# Marumi tripod. Worth the money?



## olympus999 (Aug 9, 2010)

I have read that marumi filters are good quality, but what about their tripods?
i am looking to buy heavy duty TPK-244B, it is very cheap!
More info:
Tripods2?MARUMI Filter?MARUMI OPTICAL CO.,LTD.


----------



## DirtyDFeckers (Aug 9, 2010)

Go Manfrotto or go home!


----------



## olympus999 (Aug 9, 2010)

i know manfrotto is the best, but i dont have 500$ to spend on a tripod. I am looking for cheap alternative.


----------



## rpm (Aug 9, 2010)

manfrotto do offer cheap alternatives if you look at their all-in-one set of tripods...


----------



## DirtyDFeckers (Aug 11, 2010)

Well what is your budget?  You can get a nice Manfrotto for between 150 and 200 bucks.


----------



## tirediron (Aug 11, 2010)

Looks to me like it has plastic hinges and column locks.  NOT going to last very long.  Check your local used gear store for a used Velbon or Sunpak if you're really strapped, but if the budget will run to $200 you should be able to pick up a nice set of used 055 legs and a 488 ball head.


----------



## Scatterbrained (Aug 11, 2010)

Knowing your budget would be helpful, beyond that I would recommend looking for a used tripod.


----------



## olympus999 (Aug 14, 2010)

My budget is 130$. I did buy myself velbon cx-440 for 25$. It is a crappy tripod i can tell, it is not stable and the panhead is bad. But i think i can do most of the stuff with it, but it wont be easy.

I have looked manfrotto cheap alternatives, but the cheap ones can hold only 1kg, i need at least 1.5kg. 2 or 2.5kg would be the best, in case i get some upgrades.


----------



## table1349 (Aug 14, 2010)

olympus999 said:


> i know manfrotto is the best, but i dont have 500$ to spend on a tripod. I am looking for cheap alternative.



First, Manfrotto is no where near the best.  They are good, but the best.  No. Their big brother, Gitzo is one of the very best, and of course you will pay for them.  

From the looks of thing from the link it is hard to say.  It supports 5kg, not a bad amount, but not great either.  The legs look as if they are decently attached, and the lever locks are typical of a Manfrotto knock off.  I can't tell if the attachment points are plastic, or flat painted aluminum.  I suspect that they are flat painted aluminum, again like a Manfrotto.  

In choosing a tripod you need to pick one for the gear you have as well as what you intend to buy in the future.  It should support a minimum of twice the weight and ideally 3 times the weight of your heaviest gear for stability.  I needs to be at least as tall as you need if not taller, without extending the center column.  This again is for stability.  Extending the center column means that your gear is being supported by a singe point instead of the three points the legs give you when the column is not extended.  

It needs tight tolerances at the point that the legs meet the top plate mount, but still have an ease of motion.  The leg material should be sturdy enough to support the gear without flex and the leg locks should grip strong enough to keep the legs extended with out any creep.  

If it possible to go look at one, then I would suggest that you do so.  It is much easier to evaluate an untested product such as this by feel than by photo.


----------

