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p.2 #1 · p.2 #1 · You've heard the top-end Tripods, I need the lower-end | |
billsamuels wrote:
I have a Sunpak aluminum tripod that always worked great for the past two years I had it, but when I got to the ocean to take timed photos during a storm on the Pacific Coast this weekend, the plate brook off from the crank that raises and lowers the unit. This is the plate that the head rests on. I'm very glad it broke in my car and not after I placed a couple thousand in equipment on it.
I also had problems with the original head because that broke almost right away. I tried reaching someone from Sunpak, but that's nearly impossible. I was able to get a replacement head at a local camera store and it worked much better than the original ball-head. I got a flat head that pivots.
Now that the heavy one is broken, what do I do? I want a lower-end price, but I'm more concerned about weight and it not breaking again. I have a 5DSR and some heavy lenses (Zoom). Any ideas to replace it with for not a huge amount of money, maybe under $300?
Thanks. Bill...Show more →
Hi Bill,
Your original post stated that you were concerned about weight and breakage. Now, I read you are going to get the Manfrotto 6 lb beast that cannot fit in an ordinary suitcase. All because a couple responders have crapped on Chinese tripods. I agree that the Sunpak and Velbon low end tripods are not good quality at all. But brands like Feisol are of much higher quality. You saw the many endorsements of the Feisol line on the web but now you are accepting the ideas of a couple of posters who may have had a bad experience or are just expressing a bias. If your criterion is that the Manfrotto can be abused more than a well made carbon fiber tripod, then that is the way to go. If you are never going to be more than a few feet form your car, the Manfrotto is OK. But as a general purpose tripod, it is impractical and obsolete. Having a tripod like the Manfrotto means that it is more likely that you won't use it. I have used the Feisol 3442 for more than 5 years. It has not been laying in my closet. It has been used extensively in all kinds of conditions: rain, snow, mud, sand, even in Iceland. No problems at all.
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