Tripod advice- Manfrotto vs Benro?

[crunk]

Hi there.
I have recently delved into the photography world with my first DSLR purchase.(Such a learning experience this is).

I am wanting to take pictures of sunsets/lights/city/cars/landscape where the conditions are very low light and require long exposures. This is extremely difficult to achieve the desired effects without a tripod. And bumping up iso just creates grainy images.

Typically I'm of the attitude spend more and you can invest in it so you don't have to spend more money later. Well I'm thinking that with most tripods above $300/$400. The extra you are paying for is really only going to be for video. Which I essentially don't want to be doing at all except for the odd occasion if at all.

My budget is $300 maximum. But I will go to $400 if I can absolutely justify it. If not then I'll go $300.

A friend from work suggested a brand called Benro and mentioned they are far cheaper than Manfrotto. I can get good pricing I believe on Manfrotto through work.

The hardest question is: "WHAT HEAD and WHICH LEGS!". Given I have little to no clue I was wondering if I could put the question to the expert minds here.

Nikon D5100 with a 17-50mm f2.8 Tamron lens
Cheers,
Jeremy

[Green Hornet]

I have been looking into a new tripod lately and so far this is what I have come up with.
You can buy a tripod made from either carbon fibre or aluminium. Carbon is about half the weight of aluminium but aluminium is more durable.
The legs generally come in 3 or 4 telescopic sections. 3 sections is more sturdy but 4 section legs are smaller when the tripod is closed.
Buy a tripod that suits your height. When it is fully open you want your viewfinder to be at eye level.
Ball heads seem to be the most popular. I would go for the sturdiest, the one with the largest ball.
Brands are a personal thing, but I know manfrottos are popular and if you ever need spares or a different head, they should be easy to source.
http://reallyrightstuff.com/Index.aspx?code=46&key=fr check this website for some good advice and top notch gear.

[crunk]

Thank you for the reply Hornet. Some very solid information there!