What do you consider a CHEAP tripod vs EXPENSIVE tripod?

Man tripods can cost a coin! Asking around on tripod recommendations will get you so many answers.  "Don't get a cheap one".  I get that, so what do you think is a price of a "Good" tripod?  I'm sure everyone's answer is going to be different.  But might make some interesting reading.  

Do you have the tripod that you ultimately want?  

Perhaps not, just yet. I currently have a modest Dolica that I'm liking very much. Lightweight, easy to manage, versatile. Bought it used for $75, great condition.

I think when you hear "don't buy a cheap one" they mean, don't buy Velbon, or something else that costs $40. They're right. When you get to the $150-ish range you reach a reasonable quality level. If you can, go to a camera store and look at them in person, and decide what you need to be able to do before purchasing.

Yeh just don't buy some crappy one you might get for free with a camera.

For the last half century I've been getting by with those cheap tripods (lots of plastic bits).  Getting by mostly because all of my cameras were light weight.  The 50D with full frame zoom brought those shortcomings to light.  So I recently picked up my first "legit" tripod for $150 (Slik).  It does snug down a lot tighter, and weighs a ton (aluminum legs)!  The 50D is now a happy camper.

Kelly

Well a cheap tripod is flimsy as Kelly stated. An expensive one is built for war. I have both for different reasons. The cheapest one I have is some $10 one I got at Big Lots, it is all plastic, all the time. I use it for my speed lights as a cheap stand. I have some cheapie aluminum ones as well that are my throw aways as well, that if I destroy them then I will not cry about it. With them I use my timer so my tripping the shutter does not rock the head. My go to is my trusty Manfrotto tank tripod. Yeah it is heavy, but then I do not have to worry if my lenses will fall off of it. Just keep an eye on you local Craigs List for people selling a good tripod less expensively, or KEH has some as well. Also garage/yard sales as well. I have scored some good photo stuff at them for really cheap.

Since I to a lot of my photography when I'm on the road or travelling, I opted for a lightweight tripod because I didn't want a massive heavy tripod that would be terrible to pack in a back or in a backpack. So what makes a good tripod for me is a Lightweight, heavy load bearing (to a point), sturdy, not cheaply made, and able to be stored efficiently. 

I settled on a Manfrotto tripod, the Manfrotto beFree Compact lightweight travel tripod. Its a great tripod and its sturdy and feels well built, but it can be torn down into a very small package. Perfect for my style of photography on the road or while traveling. 

Over a grand is expensive in my book, but would be nice to have!

I have gitzo legs and an RSS bh-55 ballhead.  Mine came out to around 1700 total.

Worth it's weight in gold (but it doesn't way much  )

I think a cheap tripod is one that will break if you put a dslr on it with a decent lens. or at least it feels like its going to break or get blown away by the wind. All in all, cheap means bad build quality. inexpensive is another matter and it all ends up depending who you are and what your budget is. If you are a professional photographer that gets paid a ton of money to work, and your camera with lens weights over 5 kg, then you're going to have to pay a lot for your tripod. Are you really going to put a 7000 US Dollar camera with a 3000 US dollar lens on a 50 dollar tripod?

I have a bunch of different tripods. My first tripod was a CHEAP POS that came with my first DSLR, a Nikon D5000. Yes, it was a super cheap tripod and I was afraid when my camera was on it. I upgraded to a Manfrotto (forgot the model number) with a decent ball head and that cost about 150 US Dollars. I bought it in Europe so the price was in euros and I think the model numbers change here as well.

My current tripod is a Three Legged Thing called the Adrian. It is awesome. Here's a link:
www.bhphotovideo.com/c/search?atclk=Bran...075788742+4185058479

I bought the airhead ball head to go with it and it is very sturdy and well made. One of the legs can be detached so it can be used as a monopod. I love this tripod. The build quality is excellent and the customer service is second to none. Someone stole the monopod leg while I was on a trip in northern Spain and the company sent me a replacement leg ASAP without charging me anything.

Daniel-Bautista wrote: My current tripod is a Three Legged Thing called the Adrian. It is awesome.

Well... 3 legged is a bit of a stretch, but I have been complimented before on my... ahem... size... 

Stealthy Ninja wrote:

Daniel-Bautista wrote: My current tripod is a Three Legged Thing called the Adrian. It is awesome.

Well... 3 legged is a bit of a stretch, but I have been complimented before on my... ahem... size... 

Seriously? I mean, seriously? And I get jumped on for proactively pointing out something that has become patently clear over the last few weeks?

Sheesh.