What tripod should I buy?

Not going to suggest or reject any, I’m just going to go through features I like and hate. My opinion, then you can decide what you want and how much you want to spend.

The floor feature, great as it usually means the legs can be individually set at different angles which can be really useful on different terrains and situations.

Then there is the 90° extension, also a great feature for product shoots

These twisty locks... sigh… after a while sand gets in and they get harder and harder to lock and unlock, then they start slipping if your camera is heavy and you haven’t twisted them hard enough. Some people really like this, I really don’t.

Flip locks… I know when it is staying put. These need to be checked and tightened every year or so. If made of cheap plastic beware, long term they may snap off. Otherwise, my preferred option.

Foam grips. Awesome and essential if made of good material. Never underestimate how quickly tripods can sap the warmth from your hands (winter in Berlin) or how hot the metal can get (burning hot in 2 minutes in south Marocco/Sahara).

Quick release is a good and essential feature to have.

A tripod that can do all sorts of angles is very nice, but not a deal breaker if not there.

Ball heads and tiny screw locks. Try adjusting that with gloves on or while you are looking elsewhere… try taking a series to stitch together for a panorama, try a smooth video swing… a total no-go for me, I need the handles which mean i can make adjustments on each axis whilst looking through the viewfinder and concentrating on my picture. In this case, the advantage of it packing away nicely does not outweigh the advantages.

Go for a three axis tripod head or a fluid tripod head for video where possible (not on any of those you asked about).

The head is not great as I prefer handles, but the fact that it is removable is a great point as it means you can upgrade this. Good tripod heads can cost as much as a tripod, but are worth it.

€130

The price point worries me… under €200 is actually too cheap and makes me question the materials used and durability. Remember, this tripod is holding all your equipment- lenses and cameras worth thousands of euros and you want it to last for years.

A nice feature allowing use as a mini boom stand. Not essential though.

Two bubble spirit levels are a good feature for level images. If the tripod is good you can buy a square spirit level that attaches to the camera hotshoe (an item which is good to have anyway).

This feature of the Manfrotto is relatively flimsy, but works well if you take care of your gear.

• This reply was modified 2 years, 3 months ago by Ben Chislett.
• This reply was modified 2 years, 3 months ago by Ben Chislett.
• This reply was modified 2 years, 3 months ago by Ben Chislett.
• This reply was modified 2 years, 3 months ago by Ben Chislett.