are always searching for a field tripod that is both lightweight and
sturdy at the same time.
My Experience with Tripods
Although it took me many years to take this advice myself,
nevertheless I pass it on to you. It is far, far better to buy a really
good-quality tripod for macro use than to try and get by on a beater
or a cheap one. The common thought appears to be that the
camera and lens cost a lot, so let’s save money on the tripod and
get a better one later. This is not a good idea and for several
reasons.
For one, a cheap tripod generally will not give you the stability you
need for close-up work, in particular if you are focus stacking or
doing multi-tier panoramas. You need a rock-solid tripod for this
kind of work.
Secondly, if you purchase a really good tripod you can almost
always sell it for a goodly amount later if you fall out of love with
photography. I have a whole closet full of cheap aluminum tripods
(they won’t sell) that I purchased trying to avoid buying one good
tripod. They are and were worthless. Worse, their inherent
instability and heavier weight set my learning curve back I don’t
know how long, but it was a lot – a big mistake on my part. That
being said, what do we need in the way of a tripod for close-up,
macro, and focus-stacking work?
Lightweight Tripods
Carbon-fiber tripods (or other ultra-light alloys) are what you want
for field work. Similar to fiber-glass, carbon fiber is both strong and
lightweight and, as more and more manufacturers are now
producing them, they continue to be less expensive. And more
appear on the used market all the time.
Strength
Carbon fiber alone is not the whole answer because there are
many carbon fiber tripods that are two small or weak for constant
field work, especially if you are mounting a large ball head, DSLR,
and hefty lens on them. Get one that will hold your rig easily, not
barely.