Originally posted by stemked I have been thinking similarly. I have looked into the 1204 and 2204. The prices of those tripods for what they offer are really something. I tried the 1204 at Roberts with the 150-450 and found it to be a good tripod and I was surprised how good the head was on it. One could always replace the ballhead of course if you want a larger one. The main downside is it sounds like it maybe a bit low for for you.
I looked at them, but they did not have flip locks on the legs. Their maximum height is nice, assuming the size of the ball head and camera itself bring it up a little. Your 150-450 not having difficulty on the ball head is inspiring. I am curious if it was the K20X.
---------- Post added 01-03-16 at 11:41 AM ----------
Originally posted by WPRESTO You can get a Sirui EN2004 tripod (flip locks) w/o head, but it's $196 from B&H
I suggest you go to B&H and look through the tripods by BENRO. They offer multiple models with flip-locks in the $100~200 range, example: the "Benro Classic A2580F."
GIOTTOS also has several flip lock models in your specified price range, but my experience with one of their tripods suggest they are not especially well made.
I actually had researched the EN-2004 and it is a top prospect. The Benro has less weight capacity of the two, but if I positively knew that I would not need it, it might have been a prospect also. The Sirui seems to have a nice build and styling, and like I mentioned, strength. It folds approximately 5 inches less than the Alta Pro and its styling is more subtle looking, which I like.
I figure if I do pair the EN-2004 with a K20X, I will have a really nice setup at a reasonable cost considering the quality and possible travel use. The warranty is good also.
It is good to get an opinion from someone like you to know that there is no hidden problem that I would not have known otherwise.
I suppose my K-3II/Sigma150-500 and K-5IIS/Pentax 16-85 combinations would not have problems with this setup, though as I said, I will most likely be getting a Gimbal head for the 150-500 for more safety.
---------- Post added 01-03-16 at 11:43 AM ----------
Thank you to both of you for your input/advice. It really is a help.
Last edited by C_Jones; 01-03-2016 at 03:33 PM.