What is important when buying a tripod?
What should I be looking for when buying a tripod I'm just about to start a photography course to learn photography I'm keen in about learning about landscape and night photography it has been suggested to me to get a tripod it will be my best friend but I just don't know what I should be looking for like stability strength will I be needing one that tilts and has a Sprite level I only have a basic DSLR camera a Nikon D3100 to learn with any advice help or ideas please.
The main thing i would say is one that has sturdy strong legs because it can get blowy at night sometimes. A fairly tall one too, so you don' t get back ache. It does not have to cost the earth, mine didn't. It pays to handle it first as well for weight and ease of use. Good luck on the course, oh and if you can i would get a remote control to fire the camera and avoid shakes.
Look for one that is heavy duty. Don't buy one that is plasticy and cheap, buy one that is mostly metal and has a little weight to it. Also, look for one that has a fluid drag head, and make sure to test it out. I suggest going to a photography store and testing a tripod out. I bought one online and i was like wow! Only 20 bucks! And its tall too! WRONG! It was so bad, i can't even pan smoothly, and most of it was plastic. I actually went into bestbuy one day and tested a tripod out myself.much wiser choice.
to get quality equipment, you actually have to spend money into it and invest in what you like to do to get better at it. I spent like 180 bucks on my new tripod and i love it. Maybe not the best of all tripods, but certainly like 500% better than my first one.
A good tripod should be very sturdy and support heavier camera equipment then you have now.
If you can afford it, get one that is lightweight so that it is easier to carry around.
The head will probably be the most important thing. Some are quicker/easier to adjust than others. Be aware that tripods and the heads can be expensive (they can be sold together or separately).
"Strong but light" is what people will usually say. Of course that is subjective. You should go on websites where they sell a good selection of tripods and read the descriptions, in order to get a feel for what sort of specs you want. You'll also begin to see what brands seem to be good.
I also recommend getting a tripod bag. Nothing fancy, just something you can fit your tripod in so that you can carry it over your shoulder.