[Slicker]

Hi,

I have just seen one of these (Velbon Tripods) for sale for £30. Only down side is that it does not have the quick release head, it has the screw type.

Is this a good tripod and worth the purchase?

Cheers

[dabhand16]

Not familier with this model, but Velbon are a good make.

At that price, you could bin (sell) the head and buy one with a QR plate (if you really want a QR syatem), but check out the prices of a tripod with a head with a QR plate as standard as often buying a tripod complete with a head is cheaper than getting them separately, so getting this tripod and adding a head later might be more expensive than just buying what you want in the first place.

Usually, the cheaper tripods have thinner leg sections and are not as high as their bigger brothers. This makes them lighter, but also less steady, so there is a balance to be made.

The load is 4kg, so is reasonable for a camera with a long lens (but not the recent long telephoto OS Sigmas that weigh in at over 4kgs just for the lens).

Any tripod is better than no tripod and this one looks OK if the height suits you. Don't forget the makers usually quote the max height with the centre column fully extended. This make them less steady too. I usually try not to extend the column more that 30% of its length for the best stability.

[Slicker]

are the heads universal then? Can I look at any head to fit any tripod?

The longest lens I have at the moment is a 300mm so I am guessing that will bok on this tripod

[dabhand16]

Yes - heads are universal with one small caveat.

For some, you might need to use a thread adaptor. Most heads have 1/4", threads, but there are a few that have 3/8". You can get adaptors very cheaply, and almost anywhere. Even Jessop's have them!

Some older tripods might have the larger 3/8" threads, so you would not be able to use a 1/4" threaded head, but most (if not all) modern tripods will use the 1/4" size, so there should not be a problem.

If the combined weight of your heaviest lens and camera is under 4kgs, you ought to be OK.

[VinnyP]

I've got to say I have a few heads and tripods and I find the opposite to be the case with most having 3/8" fittings for the tripod to head connection.

[dabhand16]

Originally Posted by VinnyP

I've got to say I have a few heads and tripods and I find the opposite to be the case with most having 3/8" fittings for the tripod to head connection.

Maybe I've not been spending enough on heads in the past! I have to say the Manfrotto ball head I bought this year had a 3/8 thread and I had to use an adaptor to get it to fit my Velbon CF535. This head is probably the best one I've had.

Seems odd that the threads have not been standardised if the tripods use 1/4" and the heads 3/8"

[VinnyP]

Going back to the original question £30 for a tripod is excellent value. If you use it then in the right circumstances it can improve the quality of your images more than spending 30 times that amount on a new better lens.
The issue is will you use it, a "better" tripod and head will get more use partialy because often it's lighter. sturdier and easier to set up and partially, if we are honest, because having cost so much you feel pressure to make more use of it. This article will ring true with many photographers but I think you can offset this these days if you buy second hand each time and sell when you upgrade each time. Unlike camera bodies tripods hold their second hand value pretty well.

[2legtripod]

Originally Posted by VinnyP

Going back to the original question £30 for a tripod is excellent value. If you use it then in the right circumstances it can improve the quality of your images more than spending 30 times that amount on a new better lens.
The issue is will you use it, a "better" tripod and head will get more use partialy because often it's lighter. sturdier and easier to set up and partially, if we are honest, because having cost so much you feel pressure to make more use of it. This article will ring true with many photographers but I think you can offset this these days if you buy second hand each time and sell when you upgrade each time. Unlike camera bodies tripods hold their second hand value pretty well.

Vince, you are the man, but I looked long and hard at the article you link before I bought my tripod and as I understand it the whole point of the article is to persuade us not to buy more than one tripod, ever. I think he's right, far cheaper in the long run to buy a really good tripod and just use and abuse it as required for the rest of your photographic career than to be forever upgrading.
Let's face it, now in the age of digital we are more or less forced to upgrade camera bodies and we WILL lose money on them. So my moral of the story is;-

Buy Good Glass,
Buy Decent Tripod,
If they are both good enough you can stop worrying about upgrading and just use them. They will have cost you enough to make you use them.
Use the money saved to upgrade your software and bodies as you see fit.

Yes £30 is good value for a tripod, but not for one you will be upgrading in a years time. Why is it for sale at £30?.

But what do I know, I've been out of the hobby for twenty years and only recently re-entered the arena, so to speak. I'm Mr D100 still....