I know next to nothing about tripods. Seeking tips suitable for Pentax 67

Since the 1970s, I have been using the Leitz Tiltall tripod with my large format, medium format, and small format cameras.


Large Format by Narsuitus, on Flickr



Ball Head by Narsuitus, on Flickr

I prefer the pan/tilt head with large and medium format cameras; however, when I need a sturdy ballhead, the Acratech Ultimate Ballhead is what I use.
 
Dan Daniel said:
Leitz Tiltall-
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Yes, this is what I used when I had a Pentax 67. With the 105mm on the camera, and the camera on the Tiltall, I got extremely sharp photos. I suggest getting the black paint version; I had the bare aluminum one, and when I used it, my hands were always covered in aluminum oxide! It is an azimuth/elevation type head, though. And you said you wanted a ballhead. So:

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I also use an Acratech Ultimate ballhead among others, the Acratech heads are great for adverse conditions. I also use a couple of geared heads, the Arca-Swiss L60 shown below is small; 60mm in diameter and very useful on my travel tripod.
A-S_L60_800H.jpg
 
aizan said:
i don't think there are any tripods that meet your requirements ($200, ballhead, good for a pentax 67).

what would you rather compromise on: price or ballhead?
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Well, actually. I sort of disagree. If weight and portability aren't critical (and apparently, they're not, in this case) one of the best kept secrets in the market for rock solid affordable tripods is a vintage Linhof. Granted, they also made fairly lightweight types which would struggle with a P67. But their medium and heavy duty offerings are certainly available for under $200 in most locations. I'm in Australia, and a few years ago I had one posted from the US and it still set me back under USD 200 all up. Mine is a medium duty type with pan and tilt head but is easily capable of supporting my 4x5" Super Technika. Plenty of them were fitted with various ball heads if you really must have one.

It's true that Linhof no longer service or even stock many parts for their older model tripods (although certain parts such as some of the knobs and camera fixing screws are still catalogued and surprisingly affordable, even if the paint scheme may not be period to your vintage example). It's also true that all but their lightest and cheapest options were built like the proverbial brick ****house. Find yourself an example with good paint that's been little used or well cared for and it will still have a hell of a lot of life left in it.

I have a lightweight classic model perfect for 35mm rangefinders, SLRs up to medium teles, TLRs and even my Hasselblad and 80mm at a pinch. It's Linhof ball head has their wonderful reversible plate with 1/4"–3/8" thread on one side and straight 3/8" on the reverse. A godsend with my Contax rangefinders or Leica stuff. The larger one can handle anything else I'll ever use.

I don't yet have one of their twin shank super heavy duty models (derivatives of which are actually still in production today for a price of thousands of dollars, depending on column and head options etc). But I wouldn't mind one a bit. So don't be at all surprised if this post disappears in a day or two because I'm not done buying them myself yet. But if you want something rock solid at a bargain price they are very hard to beat and feature the best looking maker's badge in photography.
 
If you can find one, a Uni-Loc Major would have no problem whatsoever supporting a Pentax 67; plus they're great training for a future career in giraffe wrestling. Mine has been perfectly happy holding a Mamiya RZ67 Pro II with 180mm lens and prism finder. Compared to that, a Pentax 67 is practically a featherweight.
 
Keep in mind that your tripod will last your entire life, and that of your kids, so you might consider spending more and buy something more substantive.

I followed the advice of my father when I was 18 years old (I'm 50 now) and wanted to buy a tripod. He said "Save a bit more and buy a Gitzo." After more than 30 years, that Series-3 Gitzo is still in perfect working order and I use it all the time.

Here is what happens when you buy a cheap tripod: in 2017, I bought a MeFoto travel tripod for $150.- for the sole propose to fly to Idaho and take a picture of the solar eclipse with my Leica M4 and a 21mm lens. Not exactly a big load for any tripod, or so you might think. Stupid I as am, I thought schlepping the big & heavy Gitzo with me would be too much of a burden. But after taking the 4th picture during exposure bracketing, the ball head fell off the tripod and I missed all other photos for the remainder of the 2-min solar eclipse.
 
Sarcophilus Harrisii said:
one of the best kept secrets in the market for rock solid affordable tripods is a vintage Linhof. [...] But if you want something rock solid at a bargain price they are very hard to beat and feature the best looking maker's badge in photography.
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I love my bargain basement Linhof Profi Port (3450) and highly recommend Linhof tripods, but you'll be waiting a long time to find one with a ball head. They almost all have pan-tilt heads, and the new Linhof ball heads are out of the OP's budget. Linhof sticks with a different brand of ball head is an easier setup to find.
 
tripod for Pentax 67 pn budget

tripod for Pentax 67 pn budget

First and foremost, forget the idea of using a ballhead. You'd have to go into the $600 range to find one that might work. They cannot handle the weight over time. For a budget, get the cheapest tripod legs which are solid. Manfotto is probably best; the older aluminum models. Gitzos are nice, but over budget and require a lot of cleaning/maintenance to stay working. Forget a center extension; they are unstable and you'll never use one with Pentax 67. For a head, budget may dictate a three-way with separate control release on each axis; Manfotto made several cheaper models which work well. Ideally, get the smaller Manfotto geared head. It's heavy and slow working, but for the Pentax 67 shooting landscapes, there is nothing better. After getting several tripods including a small Gitzo years ago (pre-Pentax), I settled on a larger Manfotto (before arbon fiber) and the geared head - no update since then.
 
Just get an old aluminum Gitzo or Linhof in good condition with pan/tilt head...around $125..or spend a little more and get a small Manfotto geared head..
Or ...see if there is a nice wood tripod out there on the cheep..
 
aizan said:
I love my basement bargain Linhof Profi Port (3450) and highly recommend Linhof tripods, but you'll be waiting a long time to find one with a ball head. They almost all have pan-tilt heads, and the new Linhof ball heads are out of the OP's budget. Linhof sticks with a different brand of ball head is an easier setup to find.
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I think a pan head would be a better option for a 67, too. I have always preferred a pan to a ball head, generally, because I find the ability to adjust each axis independently makes precise framing easier. I saw a lot of Linhof tripods with 2d heads, which are OK, but waited until a well priced Profi with 3d head became available because they're easier to live with using most rectangular format cameras.
 
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