In article <thisisbogus-A8A1B1.08040721112004 DeleteThis @news.individual.net>,
Melba's Jammin' <thisisbogus DeleteThis @macbogus.com> wrote:
> A tripod was mentioned in another thread. (How convenient for me.)
>
> I need to purchase one for a gift. Is one better than another? Any I
> should stay away from? Froogle turned up a $40 (right price range)
> Canon from Dell store but I got frustrated trying to edit the shipping
> info and decided to ask here. Will be used by someone with a casual
> interest in photography.
>
> I appreciate your counsel.
Well, fancy meeting you _here_!
In truth, you can't get a really good new tripod for $40. But, if
that's the budget, that's the budget. The paradox of inexpensive
tripods is that the heavier the tripod, the better it is at keeping
the camera stable. Unfortunately, the heavier the tripod, the less
likely it is to be carried wherever it would be useful. Here are some
buying tips:
- Almost needless to say, make sure the legs are metal, not plastic.
- The taller the tripod, the better, especially if the "giftee" is
tall. The higher you need to crank up the center column, the less
stable the tripod will be. So avoid short-legged tripods with tall
center columns.
- Go for as much metal as you can find in things like cranks, cams,
gears, etc. Even if the part is largely plastic, see if there's a
metal bushing or threading inside.
- I prefer tripods with "twist-em"-type leg extensions instead of the
"lever"-type. I've seen too many of the lever-type that just don't
hold anymore. I have not seen that with twist-em legs (not that it
doesn't happen, but I haven't seen it poking around cheap tripods).
- Nice features: a bubble level so you can tell when the tripod is --
um, level; the ability to quickly flip the head of the tripod from
horizontal to vertical; a quick-release that fits onto the camera so
it releases and mates more quickly with the tripod (may be hard to
find in this price range).
Good luck.
sd<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
FAQ
Profile
Private Messages
Log in
