First Tripod Purchase

[Paul O'Toole]

My main setup for bird photography is the Nikon D7200 and the Nikon AF-S 80-400mm F/4.5-5.6 ED VR that I have tried shooting handheld which has worked out pretty good. Having a tripod would be nice when I am doing more stationary shots of Snow owls etc, I have never purchased a tripod before so getting a good quality one for this setp is my plan. Looking for suggestions on type of head and brand if that matters, most of the tripods sold at my local shop in the store are pretty small and don't look like they would hold up my gear. I have read some reviews regarding shooters no liking the lense tripod collar, does this need to be replaced with something more durable before mounting on a tripod. Thanks for any help or info, much appreciated.

Paul

[Marina Scarr]

I would consider a Feisol carbon fiber tripod. Many will suggest a Gitzo but they are overpriced, their warranties are worthless and the customer service is lousy in my experience. Carbon fiber tripods are nice and lightweight. Find one without a center bar bc they are more stable. I use the Jobu head and recommend it for your equipment. It's much less expensive than the Wimberly. If you end up with a 600mm lens down the road you may want a Wimberly. You would also need to purchase a lens plate and be sure to get a long one.

[David Stephens]

Induro is another brand to consider. Manfrotto and Gitzo are made by the same company. I'd stay away from Manfrotto because they use several proprietary quick release schemes. Of course, you can buy Manfrotto legs and another brand ballhead or gimbal. Consider a bit of overkill in that you'll want to use your tripod for long-exposure night shots. Even thought the lens/camera combo will be lighter, you need a stable platform for long exposures. I use an Arca-Swiss ballhead, combined with a Wimberley Sidekick. You may prefer a straight gimbal, but then you'll need a ballhead for long-exposure work. Whatever you do, get an Arca-Swiss style quick release. It's really the industry standard and almost all but Manfrotto accommodate A-S.

Your rig, as you note, is light enough for hand holding and I consider that preferable. The usage you describe, like waiting on a snowy, is the way that I use my tripod with my 7D2/500mm combo.

[Karl Egressy]

Hi Paul,
You may read it or may not.
When I read your request, I looked around on your behalf and found an excellent deal at B&H New York.
It is an Induro CT203 carbon fiber three section tripod.
I ordered one, got it and I love it.
I also have a Gitzo (about eight years old) and a Benro CT2580T.
Gitzo is the most rigid, holds up anything but the Induro is almost as good and soooooo much cheaper. ($209 US right now more than 50% off.)