Best tripod for reef tank shots

flyyyguy

flyyyguy

King of the white corals
Premium Member
What tripod is best as far as ease of changing from shot to shot and overall stability??

I understand its going to most likely cost a ton.........so besides just offering what you think is the ABSOLUTE best...would also like to know what the best one is for a reasonable price.

thanks :)
 
$174 out of my price range. lol

I was seriously expecting 500-1k to be thrown at me.

I can spend more than that if a little more will do me better.

my tripod now has quick release...but it SUCKS. It can barely support my camera haha
 
I also have that set up. Let's face it. If you are going to go down and pick up a tripod at Office max or Wal-mart for $30, then it makes no difference which one you get, They will all be short, made of crappy aluminium, be flimsy and the levers and knobs will eventually break. Until you have used a quality tripod, you have no idea how nice they really are. Bogen/manfrotto are good quality at the low end of the price range. The aluminium ones are rather heavy, but carbon fiber is going to cost at least a couple hundred more.

Mike
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11074749#post11074749 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by MCary
I also have that set up. Let's face it. If you are going to go down and pick up a tripod at Office max or Wal-mart for $30, then it makes no difference which one you get, They will all be short, made of crappy aluminium, be flimsy and the levers and knobs will eventually break
Click to expand...

Understood...thats why I posted this thread in the first place.

And my currnet tripod was only $19.95, quick release and everything. My D-100 does look kinda funny sitting on kit though.....



Thanks for the input everyone. I have made an order with B and H and loking forward. :)
 
Thanks for posting this question as I'm in the market for a new one, too, and this'll make my searching easy.

But, here's the deal: The big $$$ tripods are filled with things you don't need. What most people look for is light weight for packing out to the wilderness. If tank shots are your goal you need something as heavy as possible so it'll be as stable as possible and you really don't need to pack it anywhere. Also, the ball heads are nice for quick setups out in nature, but what do you need them for in a tank shoot? You need to be as parallel to the glass as possible for every shot. You'll be moving the whole setup around a lot anyway, but you don't ever need to shoot anything except for straight into the tank.

So, look for those sorts of "features" and save some cash. On the other hand, I'm in the market now because a knob on my cheap ($100) heavy tripod gave out and I can't do any up/down adjustments and I can't either figure out how to rig it up or get the company on the phone to try to get a replacement. Sigh....

Good luck!
 
I already ordered the one that fivewhyn suggested. That head did look pretty cool.

And now my lovely wlmart special will be simply going down the river with me. I gotta say, it has treated me well for on the river. Im a flyfishing guide and I have had the thing for cpouple years standing it in the water to take shots(with my cheap camera of course). It surely want enough for my DSLR though anywhere.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11076002#post11076002 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by "Umm, fish?"


But, here's the deal: The big $$$ tripods are filled with things you don't need. What most people look for is light weight for packing out to the wilderness.
Click to expand...

It's simpler than that.

Tripods have 3 basic criteria for selection:

Weight
Stability
Cost

You can really only pick 2, i.e. lightweight + stable = higher cost / stable + low cost = heavy, etc....

Just like with Reef Keeping it's often cheaper to buy the right gear the first time than it is to buy several cheaper items only to have to replace them later with the right gear.

You have to decide what's important. For tank use some of the Manfrotto aluminum sticks are pretty decent. Would you want to go back packing with one? probably not.

My current tripod setup cost more than my last camera body but that's probably overkill for what you're after.
 
Makes sense beerguy. So keeping in mind I bought this camera for reef pics in the first place.......sounds like a couple hundred dollar fairly heavy tripod is the right choice :)
 
i actually bought a focusing rail a couple of months ago...but it was kind of a joke on my previous cheapo tripod and i preferred to shoot without it.

I think it was $180 or something...Adorama. So not high end but decent I think and what was recommended to me by someone.

Im getting lessons as we speak and starting to understand how the settings actually work with each other so Im excited and looking forward. :)
 
bumping this back up. I havent had anytime to shoot since I got my new tripod, but I have had enough time to rrealize that these legs are NOT what I want. The head is sweet.

having acrylic tanks, and shooting mostly macro shots, it is really important to be facing square through the viewing pane. I need legs that have a quick release to move the head up and down, instead of having to unscrew it every time to adjust the height to a new target at a different level in the tank.

I just searched quickly at B and H and couldnt really find what im looking for.

Suggestions or anyone familiar with what I want?? to be sure........I am posting a pic of the screw I need to undo everytime so you understand what im talking about and what I want to be a quick release, or hold down and move,....whatever.....


Petty I know...but hey......might as well do this right and exactly how I want it to be, and Im willing to pay a restocking fee to return this one and upgrade to the one I want

thx
tripod.jpg
 
Flyyyguy,
Those legs are intended to have a head that yo uusually buy separate to sit on them. Although this is more expensive I believe it gives you the option to get a bigger head when your gear gets heavier...
I have three Manfrotto heads
482: Really small head that I mainly use on a small holder that I can attach to the glass of my car when shooting from it. or when I want to travel very light with my smaller monopod. not recommended to support heavier equipment as it won't freeze it.
486 RC2: very good for the weight I have mostly D70s with avertical grip and my heavier lense being the 70-300VR. still it works fine with a macro rail and the 50mm reversed over a set of extension tubes. very firm grip but still not as convenient as my joystick head.
Joystick head: can't remember the number offhand, very convenient for minor adjustments as you don't have to unscrew the release of the head ( yes you still have to unscrew the release of the head but don't have to play with the legs extension for adjustement for each shot) basically you just press on the release and you move your setup and once it's fine you just take off your hand. It comes in two modes a vertical and a horizontal one. I found the vertical easier to work with as I can hold it with the left hand and shoot with my right hand on the camera. the horizontal one has to be released with the right hand so shoting while panning is not as easy...
Guess your best option would be to take your heaviest camera and go try a head on the legs you have and see how stable it is.
Seing that yuo have a macro rail then I assume yuo're doing some high magnification macros then it also important to have you macro setup with you and see how stable it is. Those heads have a maximum weight tolerance and even though you can have more weight on the head you chose, for macro it's always better to have some safe margins and getting one better than what you really need.
keep us informed on what you choose

On a side note it's sensor cleaning time for you.
 
ive got a good head. I want the entire head assembly that is adjusted by the screw I pictured to move up and down easier than the screw.
 
ok.......geared column is i guess what I am looking for. Unless someone has another idea for me to move up and down without the screw

all of them I see here adds nearly $200 to the price of the $125 legs I just bought

cheaper suggestions, or is that simply what im looking at wanting what i want??
 
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