Tripod legs and head question

[kenwae]

I'm looking at getting a new, better tripod and have my eye on the Velbon El Carmagne 640A. Link below. Curious if anybody has any pros or cons to say about it

Velbon | EL Carmagne 640A Tripod Legs | ELCARMA640A | B&H Photo

But, more importantly, I am wanting to put a ball head on it and not sure which way to go with that. It needs to have a spirit level (2) and I like the double locking quick release plate idea. My budget is about $100 on the head. I've seen some on ebay that look like knock off's of Gitzo and Bogen (Giotto was one brand name) for about $60. But, obviously, the head needs to be stable and quality. It will be for a dslr and at most a 50-200 2.8

here are some links for some of the heads I have found on ebay...

PRO Giottos MH7001-621 Ball Head with Quick Release New - eBay (item 110237802579 end time Apr-03-08 18:06:42 PDT)

Ball and socket head ballhead 3" base $100 Value NIB - eBay (item 380012530093 end time Apr-06-08 13:27:20 PDT)

and here is a similar ball head from Bogen at BH

Bogen / Manfrotto | 488RC4 Midi Ball Head with Rapid | 488RC4

Any ideas or recommendations is appreciated...Thanks, -Ken

[JimH]

Just picked up a 488RC2 and 190XV. Very happy with both. Besides being carbon fiber, the Velbon appears to be 4" taller, hold two more pounds, an extra leg section and weigh .8lbs lighter than the one I purchased. Prices on B&H show a 175.00 difference. FWIW!

[cyclohexane]

Giottos makes good tripod heads, but make sure you get one of the newer ones that takes the Arca-Swiss type quick release plates. I actually like the Giottos ballheads better than the ones from Bogen/Manfrotto or Gitzo, though my favorite brands are Kirk and Really Right Stuff, which are out of your price range.

[kenwae]

Jim, I looked at the 190VX and like what I saw. I am wondering if you have used the horizontal feature of the mid post and how it works.

Michael, after looking around some more discovered the L brackets at Kirk but they don't make them for Oly E510, at least not yet. Can you recommend a ball head that has the arca-swiss type plates that's not over $150?

There are so many choices......

Thanks, Ken

[cyclohexane]

Can you recommend a ball head that has the arca-swiss type plates that's not over $150?

The newer Giottos ballheads will take the Arca-Swiss type plates without modification, i.e. the MH-1300 or the MH-1301.

EDIT: THIS MIGHT BE WRONG. See Richard's post below.

[JimH]

Originally Posted by kenwae

Jim, I looked at the 190VX and like what I saw. I am wondering if you have used the horizontal feature of the mid post and how it works.

Very quickly and very solidly. There is also a quick release plate on the bottom of the post. Upside down for low angle/macro, or snap it off, pull the post, put the quick release in from the top and you can spider the pod all the way out to a few inches off the ground.

[wingspar]

I have the Bogen / Manfrotto 488RC2, which seems to be the same head as the Bogen / Manfrotto 488RC4, except the 488RC4 has a different plate, and has the leveling bubbles. This head works great, as long as you don’t try and use any heavier lenses that use a tripod collar. With heavier lenses, the fine tuning adjustment gets a little quirky.

[richardpcrowe]

Originally Posted by cyclohexane

Giottos makes good tripod heads, but make sure you get one of the newer ones that takes the Arca-Swiss type quick release plates. I actually like the Giottos ballheads better than the ones from Bogen/Manfrotto or Gitzo, though my favorite brands are Kirk and Really Right Stuff, which are out of your price range.

I have a new Giottos MH1300 head with a 657 QR System and I have an additional 655QR system that I use on another type of head. I like MH 1300 and its QR system very much but, there seems to be a QR compatibility problem with ARCA Type plates.

Neither the 655 nor the 657 QR System seems fit an ARCA Compatible plate without modifying either the plate or the QR system itself. The problem is that the safety lock slides to the side (rather than retracts) when the safety lock button is depressed. The positioning of this safety lock prevents either my KIRK 3" camera plate or my RRS 30D right angle plate from fitting into the 655 or 657 QR base.

The only solution seems to be either removing the safety lock from the QR bases or to file a channel or groove in the KIRK and RRS plates so that the plate can slip by the safety lock.

I don't like removing the safety lock so I am planning to file the channel in st least one plate to see if it works.

Does anyone have a solution that is less Draconian than removing safety lock or filing the plate?

[cyclohexane]

Apparently, we've discovered that if you use the MH-657 top for the head it allows you open the clamp up all the way and drop the plate onto the clamp in the desired position, avoiding any issues with the sliding safety lock.

The MH-655 doesn't open up wide enough to allow this though.

[richardpcrowe]

That is correct. I very much appreciate your personal assistance on this matter. I had tried the MH-655 head and assumed that the plate would not fit into the MH-657 base but, never actually tried that base with either the KIRK or the RRS ARCA Type plate.

I have contacted Adorama and will be returning the MH-655 for either a MH-655 which provides clearance for the Arca Plate or for a MH-657 unit.

I really like the Giottos system and I am very happy that I can use it without modification.

[richardpcrowe]

The RRS 30D Vertical Camera Plate will fit onto my Giottos MH-657 QR base, but the plate will not fit onto my MH-655 base.

The KIRK 3 inch camera plate will not fit onto either of the QR bases.

If your expectations are to use ARCA Compatible plates, I would generally suggest that you avoid the Giottos quick release systems. Giottos has a generic vertical camera plate which works with just about any DSLR however, it is not quite as slick and neat as the RRS plate because it doesn't conform to the cameras body. It is very easy to hand hold a camera when the RRS vertical plate is attached.

I am happy that the RRS 30D plate will fit on my MH-657 QR because that is the QR which I have on my tripod ball head. I am going to modify the 655 head a smidgen which, I believe will allow me to use the KIRK and RRS plates.

However, other than the quirky non-compatibility of some Giottos MH quick release bases, I really like my Giottos MH-1300 ball head and absolutely love my Giottos MT-8180 tripod.