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The great tripod & head thread!

Grabbed a 2nd hand Gitzo G1507 and a Benro ball head.
It will make a perfect mountain hiking combo with RZ67 :cool:

Wondering if any Swedish GetDPI dwellers can point me to 2nd hand sales or rentals in Stockholm area? Can't quite fit the 1507 into luggage and it would be nice to have a work tripod at home in Europe..
 
How does it work with the HTS attached?
that I don't know since I do not have yet the HTS, but currently looking around for a used one...
the camera sits on the Arca Swiss Flip Lock slide and can be moved forward or backward. I guess with moving forward there might be enough space between the head/tripod and the HTS, but again I don't know for sure. Maybe somebody else can chime in?
 

ErikKaffehr

Well-known member
The heads I had…

Hi,

I started with the Acratech Ultimate ballhead. A great design, except I hated the quick release…

Next up was the RRS BH-40 with lever type QR. Quite OK, but no love…

The next one was RRS BH-55, a small improvement over the BH-40. I don't think ball heads are for me. A lot of pain in the wrists.

Arca Swiss D4, with gears. I love that one. Unfortunately, no gears on panning. Had a small accident driving over that tripod head with my Toyota RAV 4. No damage to that head, works perfectly. That mean much more luck than deserved…

The two heads I really liked were the Acratech and Arca Swiss D4. Some day I may buy an Acratech again…

Best regards
Erik
 

Shashin

Well-known member
Looks like time to resurrect this thread.

The problem of tripods is weight, stability, and height. You can get something really big and stable, but you never can take it with you. You can get something really portable, but while you carry it, you never use it, usually because it is too short. Personally, I look for something I can carry (defined as all day in mountainous terrain) and that can hold the camera at (my) eye level. I also like simple, compact heads. The solution that has worked for me for a really long time has been a Manfrotto Carone 441, three section legs, their short center column (lighter than the standard column), and an Arca Swiss P0 ball head.



The tripod is no longer made--I have had it that long--but I think similar models are available. I also like flip locks rather than twist lock (I have a couple of Gitzo tripods too). One reason is a visual inspection will show if the leg is locked. I do not use quick plates simply because I do not want the additional weight or bulk, both for the tripod and the camera. The Arca Swiss P0 ball head is a really compact and stable design. I simply mounted a 70mm diameter single screw plate to the top to attach the camera.

BTW, this was the photograph taken at the time of the shot above:

 

Shashin

Well-known member
Re: The great tripod & head thread!



Velbon PH-273QL
Well, nothing really that makes it special. Except its incredible light weight. It is featherlight at 390 gr. Believe it or not but even lighter than the tiny mini-magicball. Not very smooth action and overall less confidence in this one.
Dan, I have had a couple of these mag-alloy Velbon ball heads. I think that model and the one smaller that is only 160g. Not the most elegant of designs, but they are stable with good size loads and inexpensive. The double slit design works really well for positioning the camera up or down, unlike the Arca Swiss with one slit, requiring the head to be spun to change the camera. If you need a ball head that is light, these are great. Also, unlike expensive models, you don't feel so bad using it in harsh conditions. Velbon previously used this design for some bigger steel heads. My largest ball head is this design. Bomb proof, much like the large Manfrotto you showed.
 

gmfotografie

Well-known member
I´m still searching for a stable, light tripod for hiking - i think the maximum weight including the head should not be more than 2kg.
my equipment is a canon dslr 24-70mm - maybe the fuji gfx with the zoom lens - and my hasselblad 503 with the 80mm.

i tested the gitzo traveler series 1 and 2:

series 2: GT2545T mit GH1382QD
series 1: GT1545T mit GH1382TQD
(who is responsible for those names???)

small packing size but i don´t like the ballhead.
can you recommend a ballhead which fits to the traveller and is good to handle?

does anybody uses a cube c1 for hiking - want to buy this for studio and architecture work but traveling with this monster?
 

dchew

Well-known member
If you are ok with a non-geared ballhead, the RRS BH-40 goes pretty well with the Gitzo 2-series. Also goes well with the RRS 2-series, which I like a little better because it is taller but not much heavier.

I don't use the cube for backpacking. I either use the D4, BH-40 or go "naked" with just the RRS leveling base; with some creative use of the leg setup you can get +/- ~30 degrees.

Dave
 

TsurTriger

New member
I recently upgraded to Arca Swiss Cube 1 from Manfrotto 229. The Cube is a stunning head. It is the Rolls Royce of all the heads I had before.
It is so solid, robust, accurate and make the shoot of jewelry and gems much easier than it been before.
It is costly, but it worth every penny (for me).
Photos will be added later when I will be at my studio.
 

gmfotografie

Well-known member
thank you - i can image that an rrs tripod with only the leveling base should be a good solution. can you send me some pictures?
i don´t need that much movements when i´m hiking.

thx
 

dchew

Well-known member
thank you - i can image that an rrs tripod with only the leveling base should be a good solution. can you send me some pictures?
i don´t need that much movements when i´m hiking.

thx
Here is the the base (TA-2_LC) alone on top of the TVC-24-L. It really is amazing how light tripods are without a ball head:


With the tripod level, it tilts about 14 degrees:


With the forward leg shortened and still stable. Obviously you need to pay attention. Reaching into your bag for that polarizer and bumping the tripod in this position would be bad (Graham insert whimpering and shaking fear here).


About 30 degrees down angle:


Dave
 

GrahamWelland

Subscriber & Workshop Member
with the forward leg shortened and still stable. Obviously you need to pay attention. Reaching into your bag for that polarizer and bumping the tripod in this position would be bad (graham insert whimpering and shaking fear here).


dave
:eek: I don't mind being on the edge but that's a step too far for me. :facesmack:
 
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