badboy

I have been looking for a tripod for quite some time now, and I was getting frustrated because of the lack of reviews out there for pods in my price range. So I just decided to give these two a try. I would like to know what you guys/girls have heard about the combo below. Thx.

Giottos MH-1300 Pro Series II Large Ballhead with MH-657 Quick Release System



Bogen / Manfrotto 3021BPRO Tripod Legs

jupitersolo

Not bad.

LuvMyTSX

I've been trying to find my way through tripod options as well, but just end up getting confused and overwhelmed with all the options.

darksom1

Good topic! I'm in the market for a good tripod! C'mon experts, weigh in!

jupitersolo

dark, you might want to check out this thread....

https://acurazine.com/forums/cameras-photography-44/what-tripod-do-you-use-370009/

Stapler

There is a fairly thorough tripod topic around the forum somewhere that has some nice suggestions at different prices, or maybe it just talks about getting one tall enough for dan I forget.

But I think you did good, I have the 3021 bn legs myself and they are kinda tank like. Very Solid but a little on the heavy side. Please share what you think of the head you bought. I have a bogen bullhead without quick release on my tripod that I have been thinking of upgrading from

wndrlst

In addition to the link Jup posted, this thread has good info:

https://acurazine.com/forums/showthr...ighlight=gitzo



I particularly found this article helpful (courtesy of Dan):

http://bythom.com/support.htm

Dan Martin

Looks like a good setup badboy

badboy

I received the items today.

First impression:

I have never owned a tripod of any sort before this purchase.

The ballhead came in a pouch and was smaller than I expected it to be. All the knobs were easy to grip and turn. The panning works really well as it was silky smooth to move the camera side to side on the head. It took a while to get used to adjusting the ball, but I got the hang of it soon enough. I love how quickly I can maneuver the camera around. I don't do a lot of shooting where time is of the essence, but when I start, I know I can use the same equipment. The price I paid was 150 for the ballhead and I believe for that price range I got a decent product. It will get the job done for me.

The tripod legs were heavier than I thought they would be. The list weight was somewhere around 5 pounds but it feels like it weights more, perhaps because of the awkward grip one has when holding a tripod. Not a problem since I do not expect to go hiking with this thing. I do like the option of moving the center column sideways, as I can be more creative with my compositions. Not sure how often I'll use it, but I know it's there as an option. Another thing I like about this tripod is the height. I'm not as tall as Dan (is anyone?) but I am 6' so it is very comfortable using the tripod which comes up to my height.

I am satisfied with the purchase so far. I don't think I'll find something which is going to change my opinion once I start using it in the field, but who knows.

I can't wait to take longer exposure shots now. That is the main reason I got the tripod. I do enjoy night photography and this tool will help me greatly. I may get a picture or two of myself now that I got this.

There is a wealth of information on this topic on this board. I used a lot of it to decide what I wanted in a tripod. However, when it came down to the price range I was willing to spend on the tripod, there isn’t a whole lot of information even on the web for people looking for opinions/reviews. So I had to make this purchase, especially the ballhead, without being very confident. I was able to read reviews on the legs and they seem to be mostly positive. I will keep you guys updated once I start using this combo.

Shutter release and a macro lens shall be my next purchase.

Thanks for reading.

wndrlst

Sounds great, badboy. Congratulations on your new equipment! Post some night pics soon!

badboy

I haven't got a chance to use the pod yet, but I did manage to take some pictures of it.

http://www.bboyhp.com/photos/tripod

waTSX

That's a nice looking setup. Congrats.

badboy

thanks watsx, I can't wait to use it on a trip

svtmike

I picked up Bogen-Manfrotto 190XPROB tripod and 322RC2 Horizontal Grip ball head last week for my D200 setup. I haven't used them except to set them up -- very solid and so far I like the grip ball head.