6-way shootout - how to choose the right tripod?

[@AndrejAndrejev]

What tripods - 2:02 Price - 2:41 Max heights - 3:38 Packing down - 4:49 Weight - 9:25 Minimum heights - 10:27 Stability test - 13:42 Results - 16:53 Conclusions - 18:08

[@charlesworton4020]

Hi, Dave - fascinating content. I didn't find the blur visible in 1080p on my computer, but firing up the 4K stream on my 65" UHD Samsung TV rendered the differences clearly. I was surprised that the relatively gentle buffeting from the fan would make a visible difference, yet it clearly did. It's probably worth noting that the Manfrotto tripods exhibited more vibration, but they were also extended higher. Had the test been conducted by keeping all the tripod heads at the same set height, the heavier and longer legged Manfrotto tripods would have had their center column collapsed, and would have thus scored far better. I don't take issue with your strategy of extending every tripod to the max; I think it's valid to stress the equipment to the edge of the envelope. But it also might make good sense to run another tripod test, this time using a standard height off the ground as a criteria. People often set up their tripod so that the equipment is at a comfortable height to use while standing. (I'm not saying that they should; it's just that this is what most people do.) So, with all test tripods set to that height, which one gives the best result? I use a $25 Amazon Basics tripod for non critical, camcorder home movies. For stuff where vibration really matters, I use my Manfrotto 058 (which I bought back in 1987, for use with my RB67). The 058 is a ridiculously heavy beast, but it does a great job of eliminating vibration through my 800mm mirror lens, used on my Nikon D610. I sometimes become a bit amused at the importance some photographers attach to equipment weight (suddenly, 4 ounces lighter becomes a huge selling point!) When I studied photography in the early 1970's, the school gave us 4X5 Calumet view cameras and STEEL - not aluminum - tripods. We all got 5 - 4" X 5" film holders; with one sheet on each side of the holder, we had a maximum of ten shots. It taught us to really plan our shots; you could easily spend 20 minutes setting up the camera and focusing the image (right on the ground glass, using a magnifier, huddled under a black cloth). We spent our first year using view cameras, and it was a tremendous learning experience. For the first time in my life, I finally knew what sharpness really was. Now, photogs get all bent out of shape over a few ounces weight penalty or saving. My advice? Don't worry about the weight of the equipment overly much; your body will adapt. Buy the equipment that will give you the best chance of getting the shot you came for. Because, in the final analysis, that's what it's all about.

[@soraiaoliveira8652]

Great beginning, thank you!

[@normski4ash]

Really love your technical scientific approach, or should that read testicle scientific attempt ? I have the older version of the 055 and love it apart from one thing. It won't go high enough for what I want ! Don't ever raise the centre column, that just makes it a monopod stuck on top of a tripod, and there are times I want the camera higher. So, just bought a Benro TMA48CXL. O.M.G. is it a beast. It's big, it's beefy, it's heavy, but it reaches the parts that no other tripods can ! You wanna borrow it to try ? give me a shout, sure we can work something out. I live in Cheshire, think you are Lancashire, so not a million miles... Nice vid, as ever, Thnx

[@henrycolestage7650]

Manf. 502 for putting in the 4x4 and shooting out the back of it. Heavy, stable, perfect pan and tilt. Just picked up the K&F 2324 for putting in the rucksack but I miss having a bowl head. Will pick up a mid to lightweight Benro with a bowl head for certain at some point. I shoot outdoors and the bowl head makes life SO much easier! Being tall, having a tripod that can look me in the face instead of up my nostrils is kinda important to me. So while the centre column of the tripod fully extended is a little wobbly, I think the IBIS an OIS in the lens will take care of that. But nothing is going to help avoid the "wtf doggo!" syndrome! ;-)

[@AntonioKowatsch]

OK, so what I gathered from this video was that the Manfrotto Befree is pretty much the perfect travel tripod for someone like me.

[@AMusset]

Excellent comparison video! Thank you

[@derekjones7160]

Great video Dave - very thorough and informative. I've got the Manfrotto 190GO, which is a nice tripod and very stable but a little heavy, so I purchased the K&F Concept 2335, which has arrived today. I'm quite impressed with the K&F's build quality for the price (£81 on Amazon, with the 5% discount offer) and very impressed with it's compactness and weight. It fits snugly into my 30litre rucksack and I'm looking forward to trying it out in the field. Incidentally, I was amused to see that you find the Manfrotto a pain when trying to get the centre column to go back down again after you've taken it out for horizontal use. I thought I'd broken mine until I found that little groove to slot it back down - it drove me mad!

[@DaveMcKeegan]

I'll have to have a look for that :)

[@sergioserramusic]

The BeFree original head fits between the legs pointing upwards, which is very cool IMHO

[@davidsarson4768]

I have a Manfrotto 055 and OVERKILL is an UNDERSTATEMENT !

[@rodrigogarcia2607]

You didnt talk about how the legs lock. The rolling kind sometimes fools the photographers into thinking it is locked when its not.

[@andersonboy620]

Great video man, congratulations!

[@Simon-SBL]

Tripods are indeed a bit of a minefield, what do you think of the K&F build quality? They are relatively new and therefore a bit unknown, but I'm probably in the market for a tripod that I can hike comfortably with. I always think that the centre column use is a last resort and usually look for the max height with the column down as part of my criteria. I think spikes are the most stable option on most surfaces but you probably shouldn't use them on carpet or laminate flooring! I have a Manfrotto 055XPRO3, which is great, but bulky, although it does still fit on a large suitcase haha, it may not be the best travel option, I've taken it to the US for night sky stuff where a travel tripod isn't really ideal. I think that the horizontal column feature is one of the best out there, though. I also have an MPB own brand travel tripod and it is pretty decent and very light, but for best results, you need to use it low with the legs out wide. Carbon fibre tends the be stiffer than aluminium, but of course, sometimes the extra weight is useful, there is never a "best" option and I think if you need both very sturdy and compact and light, you probably need two tripods.

[@DaveMcKeegan]

I'm happy with K&F's quality I'm still using the TC-2335 as my light travel option and their SA254T1 as my larger tripod as it has a great centre column kzbin.info/www/bejne/mJOrdoaNhqd8sLs

[@DaveMcKeegan]

Though I've also reviewed their BA225 which is sort of an improved TC2335 kzbin.info/www/bejne/opu2g2Sua82WZ8U

[@Simon-SBL]

@@DaveMcKeegan Thanks, I've seen the SA254T1 video before, tripods are such a tricky business, lens choice is so much easier, I'll probably keep the 055XPro3 and add a lighter one, it's just a shame that adding spikes to the Manrfotto is such a faff, as otherwise, it is probably one of the best-featured tripods on offer.

[@billrosmus6734]

Holy crap, tripods in the UK are way cheaper than in Canada. The O55 carbon in Canada is 500 bucks minimum.

[@TVe200]

The K&F travel tripod looks almost perfect, but I bought a Manfrotto Beefree only 6 months ago.

[@torbenlysholm1]

Yaaay!! What a relief!! I have had an old and very flimsy tripod for some years, but recently started to do some long exposure stuff, and it absolutely kills most of the shots, so I had to upgrade. I ordered the TM2324 from K&F after Kasey (Camera Conspiracies) mentioned it, and Rachel Lerch did a quick review showing it being stable enough in a busy stream for sharp images. Only afterwards I remembered the names of a couple of tripods that I should have checked the prices on. And now you included it in this test, and it performs quite fine here, I see. Awesome! I'm not sure the weight rating is completely off though. Surely any of these tripods will be able to hold 10-12 kilos, but I think K&F includes whatever extra weight you might hang on the hook underneath. Could that be it? Anyways, thanks for sharing, and I think it's great that you don't just include big expensive ones, and how nice to see that even these inexpensive ones hold their own in the comparison.👍

[@DaveMcKeegan]

It's a decent tripod Torben, especially if for average sized gear. I'm not sure on the weight ratings that K&F use, I think they are measuring the maximum potential of the whole tripod as apposed to what it can realistically carry, given that the ballhead would likely give way long before the legs snap

[@torbenlysholm1]

@@DaveMcKeegan Yes, I think you're right about the weight there. But I guess knowing how much extra weight you can safely hang from that hook is nice enough too. Thanks for taking time to reply here.😊👍

[@paololarocca7684]

Interesting comparison, so many things to consider....

[@onanysundrymule3144]

That was awesome, and empirical, thank you.

[@jerryfortenberry1956]

I am a total amateur concerning tripods. Just this summer started some astrophotography shots. My tripod is a 20 year old Sunpak my daughter bought me for Christmas many years ago. It is way too short for me . I am just over 6' 3". I have read several posts stating the extension will be unstable allowing the photos to be out of focus. I am having a difficult time finding a tripod that is within my budget and also about 6' tall at the base or bottom of the ballhead. Can you give me any advice? Thanks

[@DaveMcKeegan]

Every tripod will be less stable when extended out than when collapsed, simply due to centre of gravity and legs being stronger when they are all inside each other rather than stretched out. But that doesn't necessarily mean they will all be completely unstable, it also depends also on how much weight you are putting on the tripod too My current main tripod is the K&F SA251T1 and it's been fine for astro shooting for me. kzbin.info/www/bejne/mJOrdoaNhqd8sLs

[@JoeAchilles1]

Loved this, very amusing and helpful 👌

[@networkedperson]

the part where he promotes Amazon who supports ICE kidnapping Brown children was not too amusing

[@chrisdunford2346]

Great to see the dog Dave 😃 Can't see what all the hype is over tripods. I have this little Ranger thingy folds up to about 13" ( proper units stuff the EU). I stick my 7d MK2 and 100-400 L series lens on it no problem. What's all this with weight limits? Will it explode or something one day. I never used to worry....

[@DaveMcKeegan]

I think some weight limits talk about the limit before you risk buckling the legs while some are what the ball head is capable of safely keeping in a fixed position Either way regular gear pretty safely within a tripods maximum limit

[@saulmirandaaliaga]

Thank you for the video, Dave! Quality content!

[@DaveMcKeegan]

You're welcome Saul, glad you found it useful

[@networkedperson]

@@DaveMcKeegan you promote Amazon who supports ICE kidnapping Brown children...

[@BoxerTys]

Thanks for the vid Dave, i bought a manfrotto 190xprob 3 today :-)

[@DaveMcKeegan]

A great choice, hope you enjoy it

[@BoxerTys]

@@DaveMcKeegan i also bought a Leofoto LH-40 ballhead, a great duo ;)

[@k.g.wuensch9998]

The Manfrotto center column of the "big" ones is horrible to work with in the field. Your tripod head is oriented the wrong war (horizontally), the weight of your gear is outside the stability area of the tripod, so there always is the very high risk of the whole mess falling over. Working with the camera upside down isn't a solution either - because then the tripod legs become a problem. You either have one of them in front of the lens (bye bye subject) or behind the camera (unless you are a contortionist you will hate this position because it prevents camera operation). The only way to get properly close to the ground with any stable and comfortable solution is to forgo the wretched center column alltogether. So your tripod choice overall is poor...

[@pizzafroth1521]

Ive never had a problem with the way the "big" manfrottos center column articulates. To me, its actually worked very well for me. (I have the 190, carbon fiber)

[@peterlemke3468]

Did you pull the video down because you didn't get permission from the 🐸 during your opening shot? Seriously nice job Dave. Unfortunately no tripod can meet all your needs. There are always comprises. A few things to consider; 1/ Your height and the weight of your gear (camera, lenses & tripod head). A taller person needs a tripod with a greater maximum height. Likewise a DSLR with big lenses requires a tripod and head with a higher load capacity than a ML with smaller lenses. 2/ How are you traveling to your location and what is the distance? Is it by car, plane, train or walking? Shooting at home it doesn't matter but if you are hiking 15 kms every gram counts. Work out how far you are prepared to carry that tripod. If catching a plane are you comfortable checking your gear in or do you want to carry it as hand luggage? 3/ Are there alternatives that may suit or be better? A monopod may be a better choice in a crowded place or definitely when shooting sports and wildlife. Can you get by with just a beanbag? Does the IBIS on your camera or stabilised lenses make a tripod redundant? 4/ Carbon fibre vs non carbon fibre. The first is obviously lighter but more expensive. What matters more to you?

[@DaveMcKeegan]

Absolutely Peter, there are numerous factors and as always it comes down to personal preference - that's why I was careful to simply lay out the stats of each one for people to draw their own conclusions 😊

[@reldies5364]

Wait again? I already watched that video yesterday in 360p ... well I guess I have to watch it for a second time now.

[@DaveMcKeegan]

Haha, yeah YT was being a pain with yesterday's upload so I re-rendered and re-uploaded it

[@IRVisionPrints]

Great vid Dave

[@DaveMcKeegan]

Thanks 😊

[@noelleperrotta4944]

Good video, thanks

[@jcben]

I regret you haven't tested the tripods without the central column deployed. In windy condition deploying the central column is a sure way to get a blury picture but can you get a sharp picture when you try to be carreful ?

[@DaveMcKeegan]

You will obviously get better results with a lower centre column, it becomes a more sturdy platform and the centre of gravity is reduced You will also get better results by not fully extending the legs down and by spreading the legs further apart, however the test was supposed to use the tripods at their extreme

[@jcben]

@@DaveMcKeegan Yesterday i tested my befree in the wind with a 2 minutes exposition : not sharp enough (to my pixel peeper eyes). I'll try the 2324 as it seems to perform better. Thanks for this test.

[@ottokite]

I think that all of the tripods would be more stable if you weren't using the centre columns; this essentially makes them mono-pods on top of a tripod? Apart from that a great video. Thanks

[@DaveMcKeegan]

Absolutely right Chris, but that was kind of the point to push them to their limits, as there will be people who shoot them at max height The tripods would be more stable with the centre column down, and probably even more stable with the legs slightly retracted (or completely)

[@charlesworton4020]

I agree completely. >Charlie

[@plog1805]

If someone wants or needs a low to the ground shot, can't they just use a box, brick, piece of wood, anything small to just set camera on? Why would a tripod be needed for a 2" off the ground shot?

[@DaveMcKeegan]

There are of course alternatives, but then there is no guarantee you'll always have access to those sorts of things Also there have been times where for example I've wanted the camera just above water for example in a puddle, I wouldn't want to risk balancing my camera on a brick in such a position, where as with a tripod you know you're gear is pretty safe.

[@thesharpercoder]

I shoot with Benro and Induro tripods that use a flat plate, instead of a center column. The wider footprint makes them very stable. I think your tripod wind test was a good idea. I just think the target was way too close to be really meaningful. This would have been better with super telephoto lens focused on a far more distant subject. But, you admitted that you did not want to haul a ton of gear out,

[@DaveMcKeegan]

True, although my other concern with going out with the gear was that the ambient wind would potentially skew the results because it wouldn't stay consistent - in the garden I was enclosed so only the fan was affecting the lens

[@MrChrissk]

As long as it performs the job its needed to do its good enough. Its a pretty light and sterdy, it's held my sigma 150-600 sport up with no issues. Not the lightest of lenses.

[@vrdh]

I’m about to buy a new tripod, what tripod did you use to hold your sigma 150-600mm? Thx.

[@MrChrissk]

@@vrdh velbon ef-61. Only for short periods of time if taking image of the moon for instance. It's not really a lens I use unless doing hand held at race tracks shooting track action.

[@samuelsulaiman]

the 190 have xpro ballhead, that ballhead on it's own already 100 pounds

[@MrChrissk]

i use a velbon EF-61. Cheap but strong enough for what i use it for.

[@henrycolestage7650]

I have a Velbon tripod that is 20 years old and still works great. I only replaced it because my rig is getting a little...beefy, and I worried the head might not be up to it. It's been great though!

[@Marticulate]

Haha yep, used a Velbon for years now. Still going strong with heavy use. Great value.

[@pandoraefretum]

good work Sir... really useful

[@villageblunder4787]

Think it would have been fairer go test the tripods at the same height. The tallest of the smallest. But fair play, a lot of work.

[@stans5270]

It's Deja-Vu all over again.

[@Noealz]

a little too long to watch the whole wait for me but was good what I did~

[@TheRichb688]

good video

[@Alpa6c]

At first I thought it was a video about being a tripodiholic

[@DaveMcKeegan]

Sorry to disappoint you 😂

[@clarkie6454]

I ordered the k&f 2324 from amazon, it got sent back the next day wasn't happy with the stability the legs were to wobbly, bought a benro mach 3 instead and it's 10 times better yes it's a little heavier and more expensive but the quality is way better and I've learned not to cheap out on tripods 👍

[@fauxit55]

V v 3

[@edeto16]

None of them - go for a Benro instead.