Looking to act now - I started a discussion about this awhile back and got some great input about getting away from the cheap tripods and get something smoother, taller and most importantly LIGHTER!
I've been using a basic Manfrotto that works just well enough for me. Picked it up at Costco on a whim but the biggest problem for me is that the darn thing weighs too much and it's time to move up the food chain to something a bit more stable, lighter and with a smoother head.
Looking for recommendations on a lightweight tripod and ball head setup that won't break the bank, but will extend to fit my 6'2 (188 cm) height. I'd like to stay under about $350US which I realize puts a bit of a clamp on things but I'm hoping that for a more compact travel setup I can do this... Not completely sold on the Aluminum versus CF debate so that can go either way unless a good argument appears. I don't (yet) do freezing temperatures so arctic resistance isn't needed but something that I can put into or onto a pack and save a few pounds would be great...
Thoughts? Suggestions? Experience? I'm seeing a lot of the various travel tripods but many either support a very limited amount of weight or they only extend to about 5-1/2 ft (167 cm) which is a bit short for me. As a point of reference, the Canon 5DMiii and a 70-200 or 100-400 on it is approaching 8-9 lbs (roughly 4 Kg) I'm guessing.
Thanks in advance for suggestions !
I've been using a basic Manfrotto that works just well enough for me. Picked it up at Costco on a whim but the biggest problem for me is that the darn thing weighs too much and it's time to move up the food chain to something a bit more stable, lighter and with a smoother head.
Looking for recommendations on a lightweight tripod and ball head setup that won't break the bank, but will extend to fit my 6'2 (188 cm) height. I'd like to stay under about $350US which I realize puts a bit of a clamp on things but I'm hoping that for a more compact travel setup I can do this... Not completely sold on the Aluminum versus CF debate so that can go either way unless a good argument appears. I don't (yet) do freezing temperatures so arctic resistance isn't needed but something that I can put into or onto a pack and save a few pounds would be great...
Thoughts? Suggestions? Experience? I'm seeing a lot of the various travel tripods but many either support a very limited amount of weight or they only extend to about 5-1/2 ft (167 cm) which is a bit short for me. As a point of reference, the Canon 5DMiii and a 70-200 or 100-400 on it is approaching 8-9 lbs (roughly 4 Kg) I'm guessing.
Thanks in advance for suggestions !