Your photographic technique and style will dictate whether you need a tripod or not. You might decide to use tripod even if you do not absolutely need it - in order to improve your framing, depth of field and sharpness.

The choice of a suitable tripod is quite complex and there is no 'one tripod fits all'. The best approach might be to separate issues of the tripod legs and the tripod head.
The main requirement for tripod legs is that they stand still. Everything else (weight, length, levers) is just an ergonomic feature. The main requirement for the tripod head is that it holds camera and lens in the desired position. Again everything else is related to the ease of use. But ergonomics is a very important aspect - otherwise you might find yourself frequently 'leaving' your tripod at home or in the car...

Tripod Legs

The issues to consider:

• length: folded
• height: minimal (for macro photography) and fully extended (without raised central column)
• weight (especially if you are hiking with it)
• type of the leg locks (twist locks or flip levers)
• load capacity

The folded length, number of the leg sections (2-4) and fully extended height are all interconnected. More compact tripods have more leg sections, but they require more leg locks to manipulate and can be less stable as a result of it.

The optimal height of fully extended legs (without raised central column) should be such as to allow you comfortably stand and look through camera viewfinder. Extending central column could decreases stability of the tripod. And again compact tripods will either require uncomfortable photographer's bending or extending the central column.

If your tripod rarely leaves studio, then your requirements are different to those people who tend to take tripod on their hikes. The lightest (and most expensive) tripod legs are made of carbon fibers and lately of 'magfiber'. Aluminum ones tend to be a little bit heavier but cheaper.

Type of leg locks is mostly a matter of personal preference. Twist locks, which are common on carbon fiber legs, will require a little bit of a training to learn how to operate them efficiently :-) I personally prefer flip levers, although they might be a little bit heavier.

After you buy your first camera and lens combination, it is quite possible that you will get more equipment later. Often the next piece of equipment is bigger, heavier and more expensive :-) It is useful to try to anticipate your future needs: if you invest into a good quality tripod now and take good care of it, it might serve you well for years or decades. Otherwise you might end up buying several progressively more expensive tripods during the course of those years. Generally when choosing tripod legs, you get what you pay for.

I am still using very old (I no longer can read the model number :-) aluminum 4 section legs by Velbone. They are very compact and fit inside my hiking day pack without the need to remove ball head. I go and check new models of tripod legs every year or so but so far I have not found anything more suitable...

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