gaetano catelli Posted October 8, 2003 Share Posted October 8, 2003 i just bought this camera: <A HREF="http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2955129842&category=4701">SPEED GRAPHIC W/GRAFLEX OPTAR 135MM F4.7 LENS</A><p>what's a reasonably priced not-too-heavy tripod appropriate for this model? and, what other accessories are :no brainer" purchases. <p>guy catelli<br><A HREF="http://www.r-s-r.org">http://www.r-s-r.org</A> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Crowe Posted October 8, 2003 Share Posted October 8, 2003 Welcome to the club! Unfortunately I think that you will need a fairly heavy tripod. I will try to get you my Bogen/Manfrotto tripod number, it must weigh about 10 lbs. I'd rather not even know what it weighs for those 10 mile hikes! The big film plane shutter causes a lot of camera shake so avoid its use whenever possible. However, if you are like me you will buy a couple of barrel lenses and still insist on using Velvia 50! Long exposures of 1/10 second using the Speed shutter seem to introduce some camera shake. (Perhaps my tripod is not heavy enough!) You will need a light meter. I simply use the meter in my 35mm camera. I always bracket exposures using the 35mm camera anyway and take 1 transparency and 1 negative for a given shot using the 4x5. Any composition I am not too sure about I will record in 35mm and one's that I am more confident in I will use the Speed Graphic. Have fun! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ole_tjugen Posted October 8, 2003 Share Posted October 8, 2003 I don't have a Speed Graphic, but I use a moderately heavy wooden tripod for my Linhof Technika 5x7". The one I use is a Stabil (sold only by www.stabil.nu), but I'm sure there are others as good. Weight for weight, a wooden tripod is less prone to vibration than any other material. Combined with a really solid head (mine's a Unilock ball head weighing almost as much as the tripod), I know that nothing's going to move unless there's an earthquake. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thirteenthumbs Posted October 8, 2003 Share Posted October 8, 2003 The minimum is a Bogen/Manifrotto 3221 and it will seem a little weak in a high wind with the flash attached to the camera, just spread the legs; several on Graflex.org swear by them. I moved up to Gitzo Studex. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jnanian Posted October 8, 2003 Share Posted October 8, 2003 try a tiltall. they might go for about $100. i bought one in 1988-89 and have been using it steadily since :) good luck john Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
allen_whittier Posted October 8, 2003 Share Posted October 8, 2003 Pick up a tiltall on eBay. They are sturdy, light weight @5lb and cost around $80. I've seen them go for half that. These tripods were the state of the art when press cameras were king, and do the job well. It's the only tripod I use with my press camera and I've put my 5x7 on it with full confidence. They are very well made with heavy machined aluminum parts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john_kasaian1 Posted October 9, 2003 Share Posted October 9, 2003 I'll "3rd" it---Tilt-all! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul moshay Posted October 9, 2003 Share Posted October 9, 2003 I'm for the Tiltall too. But Freestyle Sales has new ones for $99.00 in silver or black. They are fine and last forever, (almost). Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pvp Posted October 9, 2003 Share Posted October 9, 2003 Methinks a Bogen 3021 with the 3030 head will be adequate for your camera. I used that combo for a year with a Calumet monorail that's larger and heavier than a Speed Graphic, and never had a problem. If you want a bit stouter head get the 3047. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brian_ellis3 Posted October 9, 2003 Share Posted October 9, 2003 When you refer to a "tripod" I assume you mean both the legs and the head. Unless you habitually photograph in strong winds, something that's difficult to do with large format cameras, you don't need a heavy tripod. As long as the tripod is sturdy enough to hold the camera without collapsing you can get away with a light tripod wtih a heavy large format camera better than you can a light tripod with a light camera because the weight of the camera itself adds stability to the set up. I'd second the suggetion that you consider the Bogen 3221 legs. It is light and will provide all the stability you need except in high winds when you probably couldn't be making a photograph anyhow. It's also onvenient and fast in set up and take down. With respect to a head, your first decision is whether to use a ball head or a three way pan head. I've used both. Ball heads are easier to operate and will work fine for most things except architecture and product photograhy. The problem with them is that it's difficult to make fine adjustments in one direction without also changing something in another direction, especially when using a relatively heavy large format camera. So with subjects such as architecture or product photography where fine adjustments are necessary ball heads don't work quite as well as three way heads. So you decide whether you want the small size and general convenience of a ball head or the larger size and somewhat less convenient but more precise three way head. I've owned three ball heads, the Arca Swiss B1 and a Gitzo and Bogen, the model designations of which escapes me. I hated the Gitzo, it was a pain to use. The Bogen was o.k. but the movements were a little "sticky" so that small adjustements were difficult to make because of the force you needed to apply. The Arca is the best of the three by a wide margin but it's also expensive. However, I'd recommend it if you afford the cost and want a ball head. There used to be a construction defect that Arca fixed about seven years ago so if you buy a used Arca Swiss B1 try to make sure you get one made within the last six years or so. If you get one more than seven years old (as I did) Arca will update it for you but at a cost of about $70. I think I've used every three way head that Bogen makes. The 3047 that others mentioned is a nice three way head and is relatively inexpensive. I used it for a while and it worked fine but I recently switched to the Bogen 3225 geared head which costs more but is better for architecture since a geared head is easier to use for very fine adjustments. It's also more compact than the 3047. The others that I've used wouldn't work as well with your camera I don't think so there's no need to mention them. One I haven't used is the 3039. It's similar to the 3047 but costs a good deal more and I've never been able to tell from reading exactly why it is better than the 3047 though I assume it is in some respect since it costs a good deal more. Perhaps someone here who has used both could explain the differences. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonathan_bundick Posted October 9, 2003 Share Posted October 9, 2003 I have used a Bogen 3221 with a 3047 head for several years now. I shoot 35mm, and 4x5 with a Super Graphic. It is more than enough for the Speed, although a little on the heave side for long distance hikes. If I had it to do over again, I would look at a lighter head. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thirteenthumbs Posted October 9, 2003 Share Posted October 9, 2003 I had a light weight Focal or Kmart tripod that I thought was good. I had it sitting on a slight slope with a Nikon FA w/75-300 zoom attached, slight breeze about 1/4 mph toppled it over while it was unattended. The camera hit the sidewalk with the top left corner and left edge of the prism along with the head handle. Damage was minor scratches on the top plate and prism and the lens mount bent outward 3/32 at the bottom. That's when I purchased the Bogen 3221 and tossed the lighter one. The Studex I replaced the Bogen with feels a little better than the 3221 with the 4 x 5 and the 3221 would not be aquidate for my 8 x 10. I do not trust the tall Studex with the 8 x 10 and will make sure I hold on to it when at the coast, 300 feet straight down to the ocean. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Crowe Posted October 9, 2003 Share Posted October 9, 2003 I checked and my tripod is about 15 years old and is the Manfrotto(Bogen) #074 with #029 head. I have no idea what the modern equivalent is. I will have to look into these Tilt-all's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john falkenstine Posted October 10, 2003 Share Posted October 10, 2003 I have a speed Graphic 4 X 5. When I mounted it on my regular 35mm tripod, the legs sagged inward and the whole affair trembled continuously. So I bought a heavy tripod, which along with the Camera, made for a heavy affair to drag around, and took the shine off the Speed Graphic very guickly. The tripod is now broken, the Speed Graphic is decorating my bookcase. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
harry_akiyoshi Posted October 11, 2003 Share Posted October 11, 2003 A couple of people have recommended the Bogen 3047 head. However, I just bought a 329 a couple of weeks ago, and it's brilliant -- I'd definitely recommend it over the 3047. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gaetano catelli Posted October 12, 2003 Author Share Posted October 12, 2003 thanks, everyone, for your responses. i decided to go with the Tiltall: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2956703965 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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