Tripods - what do you use? I need some advice

[thekoala]

I'm in the market for a new tripod and looking at the Manfrotto Range. The varied range of ballheads and legs have me confused as to which I would find most useful. I don't mind spending reasonable* money on a good setup but want one that I will be happy with and not want to replace a few months down the track.

I have a Canon 10D and a Sony 828, and want a sturdy tripod that will take weight, be good for night shooting and occasional waterfalls/slow shutter speed shots... in other words. an out and about tripod. I'm not too concerned with weight as I wont be taking hikes all over the countryside but I want something easy to use (especially in the dark) and reliable.

What does everyone else here use and are they happy with their purchase? Input gratefully received.

Cheers Ko

[mikej]

I have both a Manfrotto 3121WN and a 3021BPRO. One has the 488RC4 ballhead and the other one has the 322RC2 pistol grip ballhead on it.

I also have the column that came with both, plus a short one and a leveling column so I can level the tripod before I level the ballhead.

The reason I have both tripods is that I bought the 3121WN first and really like it. It holds my 1DMKII and a 100-400 lens rock soild (it will hold my 4x5 rock soild as well). The legs are adjustable so they can be opened up at a 90 degree angle. The problem is that the column keeps it from going flat on the ground, which is why I bought the little 6" short column for it. I can get pretty close to the ground with it.

I bought the 3021BPRO because the column can be taken out and put in a slot so that it is horizontal across the top of the tripod and the camera can face straight down. The legs do the same and will open out 90 degrees which means I can put this tripod flat on the ground,stick the column out and get the camera pretty close to just about anything. It is a rock solid tripod as well.

I like both ballheads, but the quick release plate is different for both. I like the 4 point quick release of the 488RC4 over the 2 contact point of the 322RC2 but both grip the quick release tight.

Neither tripod is that light, although I have hauled the 3131WN on hikes back to waterfalls and carried it around with me at events. It's probably about 5 pounds or a bit more with the ballhead on it.

I need two tripods anyway, one for me and one for my wife, although she doesn't use one very often. So having both of them is a good choice. If I was to buy just one, it would probably be the 3021BPRO for the column ability to go horizontal.

Mike

[cameraguy21773]

Manfrotto Neotec (Model 458B)
Gitzo 1325

Heads are a matter of choice and budget and ball heads are generally more useful than pan or pan/tilt heads. This is where the old adage "you get what you pay for" is probably true. The high end ball heads (Arca Swiss, Markins, Kirk, etc.) are the best in form and function and very pricy. A top head and plate on a top tripod will run from $500 to $1000. Cheaper heads, like the Manfrotto (Bogen) 488RC2 are excellent but, by most accounts, do not have the lifespan and overall performance characteristics of the best ones. Still, as a low cost option, the 488 can serve you well.

[Scotty_R]

thekoala--Few people every think about this, probably because they're not made in this country, but have you ever considered a wooden tripod?* They are marvelous things...steady as a rock in a railroad bed!* Look at the Berlebach 3042 with center post ballhead which rotates in all directions to 30*.* www.berlebach.de will take you to the manufacturer's home page; or travel to www.bhphotovideo.com and put the word Berlebach in the search field.* I have never owned a tripod that was more stable and completely eliminated shake at the top of the tripod.* Just a suggestion.*

[danwolfgang]

I'm using a black Bogen/Manfrotto 3001 legset. I've had it for 8 or 9 years and am almost completely satisfied with it. I use it a lot (for most photos, I'd say) and it's only ever required a little tightening of bolts. It's very stable, easy to work with, and not too heavy. It has twist locks that are a little slow, but quiet to use. I like the twist locks a lot more than the snap clamps that the 3021 and others have. (The snap clamps are very loud and snap very hard--don't get your fingers caught!) My major complaint is that it's a little short sometimes. I think about buying a larger tripod sometimes, but it wouldn't see much use. I think about buying a carbon fiber tripod sometimes, but I wouldn't save much weight.

I'm using an Arca-Swiss B1 ballhead. It's simply fantastic. Before getting the B1 I tried several other ballheads that left me disappointed in many ways. After spending about $300 on assorted ballheads and being unsatisfied with them, I decided to bite the bullet and get the B1. I bought it about 6 years ago, before it really had competition--so I can't comment on how it compares to the Kirk, RRS or Arcatech alternatives.

I really like Tripod 101 by Thom Hogan. Recommended reading.

Dan

[thekoala]

Thanks guys for the very helpful feedback. I think I will definitely choose a ballhead over a pan/tilt head and those suggested are on my list to check out (488RC2 and 488RC4 are two mentioned here but* were also mentioned to me on another forum) when I visit the camera shops this week. Hunted round for the best prices, so will see what sort of deal I can get. Next weekend, I should finally have a decent tripod to take out and about with me.

Cheers Ko.

[bavanor]

I own and have been using the Manfrotto 3001BPRO for the last 4-5 years. It has worked out great for me. I have taken it on trips, even for airplane carry-on, hikes and my daily walk to work. I like the snap locks better then the collar tightening mechanism. It lets you set up and breakdown extremely fast. The center column can be used to extend your vertical height and you can, also, use it horizontally. All three legs can be moved out to 90 degrees.

With the tripod I use the Acratech ball head. I love it. I have used it with me 50-200mm lens and even a Mamiya medium format system with a 150mm lens. It is rock steady. The ball head comes with an arca swiss quick release clamp, and I buy the quick plates from Really Right Stuff (shop online only, I believe still). The whole system works out beautifully for me. And once I started to use the tripod, my pictures started to improve immediately. I shoot with the tripod probable 65% of the time now.

Aaron

[thekoala]

Thanks again for all the suggestions.

Some of the brands mentioned are not readily available in Australia or if they are, were well out of my price bracket. I settled on manfrotto simply because of availability and reliability. My final decision was a ball head thanks to advice received. I chose the 488RC2 and went for the 055PRO legs. I think the 0550PRO is known in the USA as something different (possibly the 3021PRO mentioned in the thread).* I was prepared to shop around for a good price once I worked out what I could buy them for online at a normally very competitive online store. However, the first camera store I rang, quoted me a lot less than I was expecting to pay so I simply ordered through them. The only hitch is I have to wait for a week for them to be in stock to pick up but I can wait that long if I'm saving over $100AU on the set

Anyway just thought I would give a followup. Now I'm waiting for my 62mm nd and cir pol filters to arrive and I'm all set !

Cheers Ko

[badpickev]

i have a belebach report 8023. It is a wood tripod. I have a bogen 8047 3 way pan head mounted on it. The head weighs more than the tripod does, combined its about 8 pounds. the support is great.

http://www.berlebach.de/e_index.php

[bander]

I use the Gitzo 1325 tripod and the Markins M20 ballhead. If you use heavy lenses I highly recommend both. This is a very nice forum by the way.

[rsprouse]

After reading Thom's article (link provided by a previous poster) I decided to go all the way. I got the Gitzo 1327 and Markens M-20 ballhead. Then I turned it into a "Super Gitzo" per the recommendations on the Nikonians site. Here's a link:

http://www.nikonians.org/html/resour...er_Gitzo2.html

I am using a RRS lever clamp quick release rather than the stock Markins release.

It is the perfect setup for me.

-- Russ

[rpcrowe]

I use a Manfrotto 3001P tripod with a Manfrotto Midi-Ball head.

What I like about this tripod:
1. relatively light but sturdy
2. doesn't have gaered center column
3. doesn't have leg supports from center column to leg - therefore I can get this tripos really low or use it on uneven ground
4. center column reverses allowing the mounting of camera under tripos for really low level shots
5. legs are easy to extend/retract and are solid when set
6. center column can be nounted so that ot is parallel to ground allowing for additional versitility
7. I got it for a great price on E-bay - less than $50 used ingreat condition

What I don't like:
I wish this tripod were about 6" taller

My Manfrotto Midi-ball head may be overkill but, I really like how sturdy and solid it is. I would rather err on the side of caution when it comes to selecting a head. I love the RC Quick release. I use the optional architectural quick relaese plate which incorporates a lip to make vertical shots easier and more secure.

I also have an ancient (30-40 years old) Davis and Sanford tripod which is so old that I don't even remember the model number, It is heavy as heck (I'll bet it weighs 20 pounds) but, it is solid as a rock. The center column is over 2 inches in diameter. I use this with a custom (read home-made) plate on which I can mount both my 350D with 70-200mm f/4L and my 10D with 400mm Tokina f/5.6 ATX SD. That way I have both lenses avalable at a monents notice. The are both pointing at the same spot. It is simply a split second between switching my eye from camera to camera. I expect soon to have remotes for both cameras so I can shoot them both at once.

[ohenry]

I have a Gitzo 1325 with a leveling base added and I use either a RRS BH-55 ballhead or a Mongoose M-262 gimbal head depending on which lenses I'm using and what I'm doing.

I also have a Gitzo 2220 Explorer series tripod with a RRS BH-25 ballhead.


The 1325 is a great tripod for general use and will handle most camera/lens combinations you use. It's a carbon fiber model and weighs in around 4.5 lbs, so it's not too unwieldy to carry about. Manfrotto has a CF model that runs about $300 that looks very interesting. Can't think of the model number, but I believe it might be 190.

[JohnL]

I have a Manfrotto 3405 Junior tripod with attached pan-tilt head. It cost about $100. I have never had an image quality issue that I could ascribe to any shortcoming of this tripod. The PT head is slower to use than a ball-head (slightly), but you need to spend quite a bit to get a ball-head as solid as this. It's aluminium alloy and not too heavy. I use it with a 10D and lenses up to 300mm. It would be OK for MF, but not enough for LF. I can reverse the centre column and get pretty close to the ground. That's not a very convenient arrangement, but it worked for the few occasions I've needed it.