I have an ambivalent relationship with tripods. On one hand, they fall into the must have category, and in many cases they make the difference between a good photo and a bad one, or a photo not taken at all... On the other hand, tripods can be a burden. In the land of f/16, aka kingdom of twilight, aka empire of the darkness, Tripods are equal to a pair of glasses. You can't manage without them, unless your number is around the 1.8 area, preferably less...
I had my share of experience with several tripods along the years. Funny, but coming to think about it I've changed tripods like girlfriends, until I found the right one and got married...
Anyways... I was talking about tripods ("mawiage, that bwessed awangement, that dweam within a dweam..." ... ok!ok!...)
Let's talk about tripods in general first.
What do we expect of a tripod?
- The obvious: it must be able to stabilize our camera and prevent blurry photos.
- The required: it enables us to keep the camera fixed in relation to the scene. This is important for studio shots as well as landscapes and architecture, where precise composition and the ability to recreate the same shot across repetitive frames are important.
- The creative: a good tripod helps us get the shots that are harder if not impossible to get without it.
The vawiety (here I go again...) of tasks we will put our tripod in throughout the years is very large. It will serve us in trips and journeys, it will be the foundation of most studio setups, it will be tossed from side to side in our trunk wherever we go, used on staircases, slopes, and I even used my tripod for capturing video of people running a race, while driving my car…
To summarize this section – although inanimate, the tripod is expected to endure the challenges and abuse a typical photographer puts his gear through…
My previous experience with older tripods I used has taught me two important lessons:
- Cheap tripods do not stabilize the camera well and tend to wear and tear quickly.
- Heavy tripods are a burden.
I soon realized that I'd choose a tripod that's made of Carbon fiber. It's a super strong material that's also extremely lightweight, which makes it perfect for a tripod that is to be carried around without breaking your back.
Now I had to take a decision about what tripod legs and what head to choose.
Take a look at the tripods-legs page on B&H website. You'll notice that prices range from $50 to $2,999. If you narrow the list to one of the weight categories the price range will reflect that category.
For the common tasks and gear involved in still photography, I recommend going for the 13 to 23 lbs that can support a DSLR together with a 70-200 f/2.8 lens, flash and some accessories easily.
So after narrowing the list you'll have a price range of $80-$800. To my experience the cheaper models are a bad decision in the long run. I'm talking about durability, self-weight, quality of locks, and ease of use. If you narrow it more and select Carbon Fiber as the tripod material the minimum price changes to $200. I highly recommend choosing a Carbon Fiber tripod because of the superior qualities of this material; light weight, strength, durability, no peeling paint. The tripod I eventually chose after making my investigation and tests is actually one of the cheapest in that category.
I've chosen Manfrotto 055MF4 MagFiber Tripod Legs together with 486RC2 Ballhead with Quick Release. Today, after years of using this combination I can only recommend this to anyone that is planning to buy a tripod and trying to decide what to buy.
Let's start with the Tripod legs.
Meet StaDuLiaS! I've just invented that word now
. It stands for Stable-Durable-Light-(and)Smart. That is all I'm asking of my tripod.
- Stable: Come on! be a tripod, you milksop!
- Durable: Heck, I only have one tripod, how come I suddenly have three parts in my hands ?!
- Light: I think you have had enough metal to eat dear...
- Smart: Could you just turn your center column upside down and shut up?
More seriously, a tripod has to serve me for long time. I don't want it to be too heavy, i don't want it to break into pieces on it's 5th assignment and I want it to be able to do things that cheap tripods can not.
That said, Manfrotto knows how to plan and put together a quality tripod! Throughout the years my tripod travels with me on every assignment I have. It gets tossed in my trunk, becomes dusty-muddy-wet in the fields, and handled without care as I carry it with me. The 055MF4 survived all the challenges without showing any signs of weakening. The photo to the right demonstrates the durability of the feet.
Older-cheaper tripods I owned would have shown many signs of aging including: wearing of the feet, weakening of the locks and general decrease in the tripod's stability. It was very irritating because I'd find myself supporting the tripod instead of having it supporting my camera. The 055MF4 is as Strong and stable as on the day I got it.
Another advantage of carbon fiber is that it keeps a clean look throughout the years, it shows no scratches, it can't be squashed and it does not rust as metal.
The 055MF4 main specifications are:
|
Maximum Height |
65" (165.1 cm) |
| Maximum Height w/o Column Extended | 51.4" (130.5 cm) |
| Minimum Height | 4.3" (11 cm) |
| Folded Length | 21.3" (54.1 cm) |
| Load Capacity | 15.5 lb (7 kg) |
| Leg Sections | 4 |
| Leg Lock Type | Flip lever |
| Independent Leg Spread | Yes |
| Center Column Sections | 2 |
| Center Column Type | Sliding |
| Head Mount Thread Size | 3/8"-16 |
| Weight | 4.4 lb (2 kg) |
Independent legs spread means that you can position the tripod on staircases and slopes easily. You just use the quick push buttons to select one of the four degrees of inclination, and extend the legs to the desired length. It's also useful when you want to setup the tripod on the seat next to the driver in your car… The center column may also be positioned horizontally for side mounting, or even upside down for low angle shooting. You do that by simply unscrewing the knob at the bottom of the column and re-mounting it in the desired position. The horizontal feature is very useful in studio setups, while the low angle feature is great for macro shots of plants and small creatures.
The 055MF4 has a built in carrying handle made of strong durable rubber. It can also operate like a hook to hang weights from in order to increase the stability of the tripod during shoots in extreme wind conditions I've added a simple strap for carrying the tripod on my back. This only modification that I made to the tripod is very helpful because it leaves my two hands available for shooting when I'm not using the tripod. I used to carry the tripod in one hand, or in a bag on my shoulder that I needed to hold while using the camera. No more.
Now if I need to take photos in a crowded trade show for example, I carry the tripod on my back, then when I get to the pavilion I need to photograph I quickly place it where I want, take my shots and fold it back in seconds. FUN! When you work out of the studio you learn to appreciate light end easy setups and the combination of the light 055MF4 and the back strap made the difference to me.
Now lets talk about tripod heads.
Some photographers like 3 way Pan/Tilt heads, others prefer ball heads. Some need a very big and massive head to support their super telephoto lenses while others prefer a compact head to support the more common medium size lenses. I decided to buy a ball head that would be simple to operate and provide maximum flexibility in operation. I figured that having invested in a light and easy to operate tripod, I need a head with similar qualities; something light, compact and accurate.
If you regularly use 400-500mm lenses and eat telescopes for dinner please skip the following section...
After trying some models and doing some research I decided to buy the 486RC2 Ballhead. It's a tiny Ballhead with a single control that allows me to position my camera in any angle I desire easily. RC2 stands or Rapid Connect 2 (quick release) system, meaning I can easily attach and detach the camera to the head with one click. Like the tripod, the head shows no signs of wear and tear and unlike in older heads I've owned it is still as stable and accurate as when I bought it. Its load capacity is 13.2 lbs (6 kg), meaning I can attach my heaviest DSLR, with 70-200 f/2.8 lens, a flash and a radio trigger and still have some lbs to spare…
The 486RC2 pans 360 and tilts 90 degrees, and instantly locks off in any position using a single control. I can then detach the camera, take some hand held shots and return the camera to the exact position using the quick release feature. This is very useful in studio and event photography.
Like the tripod legs, the 486RC2 has been serving me for years, sometimes in rough conditions. I don't treat my tripod gently, I tell you that. When I finish a long shooting day out in the field, or an event deep into the night and I load my gear back in the trunk I put my padded camera bag carefully, but I tend to just stack the exposed tripods and stands and head on my way (hmmm... irrationality 
). Zero problems with the Manfrotto tripod taught me that choosing the right gear can be not only worthwhile, but actually rather cheap; the price for the tripod+head is $310 on B&H. a very inexpensive piece of professional gear.
The 055MF4 together with the 486RC2is a very versatile and worthwhile tripod setup to the average photographer. If you're planning to buy a new tripod or if your old one begins to show signs of aging, remember my recommendation. Whatever you decide to buy there are two guidelines I'd put as a general rule of thumb in choosing a tripod:
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Prefer a Carbon Fiber tripod. It is strong and lightweight.
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Avoid the "no-name" tripods. Personally my favorites are Gitzo and Manfrotto...
P.S. The wire that's wrapped around the "neck" of the tripod is my camera remote switch. I used to keep it in my bag but after forgetting it few times, and in other cases spending too much time digging my bag to find it i decided to leave it where it should be; on my tripod...
