Lightweight tripod for 400 5.6L [bird photography]

[dhiren]

I am looking for a lightweight tripod [light enough but still steady]

for canon 10D + 400 5.6L [total weight, 4.5lb or 2050gm]. This would

be mostly for shooting birds, I have two models in my mind bogen 3001

[but not sure which head] and 3405, 3405 is lighter than 3001 but

both claims to be able to handle weight up to 11lbs.

I already have 3021 but that�s too heavy to roam around with for

hours, I only use that tripod for low-lighting/windy conditions. The

new tripod, which I am looking for, would also be as my lightweight

backpack and also my travel tripod. My budget is around $150/-

 

Thanks in advance.

[manuel_weber]

With that budget you are constrained to something that it is not going to be very light-weight (e.g. Bogen) or a flemsy, dodgy, "K-Mart" time tripod that would be better NOT to buy.

 

A few alternatives might be the Feisol tripods that are made of carbon fiber, but you can find them only on e-bay and only ocassionally. Another one might the Hakuba or the Silk CF but they might be a bit more expensive than your budget.

 

I would recommend you to save your money untill you can get something better such as a Gitzo 1228 or 1227. They are the best of the best and you would never need to buy another tripod again.

 

Good luck

MW

[jemini_joseph]

I agree with Manuel 100%, especially with his statment <br><br> "I would recommend you to save your money untill you can get something better such as a Gitzo 1228 or 1227. They are the best of the best and you would never need to buy another tripod again." <br><br>

with a correction "Unless you go for longer lense". 1227 and 1228 are more than enough for 400/5.6, but may not be enough for 500mm or 600mm.<br> Good luck <br><br>

<a href="http://www.color-pictures.com/">www.color-pictures.com</a>

[manuel_weber]

Agree with Jemini. However, I use my Gitzo 1228 with a Sigma 500/4.5 and only in a few circumstances (e.g. very windy weather) it is insufficient. It provides plenty of support for up to 8 kg and it is a very light tripod. With heavier set ups than this you definitely want a sturdier tripod.

 

BTW, congrats on a nice web peg Jemini. I read your review of the Sigma 500/4.5 and it is very good as well

Cheers

Manuel Weber

[pvp]

I'll agree with the preceding answers and add my own spin. There are essetially three desirable factors in a tripod: strong (vs flimsy,) lightweight (vs heavy) and affordable (vs budget-busting.) The problem is, you can only have two of the three.

 

IMO, your 3021 may well be the best choice for your needs. Despite the manufacturer's claims that the 3001 and 3405 can support the weight, they will probably not have the stiffness that you want for a long lens. Until your budget can stand the cost of carbon fiber, you probably already have as good as you can get.

[jemini_joseph]

Manual <br>

Thanks for visiting my site.!! Also thanks for the comment on the review. I thought that would be useful for low budgeted nature photographers like us. <br><br>

About using 1228 with Sigma 500. I very well agree with you. There are many things I had in my mind, but didn't say. First of all, if the shutter speed is around 100 or more, 1228 is more than enough. Second thing is the wind. If it's quiet, it's fine. For me the most important thing was the 1000mm, when I use the lens with TC-20E. When the Foclal length is 1000mm either you need a shutter speed about 200 or so or you need a better tripod. This image was taken at 1/10s (yes 1/10) with TC-20E and 50% crop. I wouldn't be able to get this with a 1548, the best tripod around :) <br>

<img src="http://www.color-pictures.com/images/birds/Other%20Birds/248_22_TurkeyVulture_Crop_m.jpg"><br><br>

[manuel_weber]

Wow! 1/10 sec! That picture is sharp for such a slow shutter speed!

 

So, you got this one with a 1548 tripod? That is what you meant?

 

I love that tripod too, it is rock solid. But because I tend to hike and walk a lot with my gear I need something lighter and more portable. This is the reason I have to compromise a bit in the support system I use by having a 1228.

 

Tripods...the ultimate decision for a photographer, ah?!?

:)

 

Cheers

Manuel Weber

[jemini_joseph]

Manual <br>

You are right. If you do lots of hiking this is not practical. 1228 is ideal for you. I was mentioning that Tripod is equally important as lens. I've tried 3 different tripod before this. Manfrotto 3205G, Manfrotto 3001 and Gitzo 340 (which is same capacity as 1228 I think) <br>For me tripod is equally important as lens.

[alex_lofquist]

Just to add to the previous suggestions, the Gitzo CF 1228 will work well with (how's that for alliteration?) a 500mm f/4 lens. I mentioned this in another forum, but I'll repeat it here. I weighed my F4S, Kirk BH-1, Sidekick, with Nikkor 500 f/4P and TC 14B at 14.7 lbs. (This does not include the weight of the tripod.) It has been exemplary for wildlife and nature photography at any reasonable shutter speed. I have even done moon photos at times close to one second. (Mirror locked up.) While it is rated at 6 Kilos (a little over 13#), I wouldn't hesitate to go beyond that if it is well balanced. It is the best travel tripod that I have ever had, and I have had my share over the years. Even George Lepp commented on its stability when he used it in Antarctica with long lenses a few years ago.

 

I recognize that this does not fit within your budget, but my having wasted money on less capable tripods, I would urge you to rethink your requirements.

[bobatkins]

I'd have to disagree about the 1228. I don't think it's enough tripod for a 500/4 except under the best of conditions. I had a 1228 and a 1325 and tested them with a 500/4.5 and 1.4x and 2x TCs under field conditions. The 1325 was far more stable. If there was no wind and the shutter speed was high enough, the 1228 was fine, however as the shutter speed dropped and the wind increased, the 1325 was a lot more stable. The 1228 can support a lot of weight, but it's not that resistant to torsional twisting and the center column design has more play in it than the fixed plate of the 1325.

 

The 3001 is certainly good enough for use with a 400/5.6 as long as you don't need something that comes to eye level (assuming you're over 5ft tall). I use on as a "lightweight" tripod and I frequently use a 300/4L + 1.4xTC on it. No, it's not the most sturdy tripod, and yes, the 1228 is certainly much better, but the 3001 is well inside your price range and the 1228 is about 3x outside it.

[jemini_joseph]

I agree with Bob. Even if the tripod can hold the weight that doesn't mean it can handle the vibration caused by long focal length. If you have Image Stabilization, that's a different issue. I believe even the IS lenses perform better with IS off on a stable tripod. I've proved it to myself using my friends 100-400IS and 10D camera on 1340 tripod. Anyway the deciding factors are many <br><br>

 

1) Are you happy with the sharpness you are getting<br>

2) How much shutter speed you get<br>

4) Can you use MLU and cable release<br>

5) How much you can afford...<br><br>

 

Bigger the tripod better anyway.

[manuel_weber]

I agree and disagree with some of the above comments. A 1228 is more than enough for a 500/4.5 for most situations specially if you get rid of the center column completely.

 

The Gitzo "G" (geared columns version) is better to perform this operation yourself (here is a link to do that: http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=005K6v) or a more elegant modification can be done using the Rapid column version with new excelent Markins products available at Nikonians (www.Nikonians.org) but this is much more expensive.

 

I have used my 1228 in all kind of situations and ONLY in very windy weather it becomes insufficient. No difference in sharpness whatsoever when compared with some of the heaviest aluminium Gitzo tripods in the market (a friend of mine has one of this monsters).

 

For a 400/5.6 (as the person that posted the original message) a 1228 will be the ideal tripod.

 

Regards

Manuel Weber

[manuel_weber]

Here is the link to make a Gitzo 1228 or 1227 rapid column even more stable with the Markins products:

 

http://www.nikonians.org/html/resources/non-nikon_articles/markins_guides/TB-Plate-Mounting-Guide.html

[bobatkins]

We're forgetting the budget of the original poster. $150. That means carbon fiber tripods are out and the 1228 is WAY over his budget.

 

I'd still recommend the 3001 as the best bang for the buck in a fairly lightweight tripod and it's fine for a lightweight 400mm lens. It's often the mass of the lens (and the mass distribution and angular momentum when it starts to shake) that counts more than the focal length. I've compared shots taken using a 500mm mirror lens and a 500/4.5L Canon lens on a lightweight tripod, and the 500mm mirror lens has FAR less problems with tripod instability because it's very light and very short and so produces very little torque on the tripod, even in a wind.

[jim_rosario]

Since a CF is out of the budget another good way to make a lightweight tripod much more stable is to shoot sitting on the ground with the legs not extended. For stalking wildlife this is also more comfortable for you and less intimidating to birds and animals. I can get much closer to my subjects if I don't look big. A decent ballhead is still required though.

 

mike