Best Tripod Head for RZ67 Pro ii?

Hello,

 

I plan on purchasing a tripod and head soon for my RZ67 Pro ii and want to go all out regardless of price. To put it simply, budget isn't the issue, I'm aiming for the most reliable, heavy duty option available atm as I want it to last me as many years as possible.

 

Tripod wise I've had my eyes on either the Gitzo GT3543XLS Systematic Series 3 Extra Long Tripod or the Gitzo GT5563GS Systematic Series 5 Giant Tripod just in case height ever becomes a need in future.

 

I've see a lot of threads debating ball heads or gear heads. From what I gathered, gear heads are easier to level and are potentially sturdier?

 

What would you guys recommend as the top of the line tripod head(s), doesn't have to be from Gitzo btw.

 

Cheers

Seth

I have a Gitzo GT3540XLS CF tripod, which I use more than any other. It extends to 79" without a column, and towers of the heads of people who might walk in front. I need a short step ladder to use it that way. Most of the time I only extend 2 sections, so I can look through the viewfinder. It takes a lot of lateral space to spread the legs at full height. A camera stand would work better in a studio, but the XLS is tall enough in a pinch.

 

A Gitzo GT5560 is truly a "giant," reaching 108". I have the aluminum version, with 5 sections, reaching 96". It's currently in storage. I seldom need anything taller than 7' (including the camera), and 20 pounds is too much to lug around. My son works for a pharmaceutical equipment company, and has seen that tripod in use for factory floor product photography.

 

A ball head offers a lot of flexibility in a relatively small package. They take two hands to operate, and each change must be leveled and composed all over again. A good head operates without slip-stick action, even with partial tension applied (for safety). However at high magnification, either a long lens for for closeups, there is always sag and spring-back to contend with when you let go of the camera to take the shot.That can get very frustrating. I suggest a Really Right Stuff BH-55 ball head for a heavy camera like the RZ67. The larger the ball, the better the holding power. Excessive force should never be needed for lock-down. I've used mine with an 8 lb view camera. It can handle the weight easily at any angle, and has a useable drag adjustment. With drag, you can adjust the camera with two hands, and hold it motionless with one while you tighten the head.

 

A ball head is still better than a 3-way head. The latter aren't easily used with Arca type QR components. They not only have significant slip-stick action, but the handles are loose and wobble until tightened.

 

A geared head is not much larger than a ball head, and offers precise motion, over a very limited range. There's no sag or spring-back because you don't handle the camera itself. Their best use is fine-tuning a roughly level camera, mainly for studio shots or a view camera in the field. The Arca-Swiss "Cube" is probably the best one on the market, and has the best (i.e., Arca) QR.

 

I suggest taking a serious look at a fluid head, otherwise used for video. Once the base is leveled, both tilt and pan motions are leveled too and stay that way regardless of where the camera is pointed. Pointing and composing the subject is very quick and easy, and takes only one hand. The range of motion is +/- 90 degrees of tilt and 360 degrees of pan. The camera is easily balanced to stay in any position, without backlash, only locked down for good measure. There is so little backlash that I use one with a 50x to 130x telescope, with little or no trial-and-error finding the subject.

 

Few fluid heads have a sideways tilt, called "Dutch" heads. If you need the camera tilted, use a ball head alone, or attach a ball head to the QR plate of the video head, and get the best of both worlds.

Edited February 7, 2019 by Ed_Ingold

You wouldn't need sideway tilt tripod with the RZ since you only need to revolve the camera's film back to go from landscape to portrait mode.

 

I use a three way Gitzo head with a Sachtler quick release on my old 9 pound metal Gitzo tripod. I have a heavier RB67, not the lighter RZ67. I also have shot with my longer and heavier 360mm lens and the tripod setup holds very firm for sharp pictures. Here are some 360mm shots. Search: 360mm | Flickr

 

I can;t speak of a ball head since I never used one.

 

One final comment. Do you really need such a huge tripod? My Gitzo extends to about 6 feet and I don;t think I ever had it that high just keeping it lower to eye level. Remember, you have to carry around all the stuff. My RB67 backpack weighs 40 pounds with all the lenses and stuff plus a nine pound tripod. I really don;t use it very far from my car but then I'm getting older.

Just to clarify the first sentence in my last post. The three way allows tilting but only necessary a few degrees to level the camera. The revolving film back eliminates the needs for a full 90 degree tilt.

You can level the camera with a 3-way head, but if you pan it is no longer level. I recommend a leveling platform instead of a column. Leveling the base (normalizing the vertical axis) allows you to pan without further adjustments. Gitzo #3 (and larger) tripods are available with an interchangeable center section. The leveling platform mounts to the tripod directly, adding very little to the stack height. If you need a center column to make fine height adjustments, it's easy to install. There are leveling devices which fit between the column and the head, at the expense of 2" or so added height. I use one or the other method at all times, especially for video, which must remain level when panned within about 1/2 degree.

 

A GT3543XLS weighs 5 pounds. The added height contributes relatively little to the net weight. Extending the legs 1-1/2 sections brings the camera to a comfortable eye level. You probably don't need a 79" tripod for routine use and travle, but it's there if you do need it, at little extra cost. A tall tripod is essential for video at concerts and events, because you need to see over heads when people walk in front or stand up in their seats. Height is also useful when shooting at high angles. Articulated rear screens make viewing less of an issue, high or low.

 

A "Dutch" video head is used for special effects, ala, "Citizen Kane." Ball heads are small for their capacity, and don't have handles sticking out on all sides. They are quick to use on uneven ground (as for travel and hiking), without careful leveling or adjusting the legs.

 

The number one reason for using a ball head is the availability of Arca-type quick release. Plates are fitted to each camera model, and won't rotate when tilted. They are thin enough to be left in place. Using Arca QR, I can use any camera, any lens, on any tripod. It's not necessary to tilt a (square) Hasselblad, but for other cameras I use "L" plates, which keep the weight centered on the tripod.

Edited February 8, 2019 by Ed_Ingold

Ed, he's buying the tripod for his RZ67. It doesn't have video. I do agree it would be nice to have a leveler platform to avoid leveling if you pan for another shot. But the tilting is not a big deal with the 3-way head. It's easier than trying to level the tripod so you can pan level. Those bubbles on the tripod always seem flaky to me. I find it hard to get it right enough to avoid having to adjust the 3-way regardless.

 

How hard is it to level the leveler? How accurate do you get it? Do you still have to make minor adjustments to the head?

How hard is it to level the leveler? How accurate do you get it? Do you still have to make minor adjustments to the head?

On uneven surfaces, you have to adjust the tripod legs to within the range of the leveling platform, +/- 7 degrees (or more). That'e easy enough to eyeball, without using the level on the tripod itself (if any). The leveler itself takes 5 seconds on a bad day. The net accuracy is within about 1/2 degree or less. For cross check, the leveler, head and some camera have level indicators, which should agree. Once verified against a reference, any of them can be used for the final adjustment.

 

Even if you pan a bit (e.g., for a stitched panorama) and readjust the tilt on a 3-way head, the horizon will have shifted. Stitching (and HDR blending) software will accommodate these changes, at the expense of cropping, with possible loss of parts near the edges.

Keep in mind that the unique feature of the big Mamiyas is the rotating back. This, apart from small adjustments, keeps the mass of the body and lens relatively stationary while the back alone gets flipped for landscape/portrait changes. Head overkill really isn't necessary unless you're shooting with the relatively rare Mamiya RB/RZ teles. Same goes for massive tripod leg sets--not necessary.

I don't have the Mamiya, but for my P6x7 and 4x5 field camera I use the Bogen 3046 tripod/3047 head combo. Very heavy duty with a center post brace, bubble levels for all three axes and a large quick-release plate. I even use it for my 5 inch Meade ETX Maksutov telescope with an adapter.. a testament to its strength and stability.

I shoot with an RZ67 Pro II, Mamiya M645 1000s, as well as a Shen Hao 6x17 camera. With my Gitzo GT2540 legs, I've been using a Markins Q-ball (20, I think) which seems "fine" for the 645 (I built an L-bracket for it to avoid using the drop slot) and just "adequate" for the 67. The only thing I don't like about the Markins is the fact that you REALLY need to crank down on the panning knob to keep the head from turning. But, it seems to be a good size for the legset and for most Gitzo 2-series legs. For the 3-series legs, I'd go with a Really Right Stuff BH-55, which I also use...very robust, very secure. You don't want to put a scrawny head on a large set of legs, nor do you want to put an oversized head on a smaller set of legs.

I find that an RRS BH-40 head can do everything I do with a BH-55, at least with Sony and Hasselblad cameras. It is not as easy to modulate the tension as the larger head, but with one hand on the camera and the other on the knob, it's safe and effective. I use the BH-40 for travel, because it is a over pound lighter and an inch shorter than the BH-55. That said, I have no problems using the BH-55 on a #2 Gitzo (the smallest size I own). The tension control is effective, the large knob has needle bearings, and can be modulated and locked up with little effort. Both tighten with a simple split-ring mechanism, which never sticks or jams. Tension for an Arca-Swiss head is very nicely controlled and locked with a single knob, but the head is prone to jamming, failing to release, at inconvenient times. Self-repair is not an option with an Arca-Swiss head.

 

An Acratech head is the simplest and lightest head of any I would recommend. It should not require excessive force to lock if the ball is kept free of oil or grease. My issue with Acratech is that it won't tilt past vertical unless you rotate the head. That's a PITA when you shoot landscapes, and want both high and low positioning for the horizon.