tripod from argos

carplates

looking to buy my 1st tripod for my 500d, has anybody any views on the range from argos?

http://www.argos.ie/static/Browse/ID72/14419470/c_1/1%7Ccategory_root%7CPhotography%7C14419436/c_2/2%7C14419436%7CMemory+cards%2C+bags+and+accessories%7C14419453/c_3/3%7Ccat_14419453%7CTripods%7C14419470.htm

One of my friends has one of those silver ones. Not sure which one.

He uses it for video related stuff. It's not the greatest tripod in the world, I'm sure, but he hasn't complained about it at all (I haven't used it or even held it, so I can't really comment on it).

Personally I own a "Slik Pro 400 DX" (or something along those lines) that I paid €100 for and I haven't been able to find fault with it yet (have it about six-eight months now) but that's a fair bit dearer than the Argos ones.

I suppose the best thing you can do is head to a store and ask for a customer view of their tripods, see which one you prefer. Also keep in min what you'll be putting on it. If you have a gigantic, heavy lens, for example, some tripods may buckle under it's weight, so be sure to check their weight limit before buying.

Thecageyone

I've had a few Argos tripods to date. None of them were any good, no matter what the description stated. The last one I bought was reduced from €55 to €30, and it should have only been about a tenner to begin with! It claimed to be capable of holding up to 3.5kg, yeah ... indoors. The slightest breeze saw it wobble all over the place, useless for long exposures. They might be better built now, but I got a Manfrotto for Christmas, just the average ball head one, nothing fancy. Think they're about €130, but well worth it. Save yourself the frustration and wait until you have enough for a really good one. Cameras are too pricey these days to stick on something cheap and flimsy.

FoxT

OP, the Argos tripods will likely be fine for light use. When shopping for a tripod it is worth think about:

- Max load (camera + lens) that it will need to support

- Max height ( Note: Most tripods are wobbly at their max height, especially with the centre column fully extended. I think the Argos ones extend to about 1.5m, so I expect they would be steady up to about 1.25 m or less.

- Macro : An invertible centre column is handy sometimes for macro. If macro isn't your thing, dont worry about it.

- Quick-release plates: If you are planning only to mount your camera from time to time you dont need them. I find them handy b/c sometimes I will use the tripod to mount a flash, & I also have a heavy lens which mounts direct on the tripod, so I have plates on my lens, camera, & flash triggers all the time.

Hope this helps, enjoy!

Thecageyone

The one I had suggested 3.5kg, I never had more than 1.5 on it at any stage. That was a D200 + zoom. It would wobble even with the legs only 2/3 extended. It was a Hama, one of those silver ones. It did have a quick release plate though, that was nice. But the plastic handles and connections were not very sturdy, the handle eventually wore it's threads out and wouldn't fasten.

Just think ahead when spending money on something like this. It might be cheap, but you have to consider the value of the equipment you're going to mount onto it.

hbr

carplates wrote: »

looking to buy my 1st tripod for my 500d, has anybody any views on the range from argos?

It depends on what you expect from it. I have a cheap Argos tripod and a
Slik Pro 500DX. I often use the Argos one because it is small and
light enough to carry on my bike.

Pro: Small, light, cheap.

Con: Not tall enough, not as steady as the Slik, rough jerky adjustment.

Ignore the wildly optimistic maximum weight specs for cheap tripods.
The Argos tripods can just about handle the 500D and small to medium
lens. If you will be using bigger lenses or on-camera flash, you might
need to invest in a better tripod.