looking for a good tripod

[ray450d]

hi i have a tripod allready but its ltd and really a vid one!! and has no quick release! so i am after a ball with a quick relaese for about £150 any recomendations ???

ray

[chris-p]

Just the head, or a whole tripod system?

Really depends on what lenses you'll use as the total weight capacity is a critical factor for tripods.

Anyway, personally I've been most impressed with the Giottos kit I've bought. Seems better built and more stable then the Manfrotto stuff and it's cheaper the the Gitzo stuff (which is eyewateringly expensive).
I'd probably buy the Giottos MTL9361B aluminium legs (£90) and I would definitely buy the Giottos MH1301-652 ball head (£70) which is a little over your ideal budget but it's what I want for about the same money.

I was looking at a new ball head for my legs and went down to Park Cameras with my camera so I could actually attach it to some tripod heads and the Giottos series II heads were miles better than any other ball heads for similar money.

[ap4a]

+1 for Giottos. I have an MT-9170 which is solid as a rock, though fairly heavy, and can hold heavy gear steady. It's also very versatile, and can be set to adjust horizontally as well as vertically, and has 3 leg splay settings allowing you to get very close to the ground if needed. It comes with a carry strap, canvas bag and a tool kit too.

The Giottos aftersales support is also very good; 3 years after buying it I sheared the head screw off, emailed Giottos and they sent me a new one plus a spare.

Ball heads can be as difficult to choose as tripods, as you need to take into account the same weight considerations, plus the intended use when choosing too.

[ray450d]

thanks for replys

ray

[ap4a]

I don't know if this is still relevant, but Manfrotto have a £20 cash back offer on for their 190XProB model at the moment (expires 31st July), which brings the price down to around £85.

[matt wilson]

My Manfrotto 190 happilly carries and supports a canon 50 d and 100 to 40 L series lens and is as solid as a rock.Not too heavy as I was able to walk for up to 6 hours with it on a recent trip to the Lake District.