Had to choose between a $50 tripod and a $300 one for my star trail shots

I went cheap last month and spent 3 hours watching my camera wobble in the wind. Now I'm saving up for the good one after my Andromeda photo came out looking like a blurry mess. Anyone else regret skimping on a tripod early on?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_anthony1mo ago

Three hours watching a tripod wobble? That sounds like you were way too zoomed in or had a really flimsy table. I've used a $40 Amazon special for years and my star trails come out fine. Wind is wind, cheap or expensive metal will shake if it's gusty enough. People act like spending money fixes all problems but a sandbag or hanging your bag from the center hook works just as good. My Andromeda shots look clean and I'm not dropping $300 on something that'll still wobble if I don't brace it. Maybe your blur was from the camera settings not the legs.

charles44226d agoMost Upvoted

@the_anthony you said "people act like spending money fixes all problems" and honestly that's the real truth bugging me about this whole debate. Nobody's talking about how even a nice tripod can have a loose head if you don't tighten it right, or how sometimes it's just the ground being uneven dirt. I've seen guys with $800 tripods slap rocks under the legs same as me with my cheap one. The gear matters way less than just knowing your spot and checking the setup twice before hitting start.

jake_torres681mo ago

Man, is it really that deep though? Like yeah a tripod wobbles sometimes but it's just a few hours of your time, not a rocket launch. If you're getting usable shots with a $40 setup then who cares what other people spend their money on.