Durable Tripods...

[ravencr]

Hey guys,

I'd like to get a high quality durable and lightweight tripod to hold two things:

1) Nikon D300 with 18-200 lens

and at times:

2) SB-800 Flash

I work in the offroad market, so durability is key, then lightweight being the second most important factor. I don't want to pay more than I need to, but I'm willing to get the best out there if there's substantial advantage for durability.

Thanks,

Chris

[JoeMc]

Hello... I have two tripods....One is the best tripod made. It is a gitzo... It is very light, very strong (lifetime warranty) but it is also very expensive.

My other tripod is a workhorse.. I have put it thru everything and it is still perfect...It is a manfrotto.
You can not go wrong with either one of these...but if weight is an issue? I would go with a Gitzo.
Cheers, joe

[ravencr]

Thanks Joe. Would you go all metal or carbon fiber? Does someone actually make one that's all metal and no plastic parts?

Chris

[SMcEvoy]

I have a Slik Pro 340DX. It's not too heavy, has handled everything I've thrown at it, including the Nikon D50, the 70-300 AND the SB600 - with room to spare. It's an aluminum, titanium, magnesium alloy and was quite reasonably priced. I liked it because it has the legs that spread incredibly wide and low especially with the short rod attachment you can get as an extra. Slik has a lot of other Tripods in their range so there are options if that doesn't work for you.

I use mine with the Nikon ML-L3 wireless remote. It was the best $20 investment in camera equipment I ever made. Gives that added stability and lets you step back and review the scene too. Unfortunately I think the remote for the D300 is a lot more ($175 ish) but there are 'non-Nikon' versions out there too.

[ravencr]

Thanks man...doing research on the Sliks now, but their site sucks. Trying to find some good retailers with good information.

Chris

[Shaggydoo]

I use a Slik Pro 700DX It's a little bit heavy but it's also as tough as an Ox. You can probably get it for about $140. One of the best places to buy photographic equipment on the internet is B&H Photo

[ravencr]

Is it possible to use a tripod to hold both the camera and then when I'm doing off-camera flash hold my flash? Can a lightstand function as both too?

Chris