Can CF and Magnesium = heavy Aluminum tripods?

[marty_scher]

I plan to take landscapes and nature shots in mountainous areas with

a Nikon 5700 digital, so there will be some hiking.

 

Need to upgrade tripod to something more stable, but wonder if the

CF legs and lighter weight heads are a serious trade-off to overall

stability, as opposed to heavy aluminum legs and head.

 

The setup I'm considering is a medium priced Hakuba CF legs and

Gitzo mag ballhead.

 

Do CF users simply add weight to the tripod?

 

The desire is great photos and a not-so-tired back. Can I have both?

 

Thanks

[thidglance]

Yes - especially for a camera like the 5700 - you can get away with a very light weight tripod - the problem really comes when you put something very heavy on something very light.

[dale_sandford]

The reason to use a tripod is to minimize movement of the camera. Carbon

fiber has two characteristics that make it better than aluminum for this

purpose: <br>

<dd>1) For a given mass a carbon fiber tripod is generally stiffer than an

aluminum tripod.</dd>

<dd>2) For a given mass carbon fiber will generally absorb more vibrational

energy than aluminum.</dd><p>

 

The downside to carbon fiber tripods is that people usually buy a tripod with a

lower mass (weight). The lower mass cannot absorb as much vibrational

energy and will have less coupling to the ground. Both of which are bad from

the standpoint of camera movement. Hanging a weight from the tripod

increases the coupling to the ground and will provide additional absorbtion of

vibrations. While hanging a weight is not as good as having a heavier tripod,

it does improve the stability and vibration absorbtion.<p>

 

Many of the Gitzo tripods provide a hook for hanging a weight from the center

column. An easy to carry solution is an empty bag that can be filled with local

sand, rocks, or dirt . Another option is to hang a camera bag or pack from the

tripod.<p>

 

There is an obvious tradeoff between the mass of the tripod, camera stability

and back fatigue. Adding weight to a stiff yet lightweight tripod is probably the

best compromise for hiking in mountainous regions.<p>

 

You don't mention which model Hakuba you're considering, but all of the

Hakuba models I've seen would be adequate for your Nikon 5700.

[miles_hecker]

I use a light Gitzo CF tripod quite successfully while hiking with a Pentax 645N MF camera. Here's the trick. Simply press down on the top of your camera as you release the shutter. You can easily apply 20-30 lbs of pressure. The top pressure will eliminate almost all vibration and movement. Old timers would sandbag there Pentax 6x7, but you can be the sandbag. Using this technique I get 24"x30" prints every bit as sharp as those taken with a Manfrotto tripod which weighs in at 9 lbs.

[sergey_oboguev]

I have apron on my Gitzo 1348 (CF). Besides being very useful when changing lenses, adding filters or TCs, I sometimes use it to put stone in there when the weather is windy.

[joseph_ho]

any respectable tripod should have no trouble holding that camera. tying weight to the bottom goes a long way. i have used my personally owned CF gitzo in a river almost up to the hub with a 645n on top of it. a bag of rocks kept it from getting washed away. the dampening ability of the CF was excellent as well. the middle parts of the legs where vibrating from the flow of the water but it could not be felt at the head.