Mini tripods?

[Hedgerowe]

Equilibrium, I am with you, both in spirit and in wallet!

[havalotta]

You can make a bean bag really easy.
Stuff a sock or sew a square pouch for yourself and fill it with rice.
Sew the end shut and there you have it!

[Xena]

Originally Posted by Equilibrium

... I want everything you are all suggesting but I can't spend more than $50.

Ebay or Craigslist, a used Bogen 3021 is a fine starter/intermediate unit. Watch the listings and be patient.

[Equilibrium]

The pillow pad is close to what I am using. The Bogen is really nice and high quality but it's over 4' tall and goes up to 6'. I want something that is going to get me close to the ground to photograph tiny things which is why I was thinking a tripod no bigger than 18" tall that might collapse down to 6". I'm after tiny things that are low to the ground. My fault. I should have said what I wanted to photograph.

[trillium]

If I remember I will check the Vanguards at work for you tomorrow. I can't say as any will go as low as 6". but I know there is one less than or about 18". I will poke around if I have time out on the floor. I have a Canon tripod. It is nice. It goes down fairly low. maybe 24". I rarely use a tripod though, even for landscapes. I never have the luxury of being able to wait in one spot for the right shot. I like to take pix of waterfowl in flight, and a tripod is pretty much out for that. It isn't uncommon for me to take 200 pix to get 5 really good ones with print film. Even with the 500mm lens, I don't have alot of trouble with shake, but it's also a high end camera. I think I have a steady arm after all the years of shooting firearms!

[jpdenk]

If you just can't swing the bucks for one of the Velbons that go really low, check out the Sunpak Mini-Pro Plus tripod, click here for the Amazon page that shows it. Lowest it goes is 7". highest is 12", only costs $21.95 + shipping.

John

[Xena]

Originally Posted by Equilibrium

The pillow pad is close to what I am using. The Bogen is really nice and high quality but it's over 4' tall and goes up to 6'. I want something that is going to get me close to the ground to photograph tiny things which is why I was thinking a tripod no bigger than 18" tall that might collapse down to 6". I'm after tiny things that are low to the ground. My fault. I should have said what I wanted to photograph.

I know that people use the Bogen for macro photography. Not sure if the column reverses or if the legs splay out completely to get close to the ground. Perhaps both. A high quality tripod would have both capabilities.

But whatever. If you don't like it that's fine, really, I was just making a suggestion based on experience and observation. Avoiding spending a lot on a tripod often causes the person to end up spending as much ultimately on several cheaper alternatives that always fall short of meeting one's needs. It's a common phenomenon.

G'luck, and I do hope you can find what you need within your budget.

[havalotta]

For shots that close I roll my fist up in a ball and set the camera on it.
For further shots I lean it against a tree. I learned that shooting firearms too.

[trillium]

Gander mtn has a Vanguard that goes 11 3/4" up to 20" (at out store anyway a bigger one might have more) for $20. I was pretty busy today so that's all I had a chance to check out. They look pretty decent for the money.

[Equilibrium]

"I know that people use the Bogen for macro photography." I found a used one on eBay. It's up on the block. How would it be used to photograph the smaller things close to the ground? It looks so big. I don't want to get into that cycle of buying garbage that I won't use. I'm in the mode of emptying out my house and everything I can get rid of is going to Salvation Army or Good Will.