Berlebach tripods

[Paratom]

anyone here using one?
I currently use a Gitzo 2 series Carbon tripod for my Artec with a 410 Manfrotto head. I dont see any problems with shake but I am sometimes somewhatafraid the whole thing could tip over when I am not carefull.
I never use the center column.
Thats why I thought about adding a second heavier tripod- and the Berlebach look like the best solution for me- fair price, good damping, and I gues I could be pretty fast with a one-extension tripod.
Now I tend towards the 4012 or 4032 (the 4032 has the included leveling ball).
Anybody here using a Berlebach with the ball? Is it stable/solid or would you lean towards the one without ball?
Regards, Tom

 

[Grayhand]

Hi Tom!

I have a Reporter 9033 with integrated ball. It weights about 3 kg.
The reason I bought it was to have a well damped wood tripod with out a centre column.
This one had really fulfilled my expectations!
I find it easy to handle and set up for this kind of tripod. Really like the locking mechanism for the legs.

But I find that there is a tendency to have some vibration in the leg when fully extended.
(Which is a problem it shares whit all my tripods.)
But I am now using the Manfrotto apron support with the tripod and it removes all tendencies to vibration when loaded whit a couple of lenses or stones.

I use it mainly for my RZ with P45 and lenses up to the 350 mm APO with out any problems.

The ultimate set up for my RZ is the Manfrotto 058B with the 501HDV Pro head.
But the weight for this combination is about 7.7 kg so I dont carry it very far from the car...

Ray

 

[thomas]

I am using one (actually two). Mainly the the 9043 because of its height.
The second one (don't know the name, it's a discontinued product) has single extension and therefore damping is labeled as "very good". But I never noticed a problem with the double extension of the 9043.

I never used the leveling ball like it's supplied with the 4032 but the 9043 came with a head with ball and center column. And it's a rock.
I've just mounted the legs of the 9043 on a head without ball and without center column (the head of the 3032)... but not to improve daming rather than to reduce weight.
Am not sure if I keep the new head ... because now the whole thing is really light! Wooden tripods are not that heavy as they look like.

Question is how would you level without the leveling ball? If you keep the Manfrotto 410 you actually don't need the leveling ball in the tripod head.
But I'd say with the Berlebach stuff you can't go wrong - just take whatever you think is useful - it's all very well built and very solid.

 

[Paratom]

.....
Question is how would you level without the leveling ball? If you keep the Manfrotto 410 you actually don't need the leveling ball in the tripod head.
But I'd say with the Berlebach stuff you can't go wrong - just take whatever you think is useful - it's all very well built and very solid.

I would probably most often use the 410 but thought I could occassionally use the Artec on the Berlebach without additional head (for simplicity/weight/space reasons) - but than again when I wanted to travel light I would bring the Gitzo anyways.
The integrated ball just sounded like a nice add on (and doesnt increase the cost significant). I wondered how much I would give up in stability.

Thanks for your answer!
Tom

 

[thomas]

I wondered how much I would give up in stability.

I would NOT* worry about stability here (see Ray's post)

*edit !!

 

[Paratom]

thats the one I am talking about

 

[evgeny]

anyone here using one?
I currently use a Gitzo 2 series Carbon tripod for my Artec with a 410 Manfrotto head. I dont see any problems with shake but I am sometimes somewhatafraid the whole thing could tip over when I am not carefull.
I never use the center column.
Thats why I thought about adding a second heavier tripod- and the Berlebach look like the best solution for me- fair price, good damping, and I gues I could be pretty fast with a one-extension tripod.
Now I tend towards the 4012 or 4032 (the 4032 has the included leveling ball).
Anybody here using a Berlebach with the ball? Is it stable/solid or would you lean towards the one without ball?
Regards, Tom

I bought Report 3022 with 2D Panoramic Head model 540 and center column in 2005 to support my 22x100 binocular (weight: 5kg, length: 500mm) on the height of up to 1.85 meters. This is a relly heavy load.

Berlebach today sells Model 541, which looks very similar to the older head 540. It's a great head, can handle more than 5kg load.

I don't like Berlebach Adapters mechanism. I must use a screwdriver to tightly couple the Adapter to an equipment and then always take very special attention to strongly attach the adapter to the head. If you don't need to connect/disconnect equipment by the end of each photo session, then you are safer.

Manfrotto offers a super-safe-and-easy-to-connect design, my fingers is all I need to attach Manfrotto plates to equipment and ball head, that's much easier and pleasure to do.

 

[thomas]

could occassionally use the Artec on the Berlebach without additional head (for simplicity/weight/space reasons)

what about something like that (Manfroto here):

I am using the Cambo WRS leveling base ( http://forum.getdpi.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=18062&d=1245443147 ) and it's a real joy to work with. No tripod head needed here as well. Light, accurate, extremely easy to level and rock solid. I'd prefer a leveling base with 3 screws rather than the ball leveling of the Berlebach head (though it is much better than nothing of course).
Just a thought...

 

[thomas]

FWIW here's everything mounted.
The tripod without center column & ball head; the WRS with leveling base and a clamp to mount a shade.
Overall very good handling like that.

 

[Paratom]

thanks for the image.
Are you fast with this kind of leveling base? do you allways use just that?

 

[thomas]

Are you fast with this kind of leveling base? do you allways use just that?

yes, very fast! The 3 screws work exactly at the level of horizontal and tilt leveling (the two rear screws level horizontal, the front screw levels tilt). Takes me 10 seconds or so to level the camera accurate.
Since I have the leveling base I use it for the WRS without exception. For the Contax I use a ballhead.
Again... possibly I mount the tripod legs again on the tripod head with leveling ball and center collumn. Actually I don't use the center column but it's a bit heavier and overall therefore probably more stable. Too, the center column has a hook one can hang a sandbag (or whatever) on that adds to stability. Still have to figure out which head works better...

 

[Paratom]

Since I would use my 410-head most of the time anyways and also own a good ballhead plus I now saw the option for the leveling base from manfrotto or cambo I decided for the 4012 without the leveling ball.

It is 300g less and I would think the centre of gravity should sit a little deeper which maybe makes it a bit more stable.
Plus I get my 410-head closer to the legs when using the version without ball.

Thanks for the feeback and I will report back the experience with it.

 

[thomas]

Since I would use my 410-head most of the time anyways and also own a good ballhead plus I now saw the option for the leveling base from manfrotto or cambo I decided for the 4012 without the leveling ball.

yes, that's good. If you need a leveling base you still can buy one. The 4012 has exactly the head I mounted the legs of my 9043 on.

Note: the leveling base of Cambo works only with the WRS as it is designed to fit the bottom of the camera and its screw mounting: http://www.cambo.com/Html/products_photo/set01/english/internet/Item21632.html
But basically the Manfrotto will do the same.

 

[thomas]

Well, Tom, thanks for bringing up this topic. Just scrolled through all the Berlebach specs and decided to order the legs of the 4012 as well. With my Gitzo ball head or the WRS on the leveling base height is around 170cm high and that's enough for the majority of the motifs I shoot. If I need the 2meters of the 9043 I just take that tripod (and probably will leave it in the car all the time...). Too, I can exchange the tripod heads and - if needed - could go for 2,3 meters when I mount the tripod head with center column of the 9043 on the legs of the 4012.
For regular use up to 170cm height the 4012 with the single extension and the bolder legs should be fine.
Actually quite nice that one can exchange the legs and the heads within the series

 

[Paratom]

Well, Tom, thanks for bringing up this topic. Just scrolled through all the Berlebach specs and decided to order the legs of the 4012 as well. With my Gitzo ball head or the WRS on the leveling base height is around 170cm high and that's enough for the majority of the motifs I shoot. If I need the 2meters of the 9043 I just take that tripod (and probably will leave it in the car all the time...). Too, I can exchange the tripod heads and - if needed - could go for 2,3 meters when I mount the tripod head with center column of the 9043 on the legs of the 4012.
For regular use up to 170cm height the 4012 with the single extension and the bolder legs should be fine.
Actually quite nice that one can exchange the legs and the heads within the series

Did you order today? Did you call? They have vacation from tomorrow on so you have to make sure they send it out today otherwise you might have a long wait.

I wouldnt want this tripod as my only one (because it is large and not light) but I think / hope that it complements my lighter Gitzo very well.
It looks nice too Which color did you choose?

 

[thomas]

Did you order today?

yes, by Email. They'll ship it tomorrow.

Which color did you choose?

the legs of the 4012 in black. my other 2 Berlebachs are nature.

The 9043 is only just light enough to carry even for long walks (voluminous but not really heavy).
I use a B&W case Type 61 http://www.koffermarkt.com/B&W-outdoor.case-Typ-61_320_.15.htm
In addition I use a backpack system for the B&W case when I have to walk a lot. The tripod then lies across the case, like here: http://www.koffermarkt.com/pop.php?image=83_0
well, not really comfortable but doable.
So by now I had no desire for another tripod... though of course it would be lighter.
For real travelling I only carry my monopod.

 

[thomas]

I decided for the 4012 without the leveling ball.

already shipped? Are you pleased (from first impressions)?

 

[Paratom]

shipped yes but havent used it yet. I will report later.

 

[thomas]

what about something like that (Manfroto here):

tom, i bought this piece (it's € 120,-). it's quite big and heavy but it does what it is intended for very good. as always with manfrotto it's bulky, has fat screws and a lot of grease. first you will think the screws are much too tight for smooth adjustments. but you'll figure out how to use it...
i am using it with a novoflex panorama q base (as i wanted an heightened base but with the level on the bottom). btw: the level of my manfrotto base is off... all levels of manfrotto i ever used were off. i am going to glue 2 tubular levels on the base and that will be fine (already figured out). but with your arTec you'd of course use the levels of the camera rather than the level of the base.
I'd recommended to take a serious look at it.

 

[Paratom]

tom, i bought this piece (it's € 120,-). it's quite big and heavy but it does what it is intended for very good. as always with manfrotto it's bulky, has fat screws and a lot of grease. first you will think the screws are much too tight for smooth adjustments. but you'll figure out how to use it...
i am using it with a novoflex panorama q base (as i wanted an heightened base but with the level on the bottom). btw: the level of my manfrotto base is off... all levels of manfrotto i ever used were off. i am going to glue 2 tubular levels on the base and that will be fine (already figured out). but with your arTec you'd of course use the levels of the camera rather than the level of the base.
I'd recommended to take a serious look at it.

I found that the levels of my Manfrotto 410 head and the Artec do not show exactly the same-so yes, I do use the levels of the Artec.
How do you like your new Berlebach so far?
The last days I havent had much time so no arTec shooting right now. I need time and be relaxed when shooting the arTec.