Are tripods same for all cameras. I am buying my first good camera Nikon D3300 with Nikkor 55-200 VR II, AF-S [duplicate]

Question

I am beginning to learn photography and am buying my first hardware. I have boiled down to Nikon D3300 with Nikkor 55-200mm lens. I am also looking for a tripod because I guess one needs a stable hand to take good shots using a lens. So the question is: Are all tripods suitable for all cameras or there is a specific tripod for each brand?

In any case what tripod should I use? I live at the edge of a forest (I am not allowed to go inside without permission). But wild peacocks and deer do venture out. I wish to capture them (in my camera) but cannot carry the camera the whole day in my hands.

Can I use the same tripod with binoculars?

This question is partly answered in another place but I asking as to how to decide which tripod is more suitable for my requirement of capturing scenery and wild animals. Are there different tripods good for different requirements?

Answer 1

Good tripods and tripod heads are expensive. If you don't want to spend as much money on your tripod as you spent on your camera, you are going to have to live with some compromises.

1. Get a tripod that has quick release. Thats a plate that semi-permanently mounts on your camera and tripod can be quickly attached or removed
2. If the budget permits, consider getting a tripod with removable head with standardized mount. If you want to upgrade the tripod in the future, you can start with the head (which is most likely the weakest point of a cheap tripod).
3. When trying the tripods in store, choose something that will not vibrate in moderate wind. Shake the legs and see.
4. Probably the most annoying thing when working with tripods and long lenses is if you can't frame your shot properly: you release the lock, frame your picture and then when you tighten the lock, the framing drifts away, because the mechanical parts are flimsy. Test a few tripods in the store with your lens set to 200mm and try to frame something. Choose a tripod/head that does not drift.
5. Aluminum tripods can be a pain in the winter. Carbon and wood are much easier to handle in freezing temperatures

Answer 2

Not the tripod itself is relevant for your question but the camera mount on the tripod is. However, camera mounts are standardized and you usually can use any tripod with any camera brand. Note that many tripods have exchangeable heads so you can swap them (if tripod mount on your binoculars differs from tripod mount on camera). You can even buy a tripod and a tripod head separately.

Nikon D330 with 55-200 lens has a relatively bulky and heavy construction so make sure that the tripod you buy is suitable for that weight.

Answer 3

I have used a number of different tripod designs and brands over the years, and in my experience, Slik makes the best overall tripods on the market. But when it comes to buying one, you can't beat B&H Photo Video or compare to Amazon.

If you're shooting animals that move about quickly, you may want to consider a monopod. However, I often use my Slik tripod both as a monopod and tripod simply by keeping the legs under the camera rather than extending them into the tripod foundation.

Be sure to get one with the quick release leg locks as the rotating ones are often confusing as to which way is loosening vs. tightening.

The quick release head is also a great feature because it makes it a lot easier mounting and removing your camera.