Tripod for my 1Ds Mark II

[snakeroot]

I've decided to purchase the Arco-Swiss B1 head and a gitto tripod

for my Mark II, but bewildered by attachments and options offered at

Adorama and other sites.

 

I've adopted a no compromise approach to equipment acquisition and

want to continue, but am confused by head/tripod jargon. I want to

put my cumbersome Mark II and the various (and expensive) L series

lenses I have with flash combos and other whistles/gizmos on the B1

head, but who knows what attachments are needed with this head?

Which head? Which gitto tripod to match?

 

Cost is a minor factor in this decision, but I'm not into resale or

returning unmatched equipment.

 

There must be some opinions out there. Help!

[godefroy]

Me too, I'm lost... That doesn't answer your question... May be it feels better to know you're not the only one...

 

So it's a good question!

 

Happy shooting,

 

Godefroy

[james_symington1]

Look at the website of Really Right Stuff and perhaps Kirk Enterprises too to see what kind of things you can do. A good L-plate from RRS or Kirk plus a quality ball head is all most people need.

 

A combination that works fine for me (landscapes) on my 1Ds II is the Kirk BH-1 and the Manfrotto 55 Pro with the RRS L plate. It is rock solid in all but the foulest gale. If you want to save weight and spend more the Gitzo 1347 or 1348 (I forget which) is a very high quality, carbon alternative. Depends what you want to use it for too. Centre columns aren't recommendable as they inevitably add wobble when extended - then again I've been forced to use them on occasion and thanked heavens that my tripod had one. Best to avoid using if possible though. If you're indoors it is much less of an issue.

 

The iterations are endless. The Arca B1 is reputedly excellent (never tried one - I'm a Kirk man myself) so no qualms there. If you want a great Gitzo then the 1348 is a good start and allegedly the 1321 (again off the top of my head) levelling base is useful too. In terms of flash brackets I've got no idea - I never use them.

 

Hope that's a start.

[sheldonnalos]

If I were in your shoes and had your budget, I would look at either the Gitzo 1548, the 1348 or the 1325, depending on how high I needed the tripod to go (I'd skip the center column) and how much weight I was willing to carry. All of them have plenty of load carrying capacity and could handle the super-telephoto lenses.

 

For a ballhead, I would choose the Really Right Stuff BH-55 over the Arca Swiss B1, but both are top notch. You really can't go wrong with either.

 

For attachments, you'll need to buy arca swiss style plates for each of your camera body's and lens collars. Go to the Really Right Stuff website for the best plates. Check out their "L" brackets as well.

 

Hope this helps!

 

Sheldon

[seanmbuck]

I'm in your same boat as my next purchase will be a ballhead and tripod. It's confusing. I haven't done all the research on the tripods, but I think I have a handle on the ballheads. I'll be getting the Arca Swiss B-1. I went to B&H's website and sorted for all the Arca-Swiss ballheads. I printed the results and then spent about 1 day and half re-reading and comparing all options. Eventually, it starts to make sense and I now feel like I understand what they offer and what fits my needs. For me, I'll be getting the B1 with Ind panning & lock and Quick release plus the Really Right Stuff L-bracket.

[snakeroot]

Thanks for all the responses.

 

Sheldon, I opted for the BH-55LR with the L plate for the Mark II and lens brackets for my 70-200 and 180 macro. I selected the Gitzo 1348 after reviewing stuff on the web.

 

Of note is that Really Right Stuff's website lists all of the items I wanted out of stock when I added it to my shopping cart. I called them today and they said they are only a day behind, but I would caution against internet orders until they at least add "item ships in 1-2 days" or something like that to their website. The site itself is pretty sweet and deserves a visit.

 

As always, photo.net is an excellent resource and I appreciate contributors' comments.

[sheldonnalos]

Thanks - good luck with your new gear!