Summary: <br> Jeff and Mark Morris talk about the features/options in tripod legs and ball heads along with the best value options for both.<br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> Episode Sponsor<br> <br> <br> <br> Squarespace. Head over to <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.squarespace.com/?channel=podcast&subchannel=themidroll&source=improvephotography" target="_blank">squarespace.com/IMPROVE</a> and use the offer code IMPROVE at checkout to get 10% your first website or domain!<br> <br> <br> <br> How and Why Choose Your Top Ten Annually<br> <br> <br> <br> Check out the latest <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://phototacopodcast.com/why-photographers-should-choose-their-top-ten-photos-annually/" target="_blank">Photo Taco Podcast</a> episode where Jeff Harmon talks about how to use Lightroom Classic CC to go through the process of choosing your Top Ten images for a year as well as why any photographer should do that.<br> <br> <br> <br> Tripods For the Rest of Us!<br> <br> <br> <br> In this episode we are going to talk about practical recommendations for tripod legs and ball heads. Not the usual thing you get where a professional photographers, who may be sponsored by a manufacturer, tells you that you must spend thousands of dollars on a tripod and ball head. <br> <br> <br> <br> Not to say that doing so isn’t worth the investment, because I believe it is. It just isn’t something practical for me to even think about spending that kind of money on a tripod and I think that resonates with a lot of listeners of the show. <br> <br> <br> <br> What Does Mark Morris Know About Tripods?<br> <br> <br> <br> So what does Mark Morris, the guest on this episode, know about tripods? Why is he qualified to talk about them?<br> <br> <br> <br> Mark: Several years ago I did a large scale review project for <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.improvephotography.com" target="_blank">Improve Photography</a>. I worked with a vast array of the different tripod and ball head manufacturers. After spending several months with an absurd number of tripods and ball heads, I actually took the show on the road, and presented “The Tripod Roadshow” at a number of different venues across the eastern United States. <br> <br> <br> <br> Before we jump into any specifics, I’ll share one general observation that I made back when I was working with so many different products:<br> <br> <br> <br> * The manufacturers all have a VERY good idea of what quality and features are presented at different price points. It’s very rare that you find an enormous inconsistency between brands. If you are looking at $250 legs from Brand X, and $250 legs from Brand Y, there is a strong likelihood that they are going to be quite similar in build and value. * Another overarching truth: You are going to place a very large amount of trust in a Tripod and Ball Head. Sometimes I look at my setup and realize that there is nearly $10,000 worth of equipment on top of a ball head and tripod. Just something to seriously consider: don’t be penny wise and pound foolish. Get a support system that you really trust, and that is STURDY. Saving $100 because you feel that good tripod equipment is over-priced just doesn’t make sense, in my opinion. Learning the hard way can be VERY expensive.<br> <br> <br> <br> What Are the Best Value Tripod Legs?<br> <br> <br> <br> The best value tripod legs for photographers in 2019 are the <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://amzn.to/2N0TUgQ" target="_blank">Benro TAD27C</a> that run about $230 (does not include ball head). A close second is the <a rel="noreferrer noopener"></a>
