Steve'sDigicams

comfortablynumb · Oct 18, 2012, 4:14 PM

Trying to use a tripod more, but all I have is a 10 year old $15 Vivitar with a pan head. For what I paid for it, I was pretty surprised at the quality, not professional but it's done everything I need it to do. The downfalls of said cheap tripod it's really heavy, the pan head is sketchy but functions. I'm not sure of it's composition but I'm sure it's not aluminum. It's not exactly compact with the legs compressed, and thus carrying it around is cumbersome at best.

I'm looking to stay in a pretty tight budget of $40 - $70, queue laughter, I know the perception low price = junk. I rarely shoot my SLR gear anymore, I'm not looking to jump into a DSLR for at least a while yet. I'm mainly going to be shooting with a compact digital for the time being. Subjects being nature, ocean, and on the road all around shooting.

I looked at the Dolica GX600B200, and Silk Sprint 150 online, any other opinions?

Ozzie_Traveller · Oct 19, 2012, 3:34 PM

G'day CN

I do a lot of on-line purchasing from 'dinodirect.com' ~ bought tripods + flashes + lots of other stuff from them
Give them a sqwiz with the search of "camera tripod" and see what you come up with

Regards, Phil

DAYMX5 · Nov 30, 2012, 2:12 PM

give this a look. All in all, a pretty good bang for the buck:
http://www.amazon.com/Ravelli-Profes...=cm_cr_pr_pb_t

wave01 · Dec 3, 2012, 2:07 AM

have a look at a giottos vitruvian light and fold down very well

WCKSer · Dec 11, 2012, 2:50 AM

I have both the Dolica GX600B200 and the Ravelli Professional. both are pretty good tripod for their price and cost about the same. The Dolica has better locking mechanism on the legs which makes it easier to set up. The Ravelli has a better ball head assembly. So it is really a toss-up when you have to make a choice. I would pick the Ravelli over the Dolica because of the ball head assembly.

Since I have both, I swap out the ball head on the Ravelli and put it on the Dolica. I bought the Ravelli last year for $38 from amazon.com and the Dolica for $20 during Black Friday from newegg.com. Total cost comes to $58. I am very happy with this cheap combo modification.

WCKSer · Jan 5, 2013, 4:42 AM

The Dolica Proline tripod has the snapper type of locks on the legs making easy to extend the legs in a hurry and better than the screw type of leg locks on the Ravelli. The locking mechanism on the Dolica head is not very secured and lacking a panning lock. So the best configuration is to merge the best of both tripods resulting in one which has the Dolica Proline legs and a Ravelli ball head.

Weebee · Apr 30, 2014, 3:07 AM

Fluid heads are more often used for video cameras. Here is a decent tripod with ball head. It's rated for 15 pounds. Which will get you started if you decide to go DSLR. I know a few folks that have this model and the like it.
http://www.adorama.com/DOAX680B001.html

Oct 18, 2012, 4:14 PM	#1
comfortablynumb Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 31	Looking for a new tripod, preferably compact and not to heavy Trying to use a tripod more, but all I have is a 10 year old $15 Vivitar with a pan head. For what I paid for it, I was pretty surprised at the quality, not professional but it's done everything I need it to do. The downfalls of said cheap tripod it's really heavy, the pan head is sketchy but functions. I'm not sure of it's composition but I'm sure it's not aluminum. It's not exactly compact with the legs compressed, and thus carrying it around is cumbersome at best. I'm looking to stay in a pretty tight budget of $40 - $70, queue laughter, I know the perception low price = junk. I rarely shoot my SLR gear anymore, I'm not looking to jump into a DSLR for at least a while yet. I'm mainly going to be shooting with a compact digital for the time being. Subjects being nature, ocean, and on the road all around shooting. I looked at the Dolica GX600B200, and Silk Sprint 150 online, any other opinions?

Oct 19, 2012, 3:34 PM	#2
Ozzie_Traveller Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Australia, New South Wales central coast Posts: 3,645	G'day CN I do a lot of on-line purchasing from 'dinodirect.com' ~ bought tripods + flashes + lots of other stuff from them Give them a sqwiz with the search of "camera tripod" and see what you come up with Regards, Phil __________________ Has Lumix mirrorless & superzoom cameras and loves their amazing capabilities Spends 8-9 months each year travelling Australia Recent images at http://www.flickr.com/photos/ozzie_traveller/sets/

Dec 11, 2012, 2:50 AM	#5
WCKSer Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: SF Bay Area Posts: 2,857	I have both the Dolica GX600B200 and the Ravelli Professional. both are pretty good tripod for their price and cost about the same. The Dolica has better locking mechanism on the legs which makes it easier to set up. The Ravelli has a better ball head assembly. So it is really a toss-up when you have to make a choice. I would pick the Ravelli over the Dolica because of the ball head assembly. Since I have both, I swap out the ball head on the Ravelli and put it on the Dolica. I bought the Ravelli last year for $38 from amazon.com and the Dolica for $20 during Black Friday from newegg.com. Total cost comes to $58. I am very happy with this cheap combo modification. __________________ Canon 5D MKII, EF 24-105mm f/4L, EF 50mm f/1.8, EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro, Tamron 70-300mm f/4.0-5.6 SP Di VC USD XLD, Sigma DG 150-500mm f/5.-6.3 APO HSM. Canon EOS T3i, 7D and 70D EF 17-40mm f/4L, EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6, Sigma 18-250mm f/3.5-6.3 DC OS HSM, 430 EXII Flash. Sony A200, SLT-A58 System with HVL-F42AM Flash. Mirrorless APS-C camera: Samsung NX100, Canon EOS-M. M4/3 systems: Olympus OM-D-E-M5 and Panasonic DMC-G3.

Jan 5, 2013, 4:42 AM	#6
WCKSer Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: SF Bay Area Posts: 2,857	Bargain tripod modificatin w/Dolica legs and Ravelli head The Dolica Proline tripod has the snapper type of locks on the legs making easy to extend the legs in a hurry and better than the screw type of leg locks on the Ravelli. The locking mechanism on the Dolica head is not very secured and lacking a panning lock. So the best configuration is to merge the best of both tripods resulting in one which has the Dolica Proline legs and a Ravelli ball head. Attached Images __________________ Canon 5D MKII, EF 24-105mm f/4L, EF 50mm f/1.8, EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro, Tamron 70-300mm f/4.0-5.6 SP Di VC USD XLD, Sigma DG 150-500mm f/5.-6.3 APO HSM. Canon EOS T3i, 7D and 70D EF 17-40mm f/4L, EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6, Sigma 18-250mm f/3.5-6.3 DC OS HSM, 430 EXII Flash. Sony A200, SLT-A58 System with HVL-F42AM Flash. Mirrorless APS-C camera: Samsung NX100, Canon EOS-M. M4/3 systems: Olympus OM-D-E-M5 and Panasonic DMC-G3.

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Nov 30, 2012, 2:12 PM	#3
DAYMX5 Junior Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Posts: 7	give this a look. All in all, a pretty good bang for the buck: http://www.amazon.com/Ravelli-Profes...=cm_cr_pr_pb_t

Dec 3, 2012, 2:07 AM	#4
wave01 Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: North West England Posts: 1,750	have a look at a giottos vitruvian light and fold down very well

Apr 30, 2014, 3:07 AM	#7
Weebee Member Join Date: Sep 2013 Location: Newark, New York Posts: 82	Fluid heads are more often used for video cameras. Here is a decent tripod with ball head. It's rated for 15 pounds. Which will get you started if you decide to go DSLR. I know a few folks that have this model and the like it. http://www.adorama.com/DOAX680B001.html