Hey.. need a little help with some tripod suggestions here. From what I've gathered already, I definitely need a tripod with a fluid head for smooth pans and something that's not ridiculously bulky for shooting weddings and things of that nature. I'm hoping to spend around $500 or so. I just don't want to invest in something that is going to turn out to be crap if I can invest a little more into something worthwhile. I already have a monopod which works allright but it's a bit on the cheap side. I've been searching online for hours and hours and it seems like everyone has their own opinions. But nothing is really catching my eye and I don't have enough experience with this to know better. Does anyone have any suggestions along these lines? Thanks ahead...

John

Canon GL2, MacAddict

Hey John,

I so empathize with you about your hours of searching for the best equipment at the best price. It took me several MONTHS to get geared up.
But I am pretty confident that I found the best prices for everything I wanted.

I bought my fluid head tripod at adorama.com (Bogen 525MVB with a 503 head) for $720. It doesn't compare to the $7,000 tripod that I used as a network shooter, but it's pretty nice. Came with a wonderful soft case, as well.

Bottom line--- I think you will find the best prices for the ANY level of tripod you need at adorama.com.

Much success,

Stephanie

This tripod combo is a killer! I bought the exact same setup from EVSonline.com and I am very please with it. It is very smooth on the pans, sturdy and rugged.

If you want to go a little cheaper you could go with something like the Bogen 3036 (dont think this exact one is still made but they have newer ones in that range) and the 503 head.

Wouldnt go any lower than that though