Solanum Offline Upload & Sell: Off
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I'm going to start this off by saying that I am just about as beginner as you can get. I have literally never owned a camera before; while growing up, my parents decided anything above a $10 disposable was a waste of money, so owning a real, not-covered-in-paper camera has always been a dream of mine.
Fast forward 15 years later, when I finally got a Canon Rebel T5 for my birthday (I know it's nothing special, but I love it), and am shopping for a 70-200mm f/4 lens. I would love some help picking out a tripod to go with this setup; there are hundreds of options out there, and I need the benefit of someone else's experience. I'm spending 90% or my money on lenses, so I'm looking for a tripod in the $200-$400 range, and am 100% down with buying a used one, since I know that's a pretty limiting budget.
So first of all I'm not sure how much more gear I'm going to end up getting. Because of that, I want a tripod that won't limit me with weight restrictions. I don't need anything nutty (tripod with a 40 pound weight capacity, for example), but I do at least want the option of throwing a bigger lens on my camera without worry.
This tripod will mainly be used outside, for long exposure night photography (not true astrophotography though, no azimuth mounts needed), landscapes, and hopefully a bit of macro.
I want something collapsible, as I will be hiking with it (although tripod weight is a secondary concern to me), and something that's easy to extend. I have rheumatoid arthritis (in my 20's, score!), so the tripods you have to twist to extend are intensely difficult to use. Cold also affects it, but given the price of carbon fiber, I'm probably going to have to deal with chilly titanium (unless wood tripods are still in use).
Finally, and this one is purely for fun: I've seen tripods with a swivel boom/invertable central shaft (not sure about terminology here, sorry) for fun perspective shots, macro, etc. I am very intrigued by this option too, but it might be pure gimmick, so I'll wait for a communal opinion on that one.
As I said, I'm a pure beginner, so if anyone has any suggestions I am all ears, and if I'm way off in what I'm looking for, please let me know. I would rather be wrong than waste money on an expensive tripod. Thank you all for your help, kind photography gurus, and I look forward to your suggestions!
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