Quality Tripod Suggestion

I was pretty sure I was going to buy the Fancier/Weifeng 717 tripod this weekend, but I decided to go with the Manfrotto 501HDV/547BK (only $325 at B&H right now) package because of the former's lack in height. The ability to be higher than the eyeline is a must in certain visual strategies, and the Fancier/Weifeng falls short.
 
On further examination, there are indeed several decals on my Fancier/Weifeng WF717 tripod I didn't notice before, because they're just "righty righty, lefty lousy" arrow reminders overlaid on the tension adjustment knobs. I never noticed them before because at least on my WF717 they're quite well stuck on there, but frankly I don't think I even noticed their presence before now because I know how to tighten and loosen tension knobs, and if the reminder decals weren't there I'd never notice their absence. In fact, now that I'm aware of them, I kind of want to remove them, purely out of OCD anti-stickerism. But you'd never know they weren't actually inked markers unless you got down and squinted.
 
gagan512 said:
there's now a taller version of the fancier717 types available on ebay and amazon. i too was worried about it only being ~4ft in height, but this ones goes upto 6ft now. I'm considering getting it.

http://cgi.ebay.com/EI717X-Video-Tr...080?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item53e3e5a6f0
Click to expand...

I was unaware there was ever a 4' version? I got mine about 2 months ago and it is for sure 5' maybe a touch more. 6' would have been nice, but honestly I think 5' is good for 95% of situations.
 
Sounds odd. I have a fairly heavy metal tripod that came with mine. Works great and is stable and heavy enough for a DSLR.
 
From the top of the quick release plate to the floor, my WF717 measures 4-ft 5-inches fully extended. Perfect height for how I like to shoot, and it's extremely stable even fully extended. Most of the sub-$200 tripods I've tested are much less stable than the Weifeng, especially when you extend them out to full height. A buddy of mine has a Velbon that sways like a weeping willow at 5-ft. I'd rather have a stable 4.5-ft tripod than a 6-footer that wiggles, and at this price point I'm not sure you can have both (please commence the cries of the-hell-you-say!-my-mathews-et-al-yada-yada).
 
Why not a used set? I've got a few really nice Bogen/manfrotto tripods from ebay for <100$ each. They are heavy and built like tanks. the fluid heads are a little stiff, for heavier cameras, but I like that feel because it allows me to work with more precision.
 
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