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This is admittedly an unfair comparison; we may as well ask whether there’s much difference between a disposable cardboard camera and a high end digital SLR with the best prime lenses. A fair analogy, in that Quantaray’s best tripod comes with the legs and head as one inseparable piece. But the question isn’t whether there’s a difference; it’s how much, and whether it’s worth the difference in price. Nobody should doubt for a second that the Manfrotto is a better tripod.

Some Context

The back story is that a strong gust of wind blew my tripod over with a Canon EOS 5D and Sigma 15-30 EX attached. I was waiting for the fog to blow where I wanted it in the frame, and taking shelter against a cold, damp wind, when a strong gust pushed the system over, bending the petal hood on the wide lens. The old tripod is broken, and in any case, it’s hardly trustworthy after the stress it’s caused.

So begins the search for a new, capable tripod that can support a heavy camera, and hold it steady across several exposures. Having just moved to a new job, a company called “Celebrate,” I’ve been focusing a little bit of time off to travel, so a “budget” tripod seemed in order. The UltraPro is Quantaray’s best model, and the only one I could get out of the store for less than $275 with.

The Quantaray saw its first use in North Cascades National Park, but almost immediately the rear arm broke off, the one that controls forward/backward/up and down motion. I brought it back and had it replaced; as I was setting up the new one, it snapped in the same place. The arm has a metal hinge attached by plastic. This is a design failure, and a fatal one to all but the most careful photographer … a hundred of them will break given enough time.

Quantaray/Sunpak Ultra-Pro QSX

Pros: The Quantaray ‘pod is made primarily out of aluminum, fairly heavy, and stands up well to strong wind. The legs can extend either to the normal angle, or much more widely, probably around 150 to 160 degrees out. This comes in very handy when shooting landscapes, either on rough and unstable ground, or to get a low perspective, which usually makes for an interesting, or at least unique photo. The rubber feet screw back exposing stakes for a more solid connection with the ground. Only $100, which would be very reasonable if the contraption worked.

Cons: Has a center column; the tripod is plenty tall enough without one (I’m 6′1″ and can use it comfortably) and there’s no hook at the bottom for stability, so it’s nothing but dead weight. The tripod is pretty stable when you tighten everything down, but not perfect across multiple exposures.

At least one of the arms is going to break, sooner than later. I’ve had two of this model, and they both snapped in exactly the same way. The three user comments at Amazon say the same thing; the first two begin with the bold, all-caps text “do not buy this” - one says tripod, the other product.

Sample Photos

These are of little value in choosing a tripod, however, the third image of the waterfall required a slow exposure, and pushed the troubled Quantaray to its limits. If “a tripod is your sharpest lens,” as older gurus tell us, the waterfall photo could have been sharper with better support.

More Info

B&H doesn’t sell Quantaray tripods, but Ritz does; you can see more detail on the tripod on their site. PhotographReview.com has two user reviews of the tripod; both complain about pieces breaking off, but say it would be good for the price if this weren’t the case.

Quantaray/Sunpak QSX DigiPro 8500

In some ways this is a lower-end model than the “UltraPro,” however mine lasted far longer: about a year, compared to half a week at most, and ten minutes at least.

Pros: The “DigiPro” has spiked feet, a foam handle for the winter, and the legs fold out to nearly 180 degrees. The tripod set me back about $70 with local tax.

Cons: The twist locks on the leg extensions are irritating to use, although they’re tight. The center column is useless. The legs connect to the “neck” of the tripod with a plastic latch, much like in the Ultra Pro model’s arms, but it took most of a year for this to become a problem. A leg didn’t finally break off until I was hiking under Snoqualmie Pass in the winter, missing my snow shoes.

Honestly, while the Ultra Pro model has more features, his is a much better tripod. Not only because it’ll survive beyond its first use, but because of the weight, and the weight to stability ratio.

Sample Photos

More Info

Again, more reputable stores seem to avoid this brand, but again you can see more info on Ritz’s site. As with the UltraPro, please ignore the text boasting a “virtually all-metal construction.” This is what did both Quantaray’s I’ve owned in, although this one lasted much longer and took sub-freezing temperatures to break dow.

Manfrotto/Bogen 3021 Pro

The legs and head are separate and interchangeable; in this case the model (3021 Pro in the US; 055Pro in Europe and elsewhere) I’m reviewing is the leg set.

Pros: The Manfrotto is tall, although maybe not quite as much as the Quantaray. The center column is more stable when extended; still, this should be avoided with any tripod. The column can be removed and inserted sideways, either to get extremely low to the ground, or for easily controlled vertical or portrait-orientation photography. Shooting straight downward is possible using the lateral arm. Even better, the center column can be removed entirely, to save weight. The legs open to four different angle: 25, 43, 73, and 90 degrees, giving more flexibility on hill sides. Better construction, better joints, more secure locks, and foam coating on the tops of two legs for cold weather shooting. Two hooks to add weight for stability, and the quick-release has a double lock. There’s a bubble-level in the legs section, and all the heads I’ve seen for this model had a second bubble; mostly useful for vertical photos.

Cons: There are no spikes hidden under the feet. The rubberized design mitigates the problem a bit, but screw-out metal points wouldn’t have been hard to add, and give more traction with the ground. Unlike cheaper tripods, this only comes with one quick-release plate. The legs alone are $180; I’m fortunate as a landscape photographer to do better with three handles than some type of ball-head, still, this was another $80, bringing the total to almost $300 with tax.

More Info

The Manfratto line can be found on sites like B&H Photo and almost any local camera store that caters to advanced photographers. You can find more info on B&H’s site. I’ll have to post another entry with photos from the Bogen once I’ve had it long enough to capture something with sharing.

Manfrotto/Bogen 804RC2 Head

Compared to one-piece tripods, this head is pretty conventional. Three arms give you control over each geometric axis, and another lets you tighten the rotational movement. Another level is built into the head, which makes an apples-and-oranges comparison against the Quantaray, which just has no need for a second bubble.

What’s more interesting, and I’m hoping will prove useful in the field, is an angle marker on each axis. Along with the levels, this makes it very easy to control minor changes and keep the horizons level. The image below shows these markings.

Finally, this shouldn’t be a pro, but none of the arms have broken off. On the other hand, I need to remove the camera to change the battery.

Side by Side Comparison

I wish I had thought to photograph the broken arm from the Quantaray UltraPro; the design is almost negligent. Still, the quick release plates explain some of the trouble with the lower-end models:

You can see that the Quantaray’s design fastens the screw to the plastic and wood that make up the quick release head. Coupled with a difficult to hold screw head, this means the UltraPro and DigiPro are never fastened as securely as possible to your tripod. The Bogen / Manfrotto head locks to the tripod, to prevent you from accidentally using the quick release and dropping your camera.

On a positive note for Quantaray, the release plate has a bubble level. Although in truth, the legs and head both have much more useable levels on the Bogen tripod.

Trade Names

To clarify any confusion, Manfrotto and Bogen are the same company, and Quantaray and Sunpak are again one and the same.

Conclusion

Ultimately, this article pits the best of a budget range of tripods and other photographic goods against a middle-of-the-line model by a highly acclaimed specialist. The Quantaray “UltraPro” has a fatal and obvious flaw in its design, but the “DigiPro” makes a better proxy for what you might expect from any budget tripod. Hopefully this direct comparison might extend to a more general survey of affordable versus professional tripods. Whether the feature trade-offs are worth the price difference depends on what you plan to do with the tripod, and whether the cheaper models have been up to the job.