Before buying a tripod, think about how you will use it - will you be carrying it, if so, how (on rucksac, in hand, in its own bag...), how far will you carry it for, what height range do you want, will you need to set the legs at different angles, eg ground level or on uneven terrain, what weight camera/lens combo it will support. Also think about a head for the tripod - again considerations of weight, how heavy the camera/lens is, intended use, quick release plates (would recommend one with a quick release plate - this can stay on the camera and makes setting up much easier). Three-way heads are a good general purpose head, easily adjustable. Ball heads are very compact, but not everyone likes how they handle. (I use one most of the time, but that's my preference)
Another thing that might be worth considering for tripod based photography is a cable or remote release, especially for long exposures where even your finger on the shutter button might introduce too much camera shake. If your camera cant use one of these, then self-timer would do, but that introduces a delay in shutter opening that you might find annoying if timing is critical.
It's worth spending a bit of money on a tripod that will do the job properly - there are lots of brands, but manfrotto/bogen is a good mid-range starting point.
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