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The great tripod & head thread!

tashley

tashley

Subscriber Member
Has anyone tried Phase’s new frame averaging feature? I’m playing with it and finding that, because it takes a lot of frames over a long period (I’ve been doing 240 exposures over 2 minutes but it can be a lot more or fewer) and I’ve found that yet again, I need a better tripod. I’m mainly using an IQ4 150 on an Alpa STC with an Alpa/Rodi 42mm lens but the rig would also need to be good with an XF and up to 100mm lens. I have a choice of heads including a cube.

Am thinking of a Gitzo GT5533LS or GT5543LS.

Any thoughts as to suitability? First hand experience?

TIA
 
beano_z

beano_z

Active member
tashley said:
Has anyone tried Phase’s new frame averaging feature? I’m playing with it and finding that, because it takes a lot of frames over a long period (I’ve been doing 240 exposures over 2 minutes but it can be a lot more or fewer) and I’ve found that yet again, I need a better tripod. I’m mainly using an IQ4 150 on an Alpa STC with an Alpa/Rodi 42mm lens but the rig would also need to be good with an XF and up to 100mm lens. I have a choice of heads including a cube.

Am thinking of a Gitzo GT5533LS or GT5543LS.

Any thoughts as to suitability? First hand experience?

TIA
Click to expand...
I did try a 2 minute long (total) exposure on my Gitzo 4552ts (which has very thin bottom sections), RRS levelling bowl and Linhof 3D micro, it wasn't a particularly windy day or anything but I see zero issues as long as you keep the same regime as when shooting normal long exposures.

Actually, I almost always shoot long exposures and so far I've gotten away many times with my 1-series RRS and Arca P0 hybrid, only time I couldn't manage was using the 300mm lens on a very windy lookout, but with a solid Gitzo 3-series or bigger and a cube-equivalent head you should be more than OK.
 
Mexecutioner

Mexecutioner

Well-known member
It never hurts to have a 5 series Gitzo, I have the giant one and it is fantastic, but not a tripod I would be keen on taking out on the field for a long hike. The Buzrzynski head adds some heft to it too.

If you are planning on walking a lot with it a 4 series like Beano suggests should suffice. I also had 3541XLS and found it more than adequate, lighter and easier to transport. I used it with a Wimberley gimbal and a Nikon 400 2.8 and it had no issues supporting that combo.

I am replacing the 3541XLS with a GT4553S which will be my travel tripod, as it measures only 18.9" when folded and I don't need a crazy tall one, it is only 53.5" tall, but a good compromise IMHO.

Cheers,

Rodrigo


tashley said:
Has anyone tried Phase’s new frame averaging feature? I’m playing with it and finding that, because it takes a lot of frames over a long period (I’ve been doing 240 exposures over 2 minutes but it can be a lot more or fewer) and I’ve found that yet again, I need a better tripod. I’m mainly using an IQ4 150 on an Alpa STC with an Alpa/Rodi 42mm lens but the rig would also need to be good with an XF and up to 100mm lens. I have a choice of heads including a cube.

Am thinking of a Gitzo GT5533LS or GT5543LS.

Any thoughts as to suitability? First hand experience?

TIA
Click to expand...
 
ShaunQ

ShaunQ

Member
Not sure if this is the place to ask but it seems appropriate. Have just bought a 2nd hand Arca Swiss D4 and unboxed it this morning before heading out the door for a week of work.

Had never seen one in person before so was really impressed with its compactness and build quality, loved the dampening of the 2 panning movements top and bottom. However the forward/back gearing was very stiff compared to the left/right gearing, the left/right being about perfect. The forward/back though I’d really like to change to be easier to operate, is there a way to do this? Maybe it needs a touch more lubrication or can be adjusted internally?

I did see there is a small round plastic cap inline with the f/b gearing knob which I guess can be pryed open. Just wanted to see if anyone here has had the same issue or has tried to adjust the D4.

Also being a 2nd hand sale it never came with an instruction manual, not sure I really need it to operate the head but thought it may have some information regarding maintenance or adjusting friction of gears. Can’t find anywhere online with a downloadable manual, if anyone can share any key info I should know about the D4 then please do.

Thanks already, the D4 looks great sitting on my Feisol CT-3372LV and looking forward to getting out into the fried and using it, cheers Shaun.
 
A

Aviv1887

Member
Is this the geared D4 version? If so, it has two knobs for each function. One is for the actual movement and the other is for the resistance. Sorry if I misunderstand your question.
 
ShaunQ

ShaunQ

Member
Thanks and yes it is the geared version. I’d imagine the gearing would free up a bit with a heavy camera mounted above, which I didn’t do, but still seemed difficult to operate the f/b movement.
 
A

anyone

Well-known member
Hi there,

I am currently looking to get a (more) solid tripod head for my long tele lenses. I currently use a Linhof Profi Ballhead II which served me well.

Now, with a Hasselblad 350mm lens (with teleconverter), I need to have something more stable, and I'm thinking of the following two tripod heads because they are available for a reasonable price: the Novoflex Classic Ball 5 II or the Arca Swiss Z1+. Does anyone have experience with these tripod heads with long lenses? The Arca ballhead is more lightweight which is of course a nice feature since I hike.

Thank you!
 
S

Stuart Richardson

Active member
tashley said:
Has anyone tried Phase’s new frame averaging feature? I’m playing with it and finding that, because it takes a lot of frames over a long period (I’ve been doing 240 exposures over 2 minutes but it can be a lot more or fewer) and I’ve found that yet again, I need a better tripod. I’m mainly using an IQ4 150 on an Alpa STC with an Alpa/Rodi 42mm lens but the rig would also need to be good with an XF and up to 100mm lens. I have a choice of heads including a cube.

Am thinking of a Gitzo GT5533LS or GT5543LS.

Any thoughts as to suitability? First hand experience?

TIA
Click to expand...
Not sure if this is too late, but I recently wound up in the same situation. I have been using a TVC-33 and BH55 for ages. They are superb, and I still think they are great. But recently I started shooting 8x10 and it seemed like there were less than ideal amounts of vibration in the camera, especially here in Iceland with the wind. I read a bunch of threads at the large format photography forum and the consensus was that nothing beats wood. I ordered a Ries tripod and head setup, and I am pretty shocked at how much more stable and dead it is than the carbon fiber. The mounting process is slow and I am not a big fan of the knobs, but once it is set, it is remarkably stable. Part of it is having the very large mounting surface. I also tried mounting a RRS quick release plate on top of their head and working that way, but it was dramatically less stable than mounting the two large, flat surfaces. For smaller cameras, a RRS plate might be good, but for large, heavy cameras, I think there is not much substitute for a larger mounting surface and then screwing those two surfaces together. I have tried to upload a picture, but for some reason the attachment is failing to upload. You will have to take my word for it!

P.S. Also looking at some of these setups, I am surprised at how tall people are making their camera attachments...having leveling platforms on top of heads on top of mounting plates etc. The closer your camera is to the apex of the legs, the more stable it is...you don't want it teetering up in the air 10 inches above the legs...it is a recipe for instability.
 
kdphotography

kdphotography

Well-known member
I'll bet your image size is too big. Post an image of your Ries wooden tripod set up, Stuart. I'd like to see it!

:thumbup:
 
S

Stuart Richardson

Active member
Hi Ken,
You are indeed correct. The dimensions were fine, but the file was too large. Here it is. It is with their J100-2 legs and J200 head. The camera is a Chamonix 8x10.

1000630.jpg
 
J

JaapD

Member
anyone said:
Hi there,

I am currently looking to get a (more) solid tripod head for my long tele lenses. I currently use a Linhof Profi Ballhead II which served me well.

Now, with a Hasselblad 350mm lens (with teleconverter), I need to have something more stable, and I'm thinking of the following two tripod heads because they are available for a reasonable price: the Novoflex Classic Ball 5 II or the Arca Swiss Z1+. Does anyone have experience with these tripod heads with long lenses? The Arca ballhead is more lightweight which is of course a nice feature since I hike.

Thank you!
Click to expand...
I have the Arca B1 which does a great job in combination with my Mamiya 350 APO and a 1.4 TC. A Z1 should be fine.

Regards,
Jaap.
 
jotloob

jotloob

Subscriber Member
haihan said:
Dear Jürgen,

May I know where to order the two Suguga Seiki geared head? Looks amazing!!
Click to expand...
haihan

Please be aware , that the goniometers from SUGUGA SEIKI are precision instruments and rather expensive . No matter where you live .
They are made of solid brass and rather heavy .
I got my two gonimeters through E-BAY at a rather low price and was happy to get a matching pair .
You might be lucky and find a pair , but i think , patience is required .
 
F

fotophil

Member
I have been using the Arca Swiss P0Hybrid Mono Ball Head in conjunction with a set of Novoflex carbon fiber legs for over 6 months. The set-up is ideal with respect to weight, working height and stability. My only problem has been with the two gear controls on the Hybrid. The shafts that operate the gears are extremely small in diameter and can be bent it the tripod is carelessly transported in a car trunk. I have discovered that the soft tripod case that I usually use does not provided adequate protection for the Arca Swiss Hybrid. I solved the problem by finding a hard shell lens case that fits snuggly over the hybrid head and protects the gear controls. I have also discovered that the gear control knobs are locked in place with tiny hex head set screws which tend to loosen with use. Although replacement knobs are available for around $18, I invested in a 1.5mm hex wrench for $1 and have taped it to the tripod leg for field use.
 
MGrayson

MGrayson

Subscriber and Workshop Member
Hi All,

My two heaviest tripods are the Gitzo 3543XLS (or recent ancestor - I almost always use it with three of its four sections extended. The fourth section comes in handy sometimes. It weighs 5 pounds.) And the Novoflex Pro-75. This is built like a Gitzo 5 or RRS 4, weighs over 7 lbs and feels like you could use it as a jack stand for auto repair.

Puzzle: In use, the Gitzo is always slightly better. The bigger, heavier Novy is more prone to vibration and impact. I haven't found a single use case where it has matched or improved on the Gitzo. (Both used with the Cube.)

So why? Is it possible that the Novy comes into its own when 50 lbs of gear are on top? I confess that I got the Novy from sheer "oooh! shiny!" (and Dan Lindberg's praise). It's a gorgeous piece of workmanship, but it's not like I've ever felt that the Gitzo wasn't enough.

This isn't a major problem, as the TrioBal with L60 has served almost as well, and is two pounds lighter than the Gitzo. It's just a puzzle.

Thanks,

Matt

PS. A second question. The 5-section Novy travel legs are really too flimsy for the GFX100. Would any of you consider a Gitzo 1-series Traveler or RRS TQC-14 stable enough? Or is ~3 pounds about as low as one can get away with?
 
Last edited:
Shashin

Shashin

Well-known member
MGrayson said:
This isn't a major problem, as the TrioBal with L60 has served almost as well, and is two pounds lighter than the Gitzo. It's just a puzzle.
Click to expand...
The diameter of the yoke (?) were the legs meet is probably larger on the Gitzo. I suspect that adds stability. The Novaflex seem to be very small. That makes for a very attractive design, but may have other implications.
 
MGrayson

MGrayson

Subscriber and Workshop Member
Shashin said:
The diameter of the yoke (?) were the legs meet is probably larger on the Gitzo. I suspect that adds stability. The Novaflex seem to be very small. That makes for a very attractive design, but may have other implications.
Click to expand...
The TrioBal (on the left) has the sleek, but small-yoked design. The Pro-75 (center) is about the same size as the Gitzo (right), but perhaps its design is not as rigid? The Gitzo legs also have a wider opening angle at its first stop - not sure how that affects things.



The Pro-75 leg attachments allow the legs to invert, so that the camera can hang from the bottom of the tripod and get very low. It's a great feature, but it may prevent rigidity at the attachment points.

Matt
 
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