How to buy a tripod for my camera?
I own a Nikon d5200. How do I choose a tripod. What tripod would you advice an average shooter should buy?
Check out this:
Do a internet search
reviews tripods
for casual use
most any inexpensive tripod
should be fine for you
if you are going to get serious
get a mid priced tripod
Since all the tripods you will find use a 1/4"-20 thread, any tripod that can hold 7 kg will last you a lifetime.
The goal is to spend enough money so that you never have to buy one again.
Get one with a 3-way head so you can easily adjust the attitude of the camera when shooting landscapes, portraits or other subjects that require a sturdy platform.
Look at the Manfrotto brand. They are robust and are relatively inexpensive.
Gone are the days of camera shops in every city. Where you could go and put your camera on a tripod and see if it were sturdy enough. Or even if you weren't allowed to mount your camera you could press down with the heal of your hand to see if the tripod bounced around on the tile floor. So I just use the weight of the camera and search for tripods that will handle the weight. Simply put, you want a tripod that has a center post that comes with a gear type that you turn a crank to elevate, also you want to make sure the tripod can accept the weight of your camera. And don't forget the additional weight of say a 300mm lens you might put on your camera. All tripods are fitted with a 1/4 inch screw (20thread) for attachment to All cameras. All cameras that the general public would purchase. There use to be tripods with a 3/8" screw but these where for the heaviest "view" type cameras of which there are few if any produced today.
I purchased a SIlk Sprint Pro II gm @ $90.00 recently. It has a ball head (these heads take a bit to get use to, but are great) It has a quick release plate that is very handy for attaching/detaching the camera. I have two cameras, so I purchased an extra plate @ $20.00. (did they $ee me coming or what?)
www.bhphotovideo.com 1-800-854-5575
www.adorama.com 1-800-223-2500
Always overbuy.
What I mean by that is the better tripods have a weight capacity rating. Always buy one that will hold 20lbs minimum for a DSLR.
While you won't probably need that much, it means everything is beefier, and that results in sturdier, and that results in better photos.
Look for tripods made by Benro, Manfrotto, Giottos, or Induro. They make decent tripods, and are good value for price paid. You should be able to get a really nice tripod for under $200.
Avoid the $20 cheap ones at WalMart. They are weak and will not hold your camera steady, and they can easily collapse under their own weight if bumped at all. You don't want to risk damaging your $800 camera with a $20 tripod.
Options you may want to consider.
Aluminum vs Carbon Fiber. Carbon fiber is nice as it is lighter, but at twice the cost, you will have to judge whether or not the increased cost offsets the savings of a couple of pounds. I have always bought aluminum.
Head. All of the tripod brands I listed above typically do not come with a head - although they may all have one or two models packaged with a head as an outfit. When you look for a head, consider a quick release mount.
The cheaper heads have a proprietary mount, which is OK as long as you stick with that type of head. You can typically buy extra quick release plates so you can put them on more than one camera, or replace if lost.
The more expensive quick release heads are Arca Swiss compatible, and are interchangeable with different brands of heads.
Regardless of the head you buy, if it has a quick release feature, make sure it has a positive locking mechanism so that you don't accidentally release the mount. Benro and Induro heads have good quick release lock-outs.
Walk into a camera supply shop and get the largest and meanest looking tripod your wallet can afford. Almost all tripods will fit your camera. It would be excruciatingly difficult to find one that doesn't.