Night as well as landscape photographers require a lot of stability to get that perfect shot. Buying an expensive camera system and buying a cheapo tripod isn't going to work. First off, cheapo tripods tend to be weaker. It won't withstand a lot of weight and therefore might not exactly keep your camera steady. Looking for a tripod can easily be as time consuming as choosing your camera system. Tripods are divided into two main parts, the head and the legs of the tripod. Just like your camera, doing research isn't IS a must as it can determine what you're going to buy. Companies to recommend? Manfrotto, Benro and Bogen(currently owned by Manfrotto) are known for their specialty as tripods and monopods companies.
The first thing you need to do is to check how much weight your tripod is going to bear. Bear in mind that if it can't hold that much weight, the tripod's legs might bend. Usually, it's just the camera body, the lens and the flash gun. A good system like mine would weigh not more than 3 kg. But that's because my system is all compact and lightweight lenses. If you're getting a really long or heavy lens, your tripod will have to withstand around 6-8 kg. And I'm not just talking about the legs of the tripod, even the head has should withstand the weight. If its too heavy for the head, and if you're using a ball head(more on that later) you might have to buy another one to replace it. There are a few types of tripods to choose from(depending what type of camera you're using). If you're using a compact, then a pocket-sized tripod will do the job. If you're using a DSLR, then you have to find a medium sized tripod or a heavy duty tripod depending on what you shoot.
