Tripods for those who "hate" using Tripods

[william_kornrich]

I've never liked using tripods---I find them cumbersome...I recently tried a

monopod and did not find it offered much support---any advice on a tripod for

someone who "hates" using them? Is there one in particular that you like?

[carbon_dragon]

Gitzo 1228 Carbon Fiber Mountaineer. There are probably newer models now, but this is the heaviest I can make myself carry. I don't use it for medium format, but I have used it for pretty heavy SLRs like the Contax RTS III and the Canon 5D. I use a lightweight Bogen ballhead for it.

 

It's expensive, but it's light and solid.

[steven_moseley1]

Hi,

 

If a tripod is cumbersome then it is probably capable of doing it's intended job properly, if a tripod is nice and light, then it probably is not capable of doing it's intended job properly...you seem to be asking for something that does not exist IMO.

 

cheers Steve.

[ronald_moravec1]

Gitzo tall. Traditional metal Gitzo construction. Get one tall enough so you don`t hunch over or all benefit is lost.

 

This one is srong enough not to flex at all.

 

You do not plant it in front like you see at football games, but next to your right leg and brace. Put your left hand on the monopod, not on camera.

 

You will need a head for verticals unless you shoot square, simpler the better. Bogen makes a nice one that tip only one direction. Small, light, stable, and cheap. Not for tripod use.

 

Consider a carbon fiber Gitzo instead. Weight is the same with more stability.

 

Also have a Bolex Movie one discontinued 40 years ago. It is a mechanical marvel. 3 section stiff no twist locks opens in 5 sec flat You will probably never find one

[ronald_moravec1]

I did miss read your question.

 

1228 Gitzo CF mountaineer is my usual choice. Lighter stronger stiffer than aluminum.

 

Get the artic version or wrap bicycle handlebar tape on the top. CF is cold as metal.

 

Leica ball head on top.

 

Works fine for any 35mm camera and lens to 2/300 mm. Also 2 1/4.

[Ed_Ingold]

Since you are posting in the Medium Format Forum, I presume you are looking for a tripod suitable for a medium format camera. If you're going to carry a tripod, it should be up to the task. Anything less is a waste of time and money.

 

Plain and simple, it takes a sturdy tripod to get the most out of a medium format camera. If you hand-hold, you are barely getting 35mm quality (with less grain). A Gitzo series 2 (e.g., a G-1228) is barely adequate. You have to use mirror lock-up, a cable release and generally good technique. A Series 3 Gitzo is a better choice, and has no counterpart in the Manfrotto line (the 3021 is comparable to a G-1224, but shorter and twice as heavy).

 

Carbon fiber tripods are much stiffer than an aluminum tripod the same size - nearly as stiff as the next larger size. They also cost over twice as much.

 

I recently purchased a Gitzo GT-3540 - a Series 3, CF tripod with 4 leg sections, which folds down to 21 inches. It is well suited to DSLR, medium format and professional video (800mm equivalent lens). I went with this model because the 3-section GT-3530 folds to 27 inches - too long for my suitcase. It is actually easier to carry than my G-1227, because there's room to get your hand around one leg rather than the whole bundle.

[Ed_Ingold]

Carbon fiber has a low heat capacity and low thermal conductance. I've used mine (G-1227) at -10F, with no need to insulate it for comfort. An aluminum tripod "burns" a hole through your gloves at that temperature.

[gary_ferguson1]

If you dislike tripods it could well be that the problem is as much about speed of set up

and tear down as it is about weight.

 

Personally I prefer Gitzo, but unless you're using them every day the traditional Gitzo leg

locking mechanism isn't that fast to operate. Manfrotto (I think it goes by a different brand

name in the US) is normally quite a bit faster in use.The next thing is to use a quick

release plate and have it pre-attached to the camera. Finally you should get into the habit

of being sure about the required position and height of the camera BEFORE you set up the

tripod, that way you'll set it up right first time.

 

With a bit of practise and these three steps you can have a tripod set up and ready to go in

less than a minute.

[gary_ferguson1]

One more thing, if you really hate tripods then try a Canon camera with Image Stabilised

lenses!

 

I use a Canon 1Ds MkII alongside Hasselblads with a Phase One P25 back. Quite frankly

the Canon delivers results that, at A3 or less, are almost identical to the much slower and

more cumbersome Hasselblad outfit. And that's handholding the Canon and tripod

mounting the Hassie.

 

Unfortunately I'm obsessive and anal enough that the tiny 1% advantage keeps me lugging

around the Hassie, maybe you're still open minded enough to be saved this punishing fate!

[stuart_richardson]

The new gitzo leg system is much improved, both in stiffness and in ease of use. I would

highly recommend their 2 series...I used a 1227 with medium format and had no problems

(longest lens was 180mm), and now I use their 2540 and find it even better. Pair it with a

Really Right Stuff BH-40 and you have a light, but still extremely stable shooting platform

that costs an arm and a leg but really works brilliantly.

[bob_smith]

I have been using to Bogen/Manfrotto 3221 with the 3039 head for over 15 years with both

RB67 and Hasselblad and it has performed its intended purpose without nary a problem. It

just works.

[cpj]

Go to the Really Right Stuff web site. Get all the stuff you need for tripods there. They

handle Gitzo carbon fiber tripods which are the best, but they make ball heads and all the

interchangeable attachments and stuff you'll every need.

 

You can build a whole system around their stuff. It's the ONLY way to go. They are an

independent, family owned company, and the choice of professionals. They've taken the

Arca Swiss limited line and created their own line of heads, brackets and everything you

need. If you need something they don't have, they will probably design it and produce it

for you if there is a large enough market. In the end, you save a lot of money by having to

buy stuff ONCE instead of always looking for something better . . .there isn't anything

better so if you pay $50 or $100 more for the BEST stuff, carefully designed to do a

specific job, you are way ahead of the game.

 

I took this advice about Really Right Stuff from people on this Bulletin Board back in 2003

and they were right. Although the company changed hands a couple of years ago, the new

owner has quadrupled the offerings and they machine all the stuff themselves.'

 

Do yourself a favor and look into it.

[cpj]

By the way, for those who don't know it, Bogen, Manfrotto and Gitzo are all the same

ownership but they have plants in England, Italy and I think Germany. Basically, while the

lines or equipment have differences, it is all top quality stuff.

[ken schwarz]

You didn't mention whether you've had a chance to try a solid tripod with a top-notch ball head, like an Arca-Swiss. I, too, found pan-tilt heads cumbersome: hard to adjust, and bulky. The new Arca-Swiss Z1 is just great and a big step up from an entry-level Velbon I had been using for years. If you are shooting rectangular format and go with an AS-compatible system, get a mounting plate that lets you mount the camera for vertical shots. I bought the one from Kirk and it's perfect; RRS makes a well-regarded one, too. For legs, I've been using a Velbon carbon fiber that is very good, but not as nice as a Gitzo. I've gotten pretty fast in opening all the legs in a few seconds and closing them down almost as fast. The trick is to undo all the locks and pull them out in one motion; reverse the process by unlocking and retracting segment-by-segment and then locking them all as the final step. The latest Gitzos have improved on this and are more appealing than ever.

[wayne_crider4]

If you lock up the mirror, have a leaf shutter and keep a little hand pressure downward on the tripod below the head you can actually get by with a 2-3 lb tripod sans head as long as you don't have to extend the center column; Although I have and have gotten by. Some of the Gitzo's among others are pretty short and require the column extension and that's where it usually goes downhill... Any of the lighter pods usually don't get very high without extension. I've used my Hassy with a 2 lb pod slightly column extended and it's a world better then hand held at the slow speeds. For long exposure night shots and windy conditions you're better off with a 5 lb'r, maybe even more depending. My latest pod a Bogen 719B is a little short compared to my 2 lb pod but it's got nice size legs and a stout column. I'd say it's a step up over the 2 lb'r and I like it for the larger leg size and flip locks. Best really to find a store and pick a few up. It's a hard decision to go by others opinions. especially if your up over $200.

[william_kornrich]

The Really Right Stuff looks great...have you ordered directly from the company/website?---are they available from retailers...?

[stuart_richardson]

Really Right Stuff only sells direct from their website, but they are an excellent operation. The

customer service is good and they have decent prices on the tripods. They really know what

they are doing too...watch one of their tutorial videos, it's a true O.C.D. experience.

[ilkka]

Leitz Tabletop tripod with large Leitz ball head. Can support medium format very well, though not with lenses above about 250mm. If you can find a convenient solid place to put it on, it is just as good as a large tripod. Problem is that sometimes there is no such place. Can be used sideways against a wall as well.

[spanky]

The "tripod" I used for the shot below was actually a metal napkin dispenser. I kid you not! I just put it on the floor of the diner and set my RZ on top and pressed down on it while I pressed the shutter release. No one was the wiser either. Although I have a couple tripods and a monopod, for my style of shooting I simply improvise when I'm getting into slow shutter territory. If you are using a similar camera it's easy to set it on any flat surface for a quick and dirty job of keeping things steady.

 

PS - I did go back and give the owner a print. He really liked it.<div></div>

[erik scanhancer]

(Bogen = Manfrotto > made in Italy. Gitzo > made in France, owned by Manfrotto.)

 

If you want the least cumbersome tripod (I mean fast setup, yet very sturdy support) take the

Manfrotto 755MF3. It has long segments of carbon legs, built-in leveler and speedlocks. I

use it with a heavy MF setup. Wonderful tripod, much preferred over a carbon Gitzo which I

also own.

[mike_earussi1]

If you're shooting with leaf shutter lenses you really don't need a heavy duty tripod, as long as you use mirror lock-up, since leaf shutters don't cause camera shake. When I shot with the Pentax 67 the focal plane shutter shook so much that the only way I could get a stable tripod shot was to drape my 10 lb camera bag over the pentaprism. But my Koni-Omega, various Rolleis, 6x9 Crown Graphic, as well as my 4x5 view cameras worked fine on a light weight (4 lb) Bogen 3001.

[kparratt]

Currently stuck with a heavy but sturdy Manfotto. But having handled a couple of Sachtler tripods of different sizes, I feel even better about the future. http://www.sachtler.com/index.php?id=652&exp_mode=product&exp_cid=38&exp_pid=7#38

 

Mount the Arca Swiss "Arca Cube" on a Sachtler, and for me, there'd be nothing better. http://www.galerie-photo.com/a-visit-to-arca-swiss.html

 

( I too hate tripods, when they are junk, but when they are the best, I luv'm. )<div></div>

[kparratt]

Shown here is the Manfrotto I mention above, with an early Linhof Profi Ballhead. It has been a very reliable outfit, although heavy in the field. For table-top work, a sliding stage is also used (not needed with the Hasselblad belows extension). Linhof tripods have also moved into the carbon-fiber world, and are worth considering. The build quality is first class.<div></div>

[jennifer_durand]

I use different tripods for different occasions.

My favourite when I on my own for comfort ease of use and lightness is the Benbo

Trekker. If I need to walk with kit its fabulous. When the wind blows its a bit light but one

can use a tie-down similar to what campers use to firm it up on the ground. I place the

strap over the camera while its on the tripod and pin it down with tent pegs. It's very

sturdy then.

 

When I have an assistant I take out my largest Manfrotto, its ancient and its heavy. No

carbon fibre here. Its a killer to carry, the same weight as a full set in a Ping Tour bag.