I need a lightweight tripod than collapses small...

The limit of the Manfrotto 785b is 1kg so far too little, it wouldn't be very stable and not pleasant to use with the K20D it's simply to flimsy most likely.

£50 is also far to little to spend on a tripod, a good one will last you your life time and a £50 you might throw away after a year in search for something better. Believe me save a little more for a good one.

btw the Velbon CX-460 Mini is £28.70 at amazon.co.uk and they have it in stock

Richard that Velbon Ultra looks also quite nice.

ps. Just looked up the price of the gitzo, it's only $2500,00
Fine piece of equipment though

Only $2500! Wow! I think I will order one for me and a few for my friends (NOT!)

I can really vouch for the Velbon Ultra Luxi L, my F model is pretty much identical except for the garish gold colour, thank goodness they are now black (they must have listened to their customers! :lol. It can comfortably handle 2 kgs with no real problems, but it's not a Gitzo GT1541T, which can handle an amazing 8kgs! But then, it's affordable!

I've used it so much these days in preference to my large Gitzo 2220 Explorer that I've just sold the Explorer together with all my big heads. Apart from use in very difficult windy conditions or awkward macro shots, I don't miss the Gitzo that much, but I do miss the accuracy of it's positioning especially when used with a Manfrotto geared head.

However, I would like a very slightly larger tripod which has an adjustable centre column and smooth ball head (for macro work). I am currently looking at the various alternatives. I don't want to spend much more than £150 - £200 for the combination, but I may have to go higher in order to get a carbon fibre model for lower weight and rigidity considerations. I will also have to invest in a stone bag link to keep the tripod on the ground when I have the camera and lens stuck out on one side! But I'm not in any great rush.

Ah yes the delima of what to get.
The gitzo is mighty expensive, I only have a simple ballhead for my velbon monopod from them but it is quality though.

If you want carbon then £150 - £200 seems a bit too little.
Like I said I've my eyes on this one link the nice thing is you can transform the center colum from verical to horizontal in a second so that plus a ballhead would be nice for macro I believe. But then tripod + head you will end up around £300, you do get something for that money though ^^;
btw it seems strange but I believe that tripod gear is cheaper here, so your low pound don't do you much good.

If on your bike, use a camera clamp on the end of the handlebars with bike layed on the ground.....

If on your skis, use your ski sticks held crossed with camera resting on top.......

The Manfrotto 055 is a nice tripod, but it's a bit large and heavy, especially with a head, the 190B series is more my size/weight target, but I have my eye on the Giottos MTL 8350B tripod link and the Giottos MH1302-652 head link

The tripod is £176 and the head is £68, so the combo is £244, which is not too bad. The tripod actually has a built in pan and tilt mechanism which you can use without a head which is very handy (page down about halfway in the tripod link).

I shall be visiting my favourite tripod dealer to check them out.

I have never had a Giottos in my hands so don't know how good they are but they surely do look good.

That polaroid table tripod is a really good tripod. My dad has one, he got it with a Polaroid camera. (he had to go to the film factory a lot for his work and got a lot of freebees there).

I've recently found another use for it with a 300mm lens and 1.4x converter = 420mm a bit too much for hand-holding at 1/250 - 1/350th sec. I put two of the legs against my chest/shoulders set the camera roughly where I want to look, tighten the ball and socket head and then compose and take the shot. Rock solid. I've had focus/DOF problems, but so far after about 500 shots no camera shake. I can also turn it through 90deg and hold the 3 legs against a tree with my left hand.

Used as a normal tripod it will just about support the K10D 55-300 + 1,4x converter although that set up is a bit front heavy.

shim

I'm in agreement with john riley on this one Peter lightweight tripods are more of an annoyance than a help when keeping you gear stable.

I would rather make my bag lighter than skimp on the tripod

The Cullman Magic is about the best for packing into a small space. Ok for lenses up to about 200mm, although you could probably put a better ball and socket on it.

shim

Need to take a day off from filters headache , and sorry for the huge delay about tripod

So both looks very good, the Velbon luxi (exactly what I was looking for!) and both the Velbon CX-460 Mini, while I couldn't find any Cullman Magic.

I need to do some questions about (sorry fir the ignorance!):

1-Is there any reason to buy the Quick release head with Velbon Luxi and above all, what is its use?

2-better a mini tripod like the C460 or a gorillaz? or are simply different thing?

3-Just to understand, some tripods have maximum load 8-9kg. Obviusly this is better for heavy lenses (super super tele) but if my k20d+da55-300 is no more than 1,300 kg, can I benefit from a higher load tripod, or a simply stone bag is a good solution?

4-Which requirements do you look for (like built in spirit level, Quick release plate, etc) when you buy a tripod?

Thanks

The heavier, the better. There is no free lunch. Remember this.....,if your camera + lens weight is about the same as your tripod can handle, then try to take sharp pictures in a windy environment, doing landscapes.
Get my point? Just get used to the weight, and enjoy the fact that your pictures will be so much sharper, due to the use of lower ISO settings, higher apertures and slower shutter speeds. Only because your tripod is rock solid and steady.


Martin.

The k20d+da55-300 is quite well balanced unlike some heavy telephotos that can have quite a large overturning moment. Almost any tripod will hold the k20d+da55-300, but if your using it at 300mm it does need a reasonably rigid tripod purely because of the focal length, as Martin says the heavier the better.

Cullmann Magic 2 just about steady enough, but very compact for traveling, I've got the Magic 1 which is almost identical, I wouldn't use it other than for traveling.

link

or at Speedgraphic



shim

Ok thank you that looks good as well,very similar carachteristic slightly more expensive.

Velbon luxi L - Culman Magic 2

Maximum Height 161cm - 144
Minimum Height 19cm
Folded Height 39cm - 34.5
Weight 1320g - 1363
Maximum Load 2.5kg - 2.5
Spirit Level Yes
Carry Case Yes

But do I need to buy the head for both of them?

as to the max focal extension that would benefit from mhigher maximum load, do you reckon 2.5kg is not enough?
Do you know anything with a higher one?

Have a look through this thread Max, it may help give you an idea.