UKH

Recently finally treated myself to a camera upgrade, Olympus Om-d em10. While I'm building an arsenal of lenses I figure I might as well get a tripod while I'm at it.

What do people recommend sub £100? I got a Manfrotto monopod for a gift a few years ago so that'll finally be getting some use too.

In reply to nathan79:

I would go 2nd hand.

 

Perhaps:

http://www.ffordes.com/product/18052312584181

Would last you a lifetime (tightening screw excepted). Heavy as, but therefore also very solid and robust. Many people don't like these tripods due to their quirky nature, but they do offer incredible flexibility. 

In reply to nathan79:

One I have been using that was surprisingly good for the price is a "silk sprint pro".  This seems to be the current version:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Slik-Sprint-Pro-II-Tripod/dp/B000Y070GS

While it doesn't excel in any areas it's not too heavy, is reasonably compact, is capable of holding my camera and is cheap enough I don't worry about breaking it.

Only real weakness is high wind.

In reply to nathan79:

Cullman seem to give most bangs for bucks. At least the aluminium ones. Slik makes some great ones, but they are more costly. 

 

Oh, and as with hiking poles, look for flicklock kind of fastenings. 

In reply to Jon Read:

Ha, I guessed what that was before even clicking your link. I've had one for 19 years, it is bombproof although admittedly I've not really used and abused it all that much - certainly got confidence in it though. 
They are indeed quirky, their USP was the ability to get the camera down low to shoot flowers or whatever, but it's a bit fiddly doing that and usually needs some counterbalance. Also the OP needs to factor in a tripod head, anything from £35 upward probably.
A good thing about the Benbo Uniloc is that the legs can be immersed in water up to about 2 ft depth, and it IS solid. 

In reply to nathan79:

What do you actually WANT from a tripod? I paid about £30 from memory years back for a cheap basic tripod from Jessops. It's about 1.25m high fully extended and weighs under 700g. Fine for slow shutter speeds and photos on a timer etc. Perfectly stable with smaller size SLRs. I'm sure there's similar on Amazon. I think if I was going to fork out £100 I'd want a clear reason why other than that's what I can afford. Me personally I wanted the light tripod going for trekking and sometimes mountaineering. What did you have planned with it?

Edit, similar to this although mine was lighter and a bit smaller: 

https://www.jessops.com/p/jessops/tr120-tripod-99876

£25

In reply to Blue Straggler:

Yes, akin to wrestling with an angry set of bagpipes, sometimes. The water immersion is great for sea/river settings -- nothing to rust or mechanical to get wet.

In reply to nathan79: The most important test for a tripod is when shooting in portrait mode, and a big lens on the camera, does the tripod hold the weight of all this or does it creep? Many cheap tripods fail this simple test!

 

In reply to nathan79:

 

After poor experiences with a couple of 'cheap' tripods I picked up one of these (mine is 2nd hand).  It is brilliant.  

https://www.jessops.com/p/3-legged-thing/3-legged-thing-travis-tripod-with-...

In reply to nathan79:

This is what I went for late last year as an upgrade from my much loved Jessops £25 job (see above) which just isn't man enough to take a big lens.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B01N0L544G/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o07_s0...

It can easily hold a DSLR & 600mm Lens, folds down very well (small as the Jessops), is flexible in terms of set-up on uneven ground (e.g. steps), able to hang the camera underneath for macro work. One leg detaches and can be used as a monopod. I was sceptical about a ball head at first, thinking I might get a pan and tilt video head, but I'm getting on with it really well.

The only thing is it gets a little bit spindly on the final extension of the legs, but It's easily high enough with out using them.

Spare Mounts for different lenses/cameras:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B071K5RPFF/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o07_s0...

In reply to nathan79:

Do you need a full-size tripod or is a little gorillapod-type device more useful? I carry a cheapy 7dayshop bendy-legged thing in my camerabag to support my E-M5 on mountaintops and suchlike. I also have a proper tripod but it never gets used.

In reply to nathan79:

Another vote for Cullman here, I've had one for 30 years now and it's great, light, sturdy and solid.

not sure if they still do this model but it's one of these https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Stativ_Cullmann_2901_01_08.jpg

In reply to nathan79:

I bought this little thing recently, and it is amazing. Benro make incredibly expensive production level tripods for the industry, and they have clearly put a good level of value in to this. It's only £100, you won't find a carbon tripod for less than that anywhere......one that's any good anyway. Would highly recommend this.

 

https://www.amazon.com/Benro-Carbon-Lightweight-Travel-TSL08CN00/dp/B071JYL...

In reply to nathan79:

I got a Red Snapper tripod with a ball head second hand for about £50 and have been pleased with it.  They're under £100 new

In reply to nathan79:

I think ultimately the main use will be rekindling my interest in astrophotography and a bit of landscape stuff here and there.

Some good food for thought here. Thanks folks. I'll see how I get on with the monopod and Gorillapod I already have over the summer and keep my eyes peeled for any good deals.