Best Tripods for Macro and Outdoor Photography - Carbon Fiber - Gitzo Explorer and Vangaurd Alta Pro

If you are an outdoor photographer who enjoys Macro photography or you are looking for a most versatile tripod, than you should take a look at the Gitzo Explorer or the Vangaurd Alta Pro. The tripods have a combination of legs that can extend at a larger angle than a normal tripod and a central column which can be angled. This lets you get your camera in positions you never could with other tripods and still firmly support your camera.

Because the legs can be set at such a high angle you can use these tripods to shoot at very low to the ground. The legs can also be set independently for when you are on uneven terrain.

On a normal tripod the angle of the central column is fixed and you can only bring it up or down. With a multi-angle central column you can tilt the central column to position it off of the tripods center axis.

If you are going to be doing a lot of Hiking you should consider getting a Carbon Fiber Tripod.

Carbon Fiber tripods are both stronger and lighter than traditional aluminum tripods. This of course comes with a higher price tag. The weight difference can be significant and that alone can be well worth the extra money. But you should also not overlook the added durability that carbon fiber tripods offer. if you are putting an expensive camera onto the tripod you should be supporting it on the best equipment possible and that is a carbon fiber tripod.

If your looking to get the best bang for your buck, you should look at the Vangaurd Alta Pro. It offers the same versatility that the Gitzo Explorer does with its Multi-Angele Central Column at a much lower price.

The Vangard Alta Pro is available with either Aluminum or Carbon Fiber. You can even get the Carbon Fiber version for less that the aluminum version of the Gitzo.

 If you are going to be testing the limits of the tripod and bringing the camera far away from the center of the tripod it may be come unstable. Attach a sandbag using the clip on the bottom of the center mast pole to act as a counter balance.