>>3921326I was asking because it depends on how far you're willing to carry it (i.e. how bulky/heavy it should be)
A systematic tripod will give you most stability for your money but you can't really carry it around on, say, a hike
If she's looking for something smaller that will fit in a backpack, she will sacrifice stability for size, which might not matter if all she will use the tripod for is a self portrait at the summit in broad daylight
In the latter case, you can go for any dirt-cheap aluminium tripod -- if you want to use it for anything else in the future, you should consider spending a little more on it and buy a carbon onebecause stability will greatly matter
The best travel tripods (small and light) are made by Really Right Stuff (crazy expensive -- 800 bucks) and Gitzo (somewhat more affordable, starting at 450, at least if you live in Europe)
At 200, you could also get a LeoFoto LS-284C, which is a very decent tripod for hikes but doesn't come with the same level of customer support
For big bulky ones, you could get an Induro one for less than 180, which will probably give you the most stability per penny spent
I suppose you are also looking for a ball head, in which case you could try to get your hands on a Colorado Tripod Company Mini. I believe it's currently out of stock, but sold at $20 when new, so maybe you can find a mint one on ebay
The problem with tripods is that there's a lot of them out there but hardly any objective data, and in the end even the best tripod might not suit your individual needs (ergonomics, compatibiity with a particular ball head, aesthetics, etc)
