Changed my mind about that cheap tripod for astro shots

I dropped about $80 on a lightweight aluminum tripod thinking it was fine for my camera, but it wobbled like crazy during a 30-second exposure of Orion last night and ruined the whole shot. Upgrading to a solid carbon fiber one for over $200 felt like a lot, but the difference in stability is insane and my star trails are actually sharp now. Anyone have a good mid-range tripod recommendation that won't break the bank but actually holds steady?

3 comments

3 Comments

brianreed21d ago

Yeah, my cheap tripod once blew over like a drunk uncle.

shane_clark21d ago

Remember watching my old one take a dive off a pier. Legs just folded up like a cheap lawn chair in a stiff breeze. Camera went straight into the salt water. That was a bad day.

maxf3321d ago

My Manfrotto survived a 40mph gust on a cliff last year.