Excellent Tripod = Excellent Photography
If you are in the market for a tripod, I do not know of a better time to buy one then right now! Why? You will find out in a moment, but first when should you use a tripod?
You should use a tripod when you are shooting in low-light, when you are looking to record exacting sharpness, when you are shooting with really long lenses, when you are shooting a family portrait, when you are shooting a self-portrait, when you are shooting a waterfall at a 1/4 second, when you are shooting a city scene at night, when you are shooting with Graduated ND filters,
When you are doing close-up photography, when you want to keep your horizon lines straight, when you need to lock up your mirror, when you are zooming during long exposures, when you get down low to foreground interest and you want a great depth of field, when you shoot in a meadow of flowers and you are isolating a single flower, when you are shooting with rear-curtain sync and your flash, 
When you are shooting star trails at night, when you shoot the moon, when you shoot a sunset at the beach, when you want to shoot a panorama, When you...Finally, when shooting any subject with your tripod, make it a point to use either the camera's self timer or a cable release to trip the shutter release. So, why is now the best time to buy a tripod? Because the BEST tripod that I personally have been waiting on for the past 12-months has finally come on the market, and at a price that is so darn affordable, you'll be tempted to buy two of them! (But don't! This is a tripod, not a plasma TV!)
Our great friends at Adorama have in stock ready for shipment, the all new Flashpoint Carbon Fiber Tripods with the Adorama Flip Lock designed leg release system which uses a patented process for making the plastic from different polymers at an extremely high temperature to create a lock that will not fail. These non-slip flip locks will keep the legs locked into position. Set up and closing time becomes fast and without effort. A victory for sure for those of us who have loathed the "twist/lock legs"! The Flashpoint Carbon Fiber material is an all new material and is considered a major break through by combining traditional carbon fiber with latest carbon fiber tube technique-bullet proof fiber complex (patented). The anti-resonance effect is increased by 60% over the old technology. The major benefit to this carbon fiber over all others is greater rigidity, which will prevent tube rupture. Each leg can be set at multiple angles and the center column can be separated into a low column for ground level use. They all include a bubble level and have a rubber pads on the bottom of the legs with retractable ground spikes for use in rugged terrain. Leg friction can be adjusted to match the needs of the photographer. And in case you didn't know, Carbon fiber is more than 40% lighter than the same item made in aluminum.
You will indeed be feeling a "bit light in your loafers" as you walk those mountain trails with one of these tripods!
Article by:
Bryan F. Peterson
Founder The Perfect Picture School of Photography