$350 in birthday money, what to buy?

[RPG Master]

Check my signature to see what I already have.

I NEED a good tripod because my cheap sunpak broke on me, so I'm also looking for good tripod suggestions.
Also looking for a good flash that'll fit on my Sony.
So, besides those things, what would you suggest for a guy that mainly likes taking pictures of landscapes and objects?

[OsmosisStudios]

$350 gets you a good Manfrotto tripod, so if you need one of those I can think of worse ways of spending it.

[RolandAA]

A tripod and ball head are great investments for landscape photography. Last fall I picked up a Manfrotto 055X PRO and topped it with a Smith-Victor BH5 Ball Head for less than $235 including shipping from B+H. That leaves a pretty good start in saving for your next lens

The tripod is big, rugged and well made. The Ball head is a pretty good one especially considering that anything much better costs 5X as much.

Happy shopping!

[Brett Valentine]

I agree on getting something like the Manfrotto 055xproB tripod (just picked one up a few months ago to replace my ole Velbon) and a good ball head.

[RPG Master]

So, is Manfrotto like a really reliable brand of tripods? If so, could I safely choose any of their tripods and know that they won't brake within' 10 years (or even just 5)?

[OsmosisStudios]

Manfrotto is one of the best. Just make sure you get one that'll be strong enough to hold your heaviest possible combination (now and in the future).

[RolandAA]

A good rule of thumb is to not put more than half the rated weight of gear on a tripod. Off the top of my head the 055X pro is rated to hold over 15 lbs which makes it more than strong enough for most photographers.

[111t]

...mainly likes taking pictures of landscapes and objects

Tripod and cable release if you don't already have one. Buy a good tripod and it'll last for the rest of your life. Bogen makes some really good ones. I've had good luck with slik carbon fiber models as well. My advice is to go to whatever local store you can and play with some. Then look around online till you find the best deal.