Tripod help needed... M cameras and smaller

[divewizard]

I recently bought an Induro tripod and a Really Right Stuff ballhead I am very happy with. The model I got is bigger than you want, but I use it for medium format in high winds.

I did quite a bit of research looking at the various models of tripods and heads. The Induro bases seemed to be the best for the money. I really did not see much difference between them and the more expensive brands. However their ballhaeds are that impressive.

 

[Landshark]

ORIGINAL Tiltall or Gitzo Reporter or Studex series.

 

[dbarnes]

Tiltall all the way! There was a silver Star-D Tiltall clone on Craigslist here in Minneapolis for $30 the other day. Not quite as nice as the real deal (e.g. fluted plastic handle ends instead of knurled aluminum knobs) but darn hard to beat for value.

 

[presspass]

Or if you want funky, strong, able to be set up in almost any terrain, and waterproof [up to a foot or so] legs, try an Benbo. I don't know if they're still made, but mine holds an RZ67, a Nikon F3 with 400 f2.8 or just about any M made, including one with a Viso III and a 560. But light it's not. And it will be a real conversation piece.

 

[Richard G]

I bought a horizontal arm for my aluminium Manfrotto, but the latest versions, carbon (190CXPRO4 referred to above) and aluminium, have a centre column that can swing horizontal. This is invaluable for all sorts of things around home. I like photographing spiders and it's the only way to get close to spiders indoors.

 

[Pablito]

Tiltall all the way! There was a silver Star-D Tiltall clone on Craigslist here in Minneapolis for $30 the other day. Not quite as nice as the real deal (e.g. fluted plastic handle ends instead of knurled aluminum knobs) but darn hard to beat for value.

The Star-D Tiltall clones are poorly machined and don't hold their position well. The center column slips unless you tighten super tight. The Original Tiltall is not like this.

 

[jsrockit]

Or if you want funky, strong, able to be set up in almost any terrain, and waterproof [up to a foot or so] legs, try an Benbo.

Which model?

By the way...thanks guys.

 

[Roger Hicks]

Redged carbon fibre. Google 'em. To quote one of the founders, "Only 90% as good as Gitzo, but a LOT cheaper." Of course, if you can afford it, Gitzo carbon fibre. Or even a used metal Gitzo, which I prefer to Manfrotto (I have both). Benbos are great but idiosyncratic and heavy (I have two).

Tiltalls have fixed heads, which is why I sold mine years ago. And weight is NO substitute for good design. What you want is 'deadness' or vibration absorbing ability. As noted above, omitting the centre column helps a lot with this: one of my lightest, best tripods is an MPP (long discontinued) which weighs about a kilo but can support a light 4x5 or anything smaller.

With ultra-light tripods (1 kg or under without a head), you can pay 5-10x as much for a good one as for a cheapie (more than 10x for a Gitzo carbon fibre). Stand 'em side by side; put a camera on top; give the camera a flick and wait for it to stop vibrating.You'll see where the money goes.

Cheers,

R.

 

[peter_n]

I recently bought an Induro tripod and a Really Right Stuff ballhead I am very happy with.

The Induro brand is made by Benro and they are very good. A Benro tripod is a Gitzo copy with improvements and if you source directly from China through eBay you can save a lot of money. I'm currently using two travel tripods, a Benro C2680T and a Gitzo 1541T and to be honest I think the Benro is better than the Gitzo.

This should be a future-proof purchase where you look to cover not just your current kit but what you might get down the road. I think you should look to modern carbon fiber tripods that have anti-rotation legs. They are light in weight, deal with vibration extremely well and are a pleasure to use. They look nice too. It doesn't have to be a Gitzo but if you do your due research you can find excellent value for money. POTN (Canon forum) has an excellent support forum where tripods and heads are discussed ad nauseam.

Perhaps the ballhead is even more important than the legs. Acratech, Kirk, Markins and RRS will all do a good job for you and it's really down to personal preference. I like Linhof and Markins heads but I bought an Arca-Swiss Z1 recently and it is the best head I've ever used. Also take a look at the Arca-Swiss type quick release systems, there are many variations and the whole topic is really quite arcane but again plenty of resources out there to help you.

 

[jsrockit]

Redged carbon fibre. Google 'em. To quote one of the founders, "Only 90% as good as Gitzo, but a LOT cheaper.

These look good, but do not seem to be available in the USA. Have you seen them in any US shops?

 

[ChipMcD]

If you want rigidity and beauty, look at Ries wooden tripods:

http://riestripod.com/tripod.htm

I have used a J series for years for everything from 4x5, medium and Nikons. Leicas are a more recent affliction, and I haven't mounted one on a tripod yet. I have an Arca-Swiss ball head. That rig set me back a pile in 1998, but I've never regretted it. Wood is also not as heavy as it looks.