Hi kriegsketten,
You are very wise to go to the shop to test tripods and decide on what to buy in terms of specs, quality and price.
If you read my posting further up, I had to pay "school fees" to get a tripod that I feel suits me - the Sirui N2204. The salesperson (Richard at TK) is not much of a help, in that he has no time to go through with everyone the details of tripods. Actually, I cannot blame him because he does not know the requirements of customers. It is the customer who should go there with a list (specs) of what he wants and ask the salesperson which model can match his specs. There are just too many models to choose from and each model is for a specific need.
The N2204 is just the right one for me because it is sturdy; has good height; it is very low at min.; and with a built in monopod; quite light; and the finishing is good. I think the price is just right, but to some people, it may be quite expensive.
Cheers.
LEW
Do hope N2204 will work out for you. Yes, the N series has the lowest min height for the entire Sirui range.
I've went to TK about 3-4 times since they first opened at Funan - never have I once looked intently at the Sirui range (probably due to the unfamiliarity of the brand, Gitzo was very new to me as well!). My perception completely changed since yesterday. Thanks so much to the saleperson who was very patient and friendly with me and practically demonstrated in full the "vibration absorbtion/dispersion" of several make/brands so that I fully understand what I really need to look out for in a tripod (instead of blindly insisting on 3-sectioned legs, which didn't really perform as well as I thought due to the wobbly and thinner last sections)...
I know not everyone would enjoy the same equal sales service at any given time, so I thought I should share my experiences here so that the tripod seekers would know extra bits of what to look out for... Remember, don't be mislead by any brand as each will have its fair share of "lemon" models.
Tips:
1) Know your budget (but be a little bit flexible if required - for the best)
2) Think ahead of what you might need in the future (not just current)
3) Look at the features closely - some of Sirui series comes with monopod detachment - do you really need it? - especially useful for panning shoots (sports with an ultra heavy lens) or where there will be no room for tripods...
4) Height requirement (bring your cam and what-not fittings for extra measures) You don't want to tip-toe nor bend too low... But must bend a little, don't just go for eye-level. It is not everytime you'll shoot straight ahead - there will be times you'll need to tilt the cam downwards (e.g. shooting down from the top of the building). With the ballhead clamp of your choice, plus battery pack attached, tilt your cam down to the fullest, tripod legs fully extended, center column fully retracted - if you can still look into the viewfinder comfortably without tip-toing or bending - you've got your tripod height.
5) Min height - useful for some really odd angle shots (like SHLEW mentioned)!
6) Don't blindly follow "3 legs good, 4/5 legs bad" mentallity like I did - the stability would depend on the thickness of the last leg sections.
7) Portability - how it folds up (with the ballhead attached). Especially for travellers -very important.
8) Weight - not necessarily the heaviest is the best - if it can't control vibrations well - it is as good as dead-weight you have to lug around for nothing!
What is cheap and good varies from person to person depending on budget/needs/equipment. To me, I was prepared to fork out for a $690 model. Instead I was shown (and demonstrated) another model (brand unbeknownst to me) - better vibration control - more important useful features - lighter - suitable min/max height - better portability - comes with bag and strap! For $420 - I'm totally convinced that I've found my version of CHEAP-er and "GOOD-er" option! :bsmilie:
