Dutch Hill Tripod P900

Anyone has an experience with Dutch Hill Tripod P900 ? >>

http://www.dutchhill.com/products/p900.html

if you compare stability with a Gitzo G1548 or a Berlebach tripod ?

thank you

Erick: I have the extended version, and it excels as a tripod for winter photography (deep snow) as all the controls are near the head and are easily manipulated when wearing heavy gloves/mitts. That placement of the leg controls also removes the problem of lower collars/levers/leg tubes fouling with snow or freezing tight, and also makes it a snap for adjusting the height of each leg when setting up: just loosen the levers, let the legs drop to the desired height, then retighten--all without having to stoop-down.

The P600 is considerably lighter than the Ries wooden tripod--an H600 (their hiker's model)--that I also use but it (the P900) is less versatile and more cumbersome to carry due to its length when collapsed. In all honesty, it can be a bitch to carry over long hikes through heavy bush due to its overall length and diameter when collapsed for transport. But then, most tripods that extend to a good height will present the same problem to some extent.

The build quality of the Dutch Hill is as good as a Gitzo or Ries. Depending on your need you may want to consider the regular length P900 as it is 7" shorter when collapsed. As time passes you may well find a need for a variety of tripods that suit particular needs--for instance, I also use a Gitzo 1228 when a light, easily carried tripod is called-for--since all are compromises in one way or another.

Thank you Wayne !

I have allready 3 tripods (Benro, Gitzo, Berlebach) and a monopod )Gitzo), for trekking I use a wonderfull Benro Travel Angel, 40 cm long and it carries up to 12kg

But I am looking for a very stable tripod for night city shots, or in the forest but not very far from the car

the main thing for me is stability , for MF and Canon 1Ds Mark III

Erick: you're welcome :-)

The P900 is very stable with a Hasselblad V and 250 attached: should be, as most of Dutch Hill's other products are designed for surveyors and the military. I generally use mine with a RRS BH-55 head attached, and the weight is quite manageable over extended distances. Whether a P600 would be suitable for urban photography is questionable as the bottom spikes aren't removable and may slide on concrete or other hard surfaces. FYI: the spikes are canted at an inward angle.

As you already have a Berlebach and another tripod that extends to a good height, I wonder if a P600 would be redundant to your needs. Is your interest primarily motivated by its comparatively lighter weight and set-up ease?

I am quite happy with mine, but as mentioned before I use it primarily for winter photography. Though I have not used it near or in salt water or on beaches it should also be quite suitable to such environments as it is quite easy to wash/wipe down and maintain. With the latter in mind, a perfect companion tripod head---apart from being comparatively light weight--would be an Acratech Ultimate ballhead with a screw-type QR clamp.

I have also a RRS BH-55 and it is a fantastic ballhead

you are certainly right for Berlebach but I want to keep it indoor, the wood is very clean and it looks to me as if i was painting :-)

I think I need a Dutch Hill for pacific-militar shooting outside, in water, salt, sans, wind ...

I plan to put a Burzynski ballhead on it

... sorry for my english :-)

Erick: something I should have done intially before my first response was to check out your photo.net portfolio and website--beautiful work :-) Given your subject matter, a P600 would be quite well suited to the environs that you seem to frequent.

As for keeping your Berlebach indoors: why keep it shut away from the outdoors it is so well suited to? ;-) I never hesitate to take my Ries outdoors when its use is warranted as a periodic waxing takes care of the inevitable weathering and scrapes. Some would say that such adds to the 'character' of the tripod; myself, its using a tool for what it was intended for and taking care of it accordingly.

... and your English is fine; far, far superior to my French despite 9 years of schooling and having lived in Montreal a while back ;-)

Wayne if you put your Ries in water or snow isn't it damaged very fast ?

I cannot find the P600 on Dutch Hill products page http://www.dutchhill.com/products.html , only a P900

Erick: P600 was a typo (should have been P900)--sorry, my bad.

I generally have had no problems with using my Ries in snow or water; mind you, I don't immerse it totally in water either ;-) only the bottom 5-10 centimeters at most and not for prolonged periods of time either. I also take a couple pack towels with me and wipe it down immediately after finishing a set-up. Though I haven't experienced problems with the wood swelling, I imagine that could happen if the legs were immersed for a prolonged period of time and/or prudent and timely measures weren't taken re. preventative maintenance--e.g., some people will apply wax periodically to the legs as both a protective measure and to lubricate the legs.

Using a Ries in snow usually isn't too problematic, although one has to be careful not to let snow/ice build-up in the bottom leg adjustment screws. That isn't as problematic when compared to the leg adjustment collars on a Gitzo which can freeze-up, but the latter can happen with the Ries also. The remedy in either case is to extend the bottom legs and thereby keep the leg adjustment mechanism out of the snow (or water or sand), but that often can't be done if one is shooting from a very low angle. I find the P900 handy in such instances since the leg adjustment/securing levers are comparatively higher-up, and use it almost exclusively as my winter tripod since I often shove the legs deep into the snow to establish a secure set-up. In such instances I make sure to wipe the legs off immediately afterwards to avoid ice building-up on the legs which, like any tripod, will cause them to bind--one of the reasons I always carry pack towels as part of my basic outdoor kit.

thanks again Wayne

there are 2 resellers in Europa (England and Finland) for Dutch Hill I'll try to contact them