So I finally saved up for the Sony a7R V because I wanted to take really crisp photos of my family and some mountain scenery when we go to Switzerland in three weeks but honestly i think i might have bitten off more than i can chew. Im a total beginner at this and just used my phone before but I wanted to get serious about it. I have this old tripod that I bought years ago for like twenty bucks at a big box store and when I tried putting the Sony on it with the big lens it just felt... wrong. Like it was leaning to one side and if I even breathed on it the whole thing would shake for like five seconds.

Someone at the camera shop told me that because this camera has so many megapixels-61 I think?-that even the tiniest little vibration will make the pictures look blurry and bad. I didnt realize it was that sensitive. I thought the camera just did all the work for you lol. Now I'm looking online and there are hundreds of options and different materials like carbon fiber or aluminum and some have ball heads or pan heads and I am just completely lost. I dont know what any of that actually means for me. I just want something that is going to hold this heavy camera still so I dont ruin my vacation photos. I dont want it to be too heavy to carry on a hike but stability is the main thing because it's pretty windy in the mountains sometimes. My budget is probably around $300 or $400 which feels like a lot for a stand but I guess it's worth it if it protects the camera. Does anyone have a suggestion for which tripod would actually be stable enough for a camera like this? I really have no idea where to even start looking or what brands are actually good...