I'm looking for a recommendation for a photography tripod for my wife. Something that would be considered a Travel Tripod. It needs to be sturdy, light and a solid setup with probably a ball head. Any suggestions? Price range I'm guessing $150.

Vanguard 263AT Tripod

Vanguard BBH-300 Tripod Head

Might be a little more than 150 bones but it's quality and will do everything you need.

After the holidays, looking for something similar so watching this thread.

If it's okay, I'd like to expand the suggestions to include a (magnetic) mount for the tripod screw to attach a phone. I use the Scorsch mounts for the car and would love something similar for tripod mount. Or something that is mechanically fast and easy to mount/unmount as well as make minor adjustments to level.

quote:

Originally posted by konata88:
After the holidays, looking for something similar so watching this thread.

If it's okay, I'd like to expand the suggestions to include a (magnetic) mount for the tripod screw to attach a phone. I use the Scorsch mounts for the car and would love something similar for tripod mount. Or something that is mechanically fast and easy to mount/unmount as well as make minor adjustments to level.

Get any old phone holder and a spare tripod base plate.

If you can go up a bit on your price range, the British brand "3 Legged Thing" uses high-end professional tripod designs and are very close to high-end professional tripod quality for about a third the price of a high-end professional tripod.

I have the "Corey" which is their micro-travel tripod - it collapses to under 14". The "Travis" is their standard travel tripod (collapses to under 18").

Both come with pretty good ball heads.

Right now on Amazon the Travis is $180 and the Corey is $200. If you don't need the extremely compact collapsed size of the Corey, the Travis is stiffer, has a higher maximum height, and is less expensive (because it has fewer, longer leg sections).

I have this Sunpak and I really like using it because of the pistol grip ball head.

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c..._pro_423_carbon.html

Jim

quote:

Originally posted by Jimbo54:
I have this Sunpak and I really like using it because of the pistol grip ball head.

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c..._pro_423_carbon.html

Jim

Pistol grip ball heads have their place, but for general photography, standard ball heads are usually better.

With a standard ball head, unless you are using an articulating tripod or a gigantic lens (or aren't using it with a camera - I like pistol grip ball heads for use with spotting scopes), you can just move the camera around and it will stay wherever you point it. With a pistol grip ball head, you have to take your hands off the camera to move it.

Might be above your budget, but: Manfrotto.
A used one should below your price range.

quote:

Originally posted by maladat:

quote:

Originally posted by Jimbo54:
I have this Sunpak and I really like using it because of the pistol grip ball head.

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c..._pro_423_carbon.html

Jim

Pistol grip ball heads have their place, but for general photography, standard ball heads are usually better.

With a standard ball head, unless you are using an articulating tripod or a gigantic lens (or aren't using it with a camera - I like pistol grip ball heads for use with spotting scopes), you can just move the camera around and it will stay wherever you point it. With a pistol grip ball head, you have to take your hands off the camera to move it.

I use it for both a DSLR and a spotting scope with good results. It also falls within his price range.

Jim

The Davis & Sanford TR654C-36 is an excellent travel tripod. After the enclosed review,I bought one for me and my wife and the are very portable and sturdy. They compare well against tripods that cost four times as much. $105 delivered.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=omOJ623M-w0

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c...NHCuTAUaAu5yEALw_wcB

quote:

Originally posted by Jimbo54:

quote:

Originally posted by maladat:

quote:

Originally posted by Jimbo54:
I have this Sunpak and I really like using it because of the pistol grip ball head.

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c..._pro_423_carbon.html

Jim

Pistol grip ball heads have their place, but for general photography, standard ball heads are usually better.

With a standard ball head, unless you are using an articulating tripod or a gigantic lens (or aren't using it with a camera - I like pistol grip ball heads for use with spotting scopes), you can just move the camera around and it will stay wherever you point it. With a pistol grip ball head, you have to take your hands off the camera to move it.

I use it for both a DSLR and a spotting scope with good results. It also falls within his price range.

Jim

They will absolutely work fine for photography, there's just an extra, unnecessary step to using one compared to a standard ball head.

Every high end photographic tripod company and ball head company out there makes a bunch of different standard ball heads. Most of them don't make pistol grip ball heads at all. That's because there is an overwhelming preference for standard ball heads in the enthusiast and professional photography communities.

I use this tripod benbo tripod

I have used it for about 20 years. It supports big and small lenses alike.

Pro is that it will adjust for any space and even low level photography like when shooting at ground level.

Also it can be adjusted with heavy gloves or mittens.

Con is that it is heavy.

Look at KEH. They sell used camera equipment. It's all graded as to condition.

I've bought lenses and tripod legs from them.

Sturdy and light normally mean expensive. You can get sturdy or light for good prices but combined those two and prices go up quickly.

I would start with what will she putting on the tripod. A consumer DSLR with most consumer lenses will not be much weight. Get into longer zoom lenses and you will need a stronger setup and head.

Great deal at BHPhoto...

Vanguard VEO 265 tripod, head, and shoulder bag with compartment for the tripod.

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c...aluminum_tripod.html

Tripod and head reg $100, bag regular $70. Tripod/head for $60, $80 with bag.

Vanguard is good gear at reasonable price, I have two of their tripods

Maybe no help but after decades of using Slik tripods I finally ponied up and switched to Feisol tripods with Kirk heads on them. We've had ours for 15+ years and used the he'll out if them.

I have a ct-3301 with a BH-1 and my wife has a Feisol something with a BH-3 head on it. Her gear tends to be a little smaller and lighter overall. I don't see either of us wearing them out but if we done will replace with Feisols again.

If you are going to be serious about this at all look into a good bracket as well. We use Really Right Stuff brackets. Expensive but extremely solid

I read somewhere that there are three main selection criteria when buying a tripod: price, weight, and stability. You can only choose two of the three.

Photography Life offers some great advice on all things photographic; you might find the article on "How to buy a tripod" (follow the link above) helpful.

My tripod has been planted in lakes, rivers, mud, and snow. The price was steep, but over the long haul its been a bargin due to its quality construction, light weight, and stability.

I second getting an L bracket.

Silent

I just received my Peak Design Travel Tripod, and it's fabulous! A crowdfunded project backed by renowned travel photographer Trey Radcliffe, this this is solid, well-designed, and yet it collapses down to the size of a water bottle that can fit into a suitcase. Not cheap, at about $350, but I think it's worth every penny.

If you want something more established, I'd go with Manfrotto. If you're more budget conscious, MeFOTO makes surprisingly good tripods (I have the Road Traveler). A nice thing about the MeFOTO is that you can remove one of the legs and use it as a monopod!

B&H Photo has some good sales going on now. I use pretty expensive Giotto tripods but there are many choices for a lot less money.

A couple of friends use Sirui, an example:
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c...on_fiber_tripod.html

I picked up the previous model to this last year and it has served me well. It is relatively lightweight and compact. It still has enough suability that I can mount my 200-500 zoom lens with Nikon D7500 on it.

https://www.manfrotto.com/us-e...ead-mkbfrla4bk-bhus/

quote:

Originally posted by YooperSigs:
Might be above your budget, but: Manfrotto.
A used one should below your price range.

Second on the advice for Manfrotto. Have 2 Bogen (made by Manfrotto) tripods that date back to the mid 80's and none of the joints on either have any slip at all. The one that gets carried every day is a compact that was only made for 2 or 3 years and I purchased it because it was the only tripod I could find that fit into the saddle bags on my motorcycle. Now if fits nicely into the spare tire well in my FiST and I don't even have to remove the head.

However I do not think you will be able to find a used Manfrotto. While they are rather expensive they are also so well constructed that they will last a lifetime so most people who have one won't give them up until they are pushing up daisy's.