Tripod and Head Recommendations

[michael_kadillak3]

I am purchasing a Canham 5x7 camera after the first of the year and am in need of some help. My problem is this:

 

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I need a tripod and head that will allow me to take my new lightweight camera (6#) into the high country that is nearly impossible with my 8x10. Weight and size are the primary considerations. Cost is a third.

 

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While I have dearly loved the Ries A100 and the double tilt head as a place of reverence for my 8x10, should I go with lightweight carbon fiber (at a high cost), a medium weight and lower cost Manfrotto/Bogen or go another direction. While I do not see it on their website, Ries lists a 21" folded length tripod in an C or H series that may work.

 

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As far as a tripod head, my instincts tell me to stay away from the multiple long handled versions and get a slender ball head that is easy to strap with the tripod on my backpack. Are the quick release options truly reliable and do they save setup time?

 

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Any combinations that you would recommend? Many thanks.

[michael_kravit]

Michael,

 

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I do a good amount of hiking albiet not entirely in the "high

country". I have used both the Ries folding version with the double

tilt head and a Gitzo 1349. Believe me, the Ries really does not

fold, but rather the legs unscrew into 2 pieces. It packs up into a

canvas carrying bag.

 

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With that said, the Gitzo is my tripod of choice. I use it with the

double tilt head and a B1 ballhead. The ball head is more compact,

but I like the double tilt head much better. I carried this

combination through the Canadian Rockies 2 years ago and through

Italy for 10 days this past summer.

 

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The QR of the Arca system is highly reliable, well machined, and very

quick to set up. I don't think you would go wrong with a Gitzo 1300

series for the 5x7, however a 1200 series might be a wee too

lightweight.

 

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Good Luck

 

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Mike

[michael_mutmansky1]

Michael,

 

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Michael's right on the money here. I can't imagine carrying a 7 or 8

pound set of wooden sticks out into the field when you can get a CF

tripod that comes in in the range of 4 1/2 pounds (for the 1325). The

Gitzo's are stronger, lighter, and don't have those silly leg locks at

the top that the Ries tripods have.

 

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Don't get me wrong, the Ries tripods are a sight to behold, but I

would never want to be caught dead with one of those on my back, too

heavy!

 

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Michael also points out that the 1200 series tripods may be a bit too

light for your 5x7, but they are rated for about the same loading as

the C and H tripods you mention in in your query. The 1227 weighs 3

1/4 pounds, under half the weight of the Ries offerings, witha similar

maximum weight rating.

 

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One of the biggest problems with lightweight tripods is that the

weight of the tripod is important to dampen vibrations... With a

lightweight tripod, you have to add weight to the tripod to add

stability. That is the reason the CF tripods have the hook on the

underside of the center post. You need to get as much weight as

possible down in the lower part of the tripod to keep the center of

gravity down low, and to provide a dampening mass.

 

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Now, I know that we LF shooters are not concerned about weight as much

as we should be, (we'd all be using APS if we were terribly concerned

about weight!), but I don't think there's any reason to carry a

heavier tripod than is necessary to do the job. If you only shoot

short lenses, the 1200 series may be big enough for you (with mass

added below, of course), but I would suspect that the 1300 series will

be a better approach for the 1 pound extra in weight.

 

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You may want to check Robert White's website for pricing on Gitzo.

It's much cheaper in England, and they will ship here for a good

price. It'll end up saving you three hundred dollars over NY prices.

Of course, the warranty will not be for the US...

 

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I use Arca Swiss style plates from Kirk for my LF gear, and a Kirk

ballhead. While I like the arrangement, I wish it were lighter. It's

fine for normal dayhikes, etc. but for longer trips, I want to get a

smaller, lighter head. One of these days, I'll get up to NYC and go

through B&H checking out all their small ballheads. I use a DLC on it

with absolutely no problems, and my Phillips 8x10 works very well

also. The 7x17 I have (Canham) would probably be a little better

served by a Ries-style head or a geared head of some fashion, but I

have been able to make the ballhead work without problem even for a

camera as large as that. I've used the Ries style heads, tilt-pan

heads, and others, but I have gotten the most comfortable with a

ballhead. It is one of those personal choices, though.

[john_hennessy]

I agree completely with the Gitzo 1300 + B1 suggestions above. One

caveat is that the camera you mention (and most other for that matter)

will weigh more than the tripod & head. Therefore it becomes rather

easy to over balance the camera and tip over the whole thing. I used

to use a monster Bogan (about 14 lbs) and I could point the camera

over a cliff and straight down without worry. Now I must remember to

keep the camera very nearly over the tripod's center of gravity or

over it goes, especially if it is windy and the dark cloth is hanging

on it.

[anthony_j._kohler1]

For several years, I have used the Bogen 410 (Manfrotto 3275, I

think) mini geared head with my LF cameras and I absolutely love it.

I came from a Bogen pan/tilt head, and while I still have it, I

virtually never use it. The geared head (rated to 11 pounds) lets me

make small adjustments without having to worry about the looseness of

a pan/tilt when you are moving the camera on it. The QR plate on it

is sometimes a bit sticky to get released, but it has never been the

least bit loose, which is a tradeoff I am quite willing to make.