Any good camera tripods for DSLR?

I have a nikon d3100 no fancy lenses or anything. I like videoing, and am looking for something that I can pan SMOOTHLY, and goes up and down. Not too bothered about tilting. What's 3 way and 2 way heads? What's a pan and tilt head? What's fluid head? What would be best for me? I'm not looking to spend hundreds by the way. Merry christmas: D At the moment I have a targus tg-5060tr but its very unstable and i wouldn't say its smooth.

Looks like it's time to read some book/magazines on the subject.

Look for one of the Manfrotto tripods with what is called a fluid head, the best for video but will work for stills also.

It seems that a good tripod costs more than a good camera these days.

If you don't know what pan and tilt mean, you need to learn the business before spending any money. Get into the magazines and read everything you can find until you feel like you know a few things.

Cheap tripods are worse than useless, you frame your shot and they droop, you frame again and they sag, it's a dog chasing it's tail routine that is very frustrating. You only have to buy a tripod once in your life if you buy a decent one.

About as cheap as I would go is a Manfrotto 190PROB with a 486/RC2 ball head (for stills, a pan and tilt is better for video). With these you frame your shot, lock the ball head and it stays where you put it, no droop or sag. They just work.

Your looking at around the £100 mark for both, the carbon fibre version (lighter, but just as rigid) will be around twice that price, expensive? Yes, but you only have to buy it once it will last all your life.

Gitzo is good too, but Manfrotto is cheaper.

2 way pans and tilts
3 way pans and tils and also tilts sideways
A pan and tilt head is the same as a 2 way head
A fluid head can be 2 or 3 way, but uses fluid cartridges to assist with smooth movement.
If you are on a micro budget, get the best kityou can afford that includes a fluid head.