I use a high end Gitzo tripod and RRS ballhead and haven’t followed tripod recommendations in years. I have a friend who wants to buy a tripod. He was planning on a really cheap one, but I have convinced him to spend at least $500. Can anybody recommend a tripod in that price range? Also, I remember years ago a great article which described the process of buying a cheap tripod and then upgrading three times or so, thus increasing the final good tripod cost a lot. Does anybody have a link to that article?
I have a Carbon Fiber Feisol 3301 I bought at least 20 years ago or more. Over time I bought both the long & short center columns. I also bought 2 Induro BHL3S Ballheads too.
It is plenty sturdy as I use a heavy ProSD Mamiya RB67 medium format and a Wista DXIII 4x5 large format camera with no issues at all.
The tripod use to sell by itself for around $350-$400.
Feisol 3301
The best $500 tripod you can get is the FLM CP30-L4 II. This tripod has roughly the same specs as the RRS tvc-24L but is lighter and cheaper.
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Hi, Tony - I also have a Feisol, although I never use it very much. It was plenty hefty and stable when I had a big Nikon and bigger lens.
I’m always interested in the equipment others have when I’m travelling, and I have to say there are a lot of Feisols and fewer and fewer Gitzos and other high-priced tripods. I don’t think one has to have super-expensive tripods when others rated as well (or better) are available. Have your friend take a look at the reviews and suggestions for the best-rated tripods.
I agree. I have been using this tripod for a few years and I love it.
Thanks for the responses one and all. I really appreciate it. I should have also asked for a reasonably priced ballhead. The cheapest RRS version, the BH-40, is $378 andI am sure he will not want to spend that much.
Leofoto makes tripods and heads with a solid reputation. I have heard several origin stories ranging from knockoffs to the overseas makers of brand named equipment with overstock… What ever the real story the quality/price ratio is very good. Made in china, they have a US dealer with a store on ebay: https://www.ebay.com/str/Leofotousa. For someone looking to save some money they are worth a look. I use their G4 Geared Head, it is beautifully made and very precise (every bit as good as my RRS BH-55 and BH-40 heads). A really excellent head for the landscape specialist.
HTH,
Guy