A New Camera Surely Requires a New Tripod

If you haven't read my post on the new Canon T1i SLR I recently purchased, scroll down to see what I think and what I've learned. As you would expect, I also found it necessary to purchase a tripod to use with my new camera. I used it this week to attempt to take some photos of a very cool looking moon. I failed miserably at this task and couldn't figure out how to photograph the moon properly. I kept gettting weird reflections and had problems getting the camera to focus. I'll figure this out eventually.

In spite of not having the necessary skills to photograph the moon, I must say I am very impressed with the Promaster T325P Carbon Fiber Tripod along with the Maglite 2 ball head. The T325P holds 13.25 pounds yet weighs 2.6 pounds. When folded, the T325P is 21.25" high. Its minimum working height is 8.25" and its maximum height is 63". Based upon my limited research, it appears the price of the T325P is fairly reasonable and there are online deals to be had.

The T325P is easy to use and has a built-in level and a compass (I'm not sure yet what I'll use the compass for). The level is a very handy feature to have. I was trying to photograph the moon and I was standing in the middle of the street in front of my house. Using the level was very easy and helpful on this uneven surface.

I am most impressed by the T325P's light weight. This tripod is easy to carry around, yet incredibly sturdy. I'm sure it will also fit in a carry-on bag when I travel. The tripod looks cool and has a nice finish. The twist locks are tight and are easy to use because of their size.

The T325P is equipped with leg spreader locks which must be pushed back to use (instead of being

spring loaded). Personally, I like this better than the spring loaded version as I seem to have more control and there is less to go wrong down the road.

The Maglite ball head are well-built but don't provide quick-release plates like a few of the other ball heads I looked at. The tension controls are easy to use but didn't always work well. It was a bit of a chore to secure my camera when it wasn't level. I had to apply some extra tension to the controls to keep my camera from sliding backwards.

Overall, I was very impressed with both the tripod and the Maglite head. The prices for both were reasonable and in my first test, they both performed admirably. I would recommend this setup to others.