Be sensible, buy a good tripod

Friday 21 July 2023, 15:30 by Nando Harmsen | 3,337 views | 5 comments

This article was translated from Dutch with the help of AI. Read the original.

A tripod is essential for some people, while others see it as a burden. Are you about to buy a tripod? Be sensible and buy a good one. Don't be tempted too much by a cheap tripod. In this case, cheap can prove very expensive.

This isn't a threat, although it may come across that way. It's a warning. It's based on experience, not my own experience but on what I've seen happen to others. A cheap tripod carries a high risk of your valuable camera and lens falling.

There are many types of tripods available. Be sensible and don't save too much on one.
Perhaps I shouldn't be talking about a cheap tripod, but about a poor-quality tripod. Cheap doesn't always have to mean poor quality. What matters is that you get a genuinely sturdy tripod. You need to be able to entrust your photographic equipment to it safely.

A poor-quality tripod isn't stable, topples over easily, or doesn't keep your camera in a fixed position. The legs are difficult to slide in or out, or you can't secure them properly. The tripod head has play, or the knobs don't turn smoothly.

You can trust a good tripod, even in the water. Do you trust your tripod too?
Are you using a tripod with one or more of these problems? Then you probably don't have a sturdy tripod, or you have a faulty tripod. Because that can happen too. In either case, I wouldn't dare entrust my camera to such a tripod. Would you?

A tripod must be sturdy, because you have to put your valuable camera on it. So be sensible and spend a little more on a sturdy tripod rather than trying to save money on it. Any saving you think you're making can backfire if your camera falls and gets damaged.

This doesn't mean you have to buy the most expensive tripod available. That's the other extreme, and probably unnecessary. So always go to a shop and try it out. You'll soon notice what does and doesn't work.

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About the author

Nando Harmsen has been photographing for more than 40 years. He specialises in wedding photography and landscape photography. Nando also gives talks, workshops, masterclasses and photo trips, and regularly reviews new and interesting equipment.

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5 comments

Mac wrote on Monday 24 July 2023 at 07:52 | reply
You’re absolutely right, a cheap tripod doesn’t have to be bad.
And if you don’t have too big a budget, you can still buy a good tripod. You just have to keep a close eye on offers. Just check the sites daily to see if you spot a tripod that’s heavily discounted.
I was able to buy a carbon tripod myself for €99, because the model was being discontinued and the store was no longer going to sell the brand (Slik). So they wanted to get rid of their stock.
( and just like with lenses and bags, 1 tripod isn’t enough )
Translated from Dutch.

Donald Willemsen wrote on Tuesday 25 July 2023 at 14:29 | reply
Nando, you are absolutely right. There is nothing like a good tripod. Years ago I bought a tripod from the Dutch brand Redged. Whether that is a good tripod according to your standards, one could argue about. It wasn't very expensive and the included tripod head (ball head) is at least worthless in my eyes.
I later bought a new tripod head from Sirui. I am extremely satisfied with it.
Because of my mobility and stability, which have deteriorated considerably (I can no longer stand still without support), I decided at the beginning of this year to buy a good monopod. That became the Sirui P-325FS. I now use this monopod almost every time I take photographs, because it also gives me support and I can now take photographs standing up. Without that monopod, I always have to sit down to take photographs.
The Sirui tripod head I already had is now on the monopod. I now only use the tripod for long exposures, macro photography and in the studio. The monopod always comes along when I go out. It also has 3 fold-out feet at the bottom and that is quite handy. If I remove the middle section, it can also be used as a tabletop tripod. Multifunctional, then.
Translated from Dutch.

Paul wrote on Tuesday 25 July 2023 at 18:23 | reply
Clear. But it's not just your precious camera that's on it.
If you want to use a bit of telephoto, the weight can add up quite a bit, and even then the whole thing needs to remain stable. I'm not a wealthy person, got a D500 thanks to a lucky break, and use the Sigma 150-600 on it from time to time, that combination weighs about 3.5 kilos, which is quite heavy for many tripods. Years ago I bought a Giottos (aluminium, the carbon fiber was too expensive for me), which itself also weighs about 4 kilos. Quite a lug, but then it does stand firmly, although the ball head still has a hard time with it.
Translated from Dutch.

Mac wrote on Wednesday 26 July 2023 at 08:58 | reply
@Donald. The same goes for Redged, it depends on what you have. I myself have 2 Redged tripods and 1 monopod.
The monopod is great. 1 tripod is ok (especially if you don't fully extend it. ), its ball head is crap. The other tripod is good, with a good ball head.
I also have a gimbal head from Redged (bought second-hand) And that one is also just very good.

@Paul, for the combination with the Sigma you'd be better off getting a gimbal head. If you buy one second-hand they don't have to be expensive.
Translated from Dutch.

Donald Willemsen wrote on Wednesday 26 July 2023 at 16:15 | reply
@Mac , the tripod I have from Redged is the TST-423K with the included ball head. As far as I know, Redged no longer exists, although you can probably still buy tripods from them.
The tripod still works, but the ball head is junk. Redged made tripods in different price ranges. There are surely some good ones among them.
Translated from Dutch.

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