Tripod for Nikon D5000

[rweworld]

Hi,

I'm new in this very big photography world. I have Nikon D5000 and now looking for suitable tripod.

Could you please suggest which one would be good for my Nikon D5000? I'm looking into less then $150 US range. When I search on Amazon found many price ranging from $20 to $700 .... confused me...

Is there guide for tripod?

Thanks in Advance,

RW

[OsmosisStudios]

You should shop for a tripod based on what the heaviest load you're going to place on it is, followed by the height you need, then features. Figure out the heaviest lens you'll be placing on the tripod (now and in the future) and go from there.

[MovingStill]

It's the old story - you get what you pay for!

The most important thing is to make sure it is rigid and it is designed for the load you are placing on it - in your case you have a fairly light camera and I'm guessing no huge heavy lenses so this will be less of an issue for you in the $150 range you mention. You will also want to consider features like if you want a quick release plate, a ball or 3-axis head etc.

For the money you suggest, you could get something from an established brand like Manfrotto, Giottos, Slik etc.

The Manfrotto website has a lot of useful information about loading weights for their different models - well worth a look. I guess the other brands would offer the same.

[JohnB304]

Equally important is the head that fits on the tripod. That can be another "investment".

[inkista]

You can have any two of the following list of three:

• Low Cost
• Light
• Sturdy

If it's light and sturdy, it's gonna cost a bomb (say: carbon fiber). If it's cheap and sturdy, it's gonna be heavy. If it's light and cheap, it's gonna be tippy.

So, figure out what you want to use the tripod for and what your tradeoffs are.

I actually own and use two different tripods: a cheapish heavy sturdy one, and a really cheap light tippy one. I use the heavy Manfrotto for long exposure work; the light little Velbon for spherical pano work. There are times I'm willing to sacrifice sturdiness for portability, and other times when I'm not.

Your budget is on the low side. My one recommendation is do not ever buy a tripod where you can't swap out the head.