Used Tripod Worth buying?

ASheffield · 11-06-2012, 11:41 AM

I found a used tripod for a low price at a local craft store that sells things that people don't want and think could be turned into art. I'm not sure of the condition but I'm going to look at it again. I'm not sure what brand it is either. Would it be worth buying?

Bramela · 11-06-2012, 12:01 PM

it all depends on brand, condition, useability, reliability, sturdiness etc. etc. I think only you can judge by closely inspecting the item.

LowVoltage · 11-06-2012, 04:29 PM

Just my $0.02 - I would be sure to fully extend and collapse the leg sections several times. Make sure there aren't any internal hang ups like sand or other gritty material inside the tubes. My Manfrotto probably has a few specks of sand in it, and it's no big deal. However, once upon a time I had a budget Sunpak tripod that collected dirt in the legs like that was its reason for being. Too much of that stuff and the legs jam or just don't slide nicely.

hks_kansei · 11-06-2012, 06:43 PM

As above, just make sure to play around with it in person before committing.

Both my tripods are secondhand, and both were free (one was my dad's old one when he got a newer one, the other belonged to my girlfriend's father before he passed away)

The plastic one from my GF's dad is in great condition, I don;t think he used it much. It's a bit flimsy though, more from it's design than wear.

My dad's one has only just broken the other day, it took 20 years though.

The main issues ite developed over time were:

First the screws holding the leg braces etc started to loosen, this made the tripod a bit wobbly, I just made a point of periodically tightening them. (this showed up after about 15years of use)
Then the clips that hold the legs in position started to get rather tight and hard to use (this took about 18 years of use)
And the other day one of the legs fell off, after all the years of the lower leg hitting the stopper at the end of the upper leg, the end finally succumbed to metal fatigue and broke. (20 years)

In other words, tripods are a pretty simple device, there's not really much involved in makign them work (I mean technically you could superglue a ball head onto a rock and have most of a tripod's functions)

ASheffield · 11-06-2012, 07:06 PM

Originally posted by LowVoltage

Just my $0.02 - I would be sure to fully extend and collapse the leg sections several times. Make sure there aren't any internal hang ups like sand or other gritty material inside the tubes. My Manfrotto probably has a few specks of sand in it, and it's no big deal. However, once upon a time I had a budget Sunpak tripod that collected dirt in the legs like that was its reason for being. Too much of that stuff and the legs jam or just don't slide nicely.

I live in Raleigh and the tripod is in Durham, no where near dirt just pavement. It felt like it had solid legs. I'd say it was a high quality tripod that was well taken care of.

ASheffield · 11-06-2012, 07:09 PM

Im not sure if this says anything about quality, but it has a handle (I know nothing about tripods).

hks_kansei · 11-06-2012, 07:44 PM

Originally posted by ASheffield

the tripod is in Durham, no where near dirt just pavement. It felt like it had solid legs. .

Wouldn't matter, the previous owner may have gone on holidays to the beach and got sand wedged everywhere.

Originally posted by ASheffield

Im not sure if this says anything about quality, but it has a handle (I know nothing about tripods).

What is it made from? metal/plastic/wood?

When it's setup does it feel sturdy, or does it feel flimsy?
Does the head move freely? does turning the knobs lock it? or can it still twist etc with them locked?

ASheffield · 11-06-2012, 07:54 PM

Originally posted by hks_kansei

Wouldn't matter, the previous owner may have gone on holidays to the beach and got sand wedged everywhere.

Our area isn't close to the beach and it's a long traffic filled drive (I don't know anyone without a short timeshare who goes more than twice a year). The tripod looked newer than my cameras, maybe from a fe years ago.

What is it made from? metal/plastic/wood?

When it's setup does it feel sturdy, or does it feel flimsy?
Does the head move freely? does turning the knobs lock it? or can it still twist etc with them locked?

It felt like metal or fiberglass, it had a grip on it so I didn't feel the material. I didn't mess with it much, I just moved it around and the movement felt very smooth. It had 360 movement and up and down movement.

hks_kansei · 11-06-2012, 08:02 PM

It sounds like it could be ok.

As long as it feels sturdy (ie: do you trust it would safely support your camera without falling over) it should be fine.

The other important thing is the price.
I've got no idea what tripods are worth in the USA, so I can;t really comment on price.

If it's cheap, you may as well buy it, even a flimsy tripod will be more sturdy than handholding.

**interested_observer** · 11-06-2012, 08:11 PM

Several years ago I purchased a used tripod off of Craigslist. It was scratched and a tad beaten up. An older Maffratto 3001BD, but it works just fine, and the price was right. It all depends on your needs, availability - what you can find, condition and of course price. It took me several months of patiently looking to find it...

ASheffield · 11-06-2012, 08:30 PM

Originally posted by interested_observer

Several years ago I purchased a used tripod off of Craigslist. It was scratched and a tad beaten up. An older Maffratto 3001BD, but it works just fine, and the price was right. It all depends on your needs, availability - what you can find, condition and of course price. It took me several months of patiently looking to find it...

This one's at a store so I can go take a good look at it soon.

vonBaloney · 11-06-2012, 09:51 PM

You can find older and crappy tripods at practically any garage sale or thrift store for a few bucks. Most aren't even worth it. Unless you are going to use it to take family photos indoors, do the research and get something decent...

ASheffield · 11-06-2012, 09:53 PM

Originally posted by vonBaloney

You can find older and crappy tripods at practically any garage sale or thrift store for a few bucks. Most aren't even worth it. Unless you are going to use it to take family photos indoors, do the research and get something decent...

I'm in middle school, I can't afford anything real expensive.

littledrawe · 11-06-2012, 10:16 PM

Originally posted by ASheffield

I'm in middle school

Do your parents know you are on this forum sir/ma'am??

??

Seriously, good on ya for getting started early and for asking questions before you buy if at all possible take a picture and post it here. Ask them to hold it for you while you make a decision and then make sure to get any info written on the tripod like brand names and model numbers so you can research it.

vonBaloney · 11-06-2012, 10:19 PM

Originally posted by ASheffield

I'm in middle school, I can't afford anything real expensive.

Ok, but don't feel you need to buy it just cause it is there -- cheap tripods are very easy to find, trust me. You can get a half-decent one on Amazon for like $20-$30. In fact, if you really are in middle school, and I have no reason to disbelieve you, then we need to encourage your photography. Let's take a collection and buy this guy a brand-new but not expensive tripod, ok? I'm in for $10. Anybody with me? ($30 ought to cover it.)

11-06-2012, 11:41 AM	#1
ASheffield Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: Raleigh, North Carolina, USA Photos: Albums Posts: 329	Used Tripod Worth buying? I found a used tripod for a low price at a local craft store that sells things that people don't want and think could be turned into art. I'm not sure of the condition but I'm going to look at it again. I'm not sure what brand it is either. Would it be worth buying?

11-06-2012, 10:16 PM	#14
littledrawe Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Red Rock Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 2,514	Originally posted by ASheffield I'm in middle school Do your parents know you are on this forum sir/ma'am???? Seriously, good on ya for getting started early and for asking questions before you buy if at all possible take a picture and post it here. Ask them to hold it for you while you make a decision and then make sure to get any info written on the tripod like brand names and model numbers so you can research it.

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11-06-2012, 12:01 PM	#2
Bramela Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Newcastle Australia Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 5,284	it all depends on brand, condition, useability, reliability, sturdiness etc. etc. I think only you can judge by closely inspecting the item.

11-06-2012, 04:29 PM	#3
LowVoltage Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Mount Joy, PA Photos: Gallery Posts: 544	Just my $0.02 - I would be sure to fully extend and collapse the leg sections several times. Make sure there aren't any internal hang ups like sand or other gritty material inside the tubes. My Manfrotto probably has a few specks of sand in it, and it's no big deal. However, once upon a time I had a budget Sunpak tripod that collected dirt in the legs like that was its reason for being. Too much of that stuff and the legs jam or just don't slide nicely.

11-06-2012, 06:43 PM	#4
hks_kansei Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2012 Posts: 834	As above, just make sure to play around with it in person before committing. Both my tripods are secondhand, and both were free (one was my dad's old one when he got a newer one, the other belonged to my girlfriend's father before he passed away) The plastic one from my GF's dad is in great condition, I don;t think he used it much. It's a bit flimsy though, more from it's design than wear. My dad's one has only just broken the other day, it took 20 years though. The main issues ite developed over time were: First the screws holding the leg braces etc started to loosen, this made the tripod a bit wobbly, I just made a point of periodically tightening them. (this showed up after about 15years of use) Then the clips that hold the legs in position started to get rather tight and hard to use (this took about 18 years of use) And the other day one of the legs fell off, after all the years of the lower leg hitting the stopper at the end of the upper leg, the end finally succumbed to metal fatigue and broke. (20 years) In other words, tripods are a pretty simple device, there's not really much involved in makign them work (I mean technically you could superglue a ball head onto a rock and have most of a tripod's functions)

11-06-2012, 07:06 PM	#5
ASheffield Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: Raleigh, North Carolina, USA Photos: Albums Posts: 329 Original Poster	Originally posted by LowVoltage Just my $0.02 - I would be sure to fully extend and collapse the leg sections several times. Make sure there aren't any internal hang ups like sand or other gritty material inside the tubes. My Manfrotto probably has a few specks of sand in it, and it's no big deal. However, once upon a time I had a budget Sunpak tripod that collected dirt in the legs like that was its reason for being. Too much of that stuff and the legs jam or just don't slide nicely. I live in Raleigh and the tripod is in Durham, no where near dirt just pavement. It felt like it had solid legs. I'd say it was a high quality tripod that was well taken care of.

11-06-2012, 07:09 PM	#6
ASheffield Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: Raleigh, North Carolina, USA Photos: Albums Posts: 329 Original Poster	Im not sure if this says anything about quality, but it has a handle (I know nothing about tripods).

11-06-2012, 07:44 PM	#7
hks_kansei Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2012 Posts: 834	Originally posted by ASheffield the tripod is in Durham, no where near dirt just pavement. It felt like it had solid legs. . Wouldn't matter, the previous owner may have gone on holidays to the beach and got sand wedged everywhere. Originally posted by ASheffield Im not sure if this says anything about quality, but it has a handle (I know nothing about tripods). What is it made from? metal/plastic/wood? When it's setup does it feel sturdy, or does it feel flimsy? Does the head move freely? does turning the knobs lock it? or can it still twist etc with them locked?

11-06-2012, 07:54 PM	#8
ASheffield Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: Raleigh, North Carolina, USA Photos: Albums Posts: 329 Original Poster	Originally posted by hks_kansei Wouldn't matter, the previous owner may have gone on holidays to the beach and got sand wedged everywhere. Our area isn't close to the beach and it's a long traffic filled drive (I don't know anyone without a short timeshare who goes more than twice a year). The tripod looked newer than my cameras, maybe from a fe years ago. What is it made from? metal/plastic/wood? When it's setup does it feel sturdy, or does it feel flimsy? Does the head move freely? does turning the knobs lock it? or can it still twist etc with them locked? It felt like metal or fiberglass, it had a grip on it so I didn't feel the material. I didn't mess with it much, I just moved it around and the movement felt very smooth. It had 360 movement and up and down movement.

11-06-2012, 08:02 PM	#9
hks_kansei Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2012 Posts: 834	It sounds like it could be ok. As long as it feels sturdy (ie: do you trust it would safely support your camera without falling over) it should be fine. The other important thing is the price. I've got no idea what tripods are worth in the USA, so I can;t really comment on price. If it's cheap, you may as well buy it, even a flimsy tripod will be more sturdy than handholding.

11-06-2012, 08:11 PM	#10
interested_observer Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Tumbleweed, Arizona Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 5,707	Several years ago I purchased a used tripod off of Craigslist. It was scratched and a tad beaten up. An older Maffratto 3001BD, but it works just fine, and the price was right. It all depends on your needs, availability - what you can find, condition and of course price. It took me several months of patiently looking to find it...

11-06-2012, 08:30 PM	#11
ASheffield Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: Raleigh, North Carolina, USA Photos: Albums Posts: 329 Original Poster	Originally posted by interested_observer Several years ago I purchased a used tripod off of Craigslist. It was scratched and a tad beaten up. An older Maffratto 3001BD, but it works just fine, and the price was right. It all depends on your needs, availability - what you can find, condition and of course price. It took me several months of patiently looking to find it... This one's at a store so I can go take a good look at it soon.

11-06-2012, 09:51 PM	#12
vonBaloney Pentaxian Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Albuquerque, NM Posts: 6,029	You can find older and crappy tripods at practically any garage sale or thrift store for a few bucks. Most aren't even worth it. Unless you are going to use it to take family photos indoors, do the research and get something decent...

11-06-2012, 09:53 PM	#13
ASheffield Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: Raleigh, North Carolina, USA Photos: Albums Posts: 329 Original Poster	Originally posted by vonBaloney You can find older and crappy tripods at practically any garage sale or thrift store for a few bucks. Most aren't even worth it. Unless you are going to use it to take family photos indoors, do the research and get something decent... I'm in middle school, I can't afford anything real expensive.

11-06-2012, 10:19 PM	#15
vonBaloney Pentaxian Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Albuquerque, NM Posts: 6,029	Originally posted by ASheffield I'm in middle school, I can't afford anything real expensive. Ok, but don't feel you need to buy it just cause it is there -- cheap tripods are very easy to find, trust me. You can get a half-decent one on Amazon for like $20-$30. In fact, if you really are in middle school, and I have no reason to disbelieve you, then we need to encourage your photography. Let's take a collection and buy this guy a brand-new but not expensive tripod, ok? I'm in for $10. Anybody with me? ($30 ought to cover it.)