tripod suggestions

[2F/2F]

That's the spirit!

Be sure you are looking at used tripods. IMO, unless you need something very specific and just can't wait to shop the used market, there is no reason to buy one new. IME, the cost of a near-new used tripod is about 25 to 33 percent of the cost of a new one, and you usually get a head included.

[Rinthe]

i could get the manfrotto legs fro 140ish from bh because of education discount. the plate i couldn't really find anywhere else used. i'll look into the arca-swiss ballhead tho. thanks for the tip.

btw where do you usually look for used gear? ebay, craigslist and keh?

[2F/2F]

I have had good luck with used tripods on Craigslist, though I do live in a major metropolitan area with tons of schools and photographers in general. 3036 and 3051 tripods for under $200 with 3047 heads in like-new condition are fairly commonplace on Craigslist here. I have also had good luck on E-Bay. Just take your time and ask lots of questions on E-Bay. I usually shop for something on E-Bay for 3-6 months before I finally "pounce", and I have made some major steals. Often, it is a Buy It Now that shows up for a great price that I notice while it is still fresh, or a lot of gear in kit form, which terribly lowers the value there. I got about $2,500 worth of Canon FD gear and accessories for under $400 one time. It only happened because I had watched and waited for a long time, however.

[MattKing]

What 2F/2F said, with one caveat.

Sometimes, the best deals on eBay or Craigslist do appear quickly. As an example, when I was first considering that a 4x5 enlarger would be nice, I saw a great deal for an Omega enlarger with an Ilford Multigrade head and controller. If I had waited, it would have gone, and I haven't seen anything like it since.

So the advice is be prepared to be patient, but also be knowledgeable and prepared to pounce!

One of the good things about tripods is that there are many out there, and even a marginally inadequate tripod is still useful while you wait for a better one. Your cameras aren't huge, so a reasonably sturdy tripod should be functional even if not perfect.

It may be true as well that you will need to work with any tripod for a while before you know whether it suits you. If you buy a used, quality tripod at a reasonable price, and it turns out not to be suited to you, you can probably re-sell it for close to what you paid for it.

Matt

[lxdude]

If you don't really have a need for the horizontal arm, you can save some money by getting the 055XB instead of of the PROB. I think the arms are overrated in their practicality, especially with the Manfrotto, which only goes horizontal. The load rating and stability go down rapidly the more you extend the arm from the tripod's centerline. I do have a tripod with a multi-angle column-a Giottos MT9371, but it's big enough and heavy enough to handle it. It's one size up from the 055 size category. Giottos also make tripods equivalent to the 055 which compare very well, seem to be a little less expensive, and which I personally prefer.

One thing concerning height-with your MF camera, if you're using the waist level finder, you won't have it as high as with your 35mm. So with the heavier camera you'll be able to increase stability by having the tripod legs not extended as much.

Regarding the head-consider a standard 3-way pan-tilt head; a high quality one is much cheaper than a high quality ball head. I like the Bogen 3028/Manfrotto 115. It's very inexpensive used. Its sections can be worked around so that a vertical shot with your 35mm will have the camera almost perfectly over the tripod's centerline, unless you're using a winder, in which case it will still be better than with most 3-ways or ball heads. In addition, the sections can be worked around to enable it to hold the camera off the tripod's centerline farther than a regular 3-way or ball head-enough that I like that better than an adjustable angle column for a lot of my angled or straight-down shooting.

If you later decide you would rather have a ball head, you can start saving up for a really good one, then sell off the 3-way. I have both, and like them both, but if I had to choose, I'd keep my 3-way.

[Rinthe]

i just got my arca swiss z1 sp and manfranto 055xprob tripod with the wimberley universal plate!!!!!!!! YES!!

just one thing, the wimberley plate is a little longer than the arca swiss quick release, makes it look a bit weird. what plates do you guys use with ur arca swiss ball head?