I am looking to purchase a tripod, would
appreciate any guidance and experience anyone
has about this subject.

Thanks
blemaire

I don't know which one to suggest, but I know not to buy a cheapie with legs that extend like an antenna. I made that mistake, and it's very unstable when fully extended.

2 well-respected brands are Gitzo and Manfrotto. Carbon fiber is lighter to carry.

There are many to choose from. Even after you eliminate the cheepies - which you should not waste your money on - there is a bewildering array available. The really, really expensive ones are carbon fiber ... that gives you very low weight and stability. For considerably less money you can get that same stability in metal tripods but they are going to weigh more.

How are you going to use it? If you are a nature hiker and expect to be lugging this around on trails for several hours, then you may well decide it's worth the money to go with low weight. If you are like me and expect to carry it around over short distances for relatively short periods of time, the non-carbon models are a lot less money and the extra weight is probably not a problem.

Buying a tripod "rated" for a weight equal to your camera is important but the quality of the head you are going to use is equally important. You can read all sorts of reviews on-line but I think it's always more fun to go to a real camera store where you can "touch and try". Take your camera and the longest lens you own. Get a knowledgeable clerk to show you the tripod models he recommends. Then, get him to also show you the heads he recommends to use with the tripod or, alternatively, bring along a head you already own and intend to use and mount that on the proposed tripods.

Try it out. Extend the telephoto lens out to max, focus on a spot, lock the head. Now look to see if it creeps.

You no doubt will end up making a compromise between what you think is great and what you can afford.

Rusty

I agree with Rusty. I would only add that if you're looking for nature shots, you might want to consider buying a monopod as well. You can get a good monopod for a fraction of the price and weight. I carry mine everywhere and it works for most situations and can be carried attached to your camera. I have even used mine as a walking stick once or twice. You'll still need a tripod for low light, for stiching panaromas, and it is a must for studio work.

I believe it's Manfrotto that makes a tripod that has a convertible center column that adjusts to horizontal. This feature is very handy when photographing flowers at their level. You only get what you pay for.
Chas

Howdy:
A tripod is as good as it's head make sure your tripod have a ball head that will support the weight of your heavies cameras 1-1/2 times that brings real stability and long life. The best way to go about buying a tripod is like Rusty said go to the store and try them all. BTW Adorama have a good carbon fiber tripod for 1/2 the price of the big names tripods manufacturers.

Diego:

I've looked at those tripods at Adorama. Do you have any experience with them?

Hi Gene:
No I don't, but a friend have one and he told me it was good for his Rollei. So I will buy one if I needed one but I recently inherited a sturdy and light tripod from the widow of a late friend. Just when I was considering buying one from Adorama.

Thanks......my current tripod is a heavier metal one that so far has been doing the job, but is a bit much for carrying around on my walks. I've been using my monopod for that (and it also does quite well as a walking stick as an added bonus) but there are times I'd like to have the tripod handy.