New Tripood Help

samrwamr

samrwamr

Active member
I'll just cut right to it -
I need to buy a new tripod soon. My budget is around $200, might go more if necessary. It seems to me that most of you around here prefer Bogen, so what model of theirs would suit me? I found a promaster tripod at Mikes Camera for $129 that seemed very smooth, stable, and solid.

Little help for a n00b?
 
Well I seem to have offended you all by using the word "Promaster"....

Which Bogen is the best for the price, either on B&H or elsewhere? Around $250?
 
Hey samrwamr,
a good tripod is a very important piece of gear. It'd be nice if you could pull together at least $500 to invest in one, but if that's just not possible, I can vouch for both the sub-$200 Libec and Bescor models as I've owned both. The Bescor TH-660 looks pretty good (right at $200) - looks nice and sturdy, especially for that range. I own the TH-650 and it is ok, especially as a backup tripod... the TH-660 looks considerably better/sturdier.
Hope that helps.

-pasty
 
Ok, so according to this review from Epinions, the TH-660 is a no-go. If you have to stay in that range, I'd get the Libec, but basically you get what you pay for. The Bogen 351MVB2 is excellent at $550 and the Libec LS-55 is also very good but is over $700. Here's that review on the Bescor:

"Pros
lightweight, ball head, mid and bottom level spreaders.

Cons
It is a cheezy tripod, and Thrown together.


Full Review
Just baught it, and very unhappy. First off it lacks a sufficent bubble for leveling. The bubble is on the top of the tilt head, so if you are tilted up or down, the bubble changes. You CANNOT get an accurate reading on it... Trust me. Also, the shoe sucks, and slides around on the head. It is a horrible design. It just slides, until you tighten a little screw (which i have already lost) to barely hold it from sliding. It is a cheezy tripod, and not worth the money. Thrown together.

Recommended
No"
 
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