peter_n1664876959

Member Classified Ads · September 28, 2017

Ballhead is sold.

Member Classified Ads · March 3, 2017

Asking $310 OBO net, CONUS sale only. Payment by PayPal. Price includes full insurance, signature required on delivery. I bought this Z1 about four years ago, before A-S decided to force their proprietary Slidefix clamp system on buyers. A new RRS B2 AS II M6 clamp is included in the sale. It comes in it's original box with user manual. The head has been defect free.

The ballhead has mostly been used indoors but has one external mark: a small gouge in the base where a set screw was tightened a wee bit too hard against it (see picture 3 upper right ) otherwise the cosmetics are excellent. Its in great working condition; super smooth ball rotation, heavily damped panning action just like all Z1 heads. I'm only selling because I got a geared head about a year ago.

September 24, 2014

I use a a Benro C2680T which is the original base tripod you're (the OP) using a variation of. The dimensions are identical.

First, you need the ballhead panning base and ball housing to be less than or equal to 50mm if you want the legs to fold back parallel to the center column. I've used a Markins Q3T (actually three of them) on mine and it meets that dimensional requirement. The Q3T was specifically designed by Markins for travel tripods like the Benros and Gitzos.

I swapped out the regular center column for a short center column and now use an Acratech Ultimate GP (60mm panning base) on it, and I don't fold the legs back any more. My advice would be to look at the Acratech GP-ss which has a 53mm panning base. The legs will fold back over that ballhead but will be slightly off parallel with the center column. The reason I replaced my Markins heads with Acratechs is that the Markins head would lock up in the cold (I live in New England) but the Acratechs are designed to be maintenance free and work well in extreme environments due to their open designs.

In addition the Acratechs offer a pseudo-gimbal and a leveling functionality which is really hard to find for a travel tripod. Both the Markins and Acratech heads have excellent build construction but I much prefer the Acratechs. The RRS BH-40 does not meet the dimensional requirements because of the bulbous back-end of the ball housing.<div></div>

March 17, 2014

Harper's last option is the best.

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I agree. You might want to <a href="http://www.hejnarphotostore.com/index.php?main_page=contact_us">contact Chris Hejnar</a> and ask if he knows of a fix as he machines Arca-Swiss type clamps for Manfrotto ballheads.

But really your best solution is to sell the head and buy a small Markins, Photo Clam or RRS ballhead.

February 17, 2014

If you tried out the Gitzo 2531EX you might want to take a look at the Benro series of Versatile tripods. The legs have the usual 3 angles and the articulating center column is very straightforward to use. I use the Benro A2970T with twist locks which is an aluminum 3 leg section model, and it's very solid and stable.

Benro makes the Versatiles in both aluminum and carbon fiber with either twist locks or flip locks. <a href="http://www.benro.com/Products.aspx?cid=208&pid=213&nid=253">This page has specs for all their models</a>. <a href="http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/744136-REG/Benro_A2970F_Versatile_A1980F_4_Section_Aluminum.html">Here's a retail page for the flip-lock version of my tripod</a>; those flip-locks are seriously big and well constructed, and they should be very reliable.<div></div>

August 13, 2013

"Also, when it comes to tripods, I'd choose the one with 3 legs and no middle column for stability" I don't think I've ever seen a tripod without three legs!

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I presume three leg sections was meant. Surely you could have worked that out?

June 21, 2013

US domestic or international, I put my Benro C2680T travel tripod (folded length 17.7" [45cm]) into my checked luggage. I carry its Acratech ballhead in my cabin bag. So far, no issues anywhere.

June 21, 2013

Induro tripods are a US upscale version of Benro tripods. When you buy Induro you're paying for US marketing and distribution overhead as well as a slightly more modern external design & finish. If you're on a budget do a bit of research on the English language version of the Chinese Benro web site (not the US Benro web site), find the equivalent Benro then buy it from a mainland China seller on eBay. You will save a lot of money.

Benro/Induro are Gitzo clones. Many of the parts are interchangeable and I use Benro parts on my Gitzo systematic and vice versa. Also given Gitzo's terrible customer service in the US getting a Benro part from my eBay dealer is a breeze; it's generally on my doorstep in a matter of days. If you already use Gitzo legs getting Benro tripods makes sense but even if you don't the price advantage over Induro is worth the extra bit of work.

May 25, 2013

If you're on a budget get WD Red for archiving/storage or WD Black for frequent access use. They offer excellent value for money. If you want long-term reliability get the Hitachi enterprise level drives which have excellent MTBF records. Hitachi's Ultrastar line are generally considered their top drives but many techs I've worked with consider the Deskstars to be almost as good. I think Hitachi is now actually calling the Deskstar an enterprise drive. They are expensive but they are worth it.

Avoid any enclosure that has hardware or firmware between the drive and the computer or LAN. Many popular small external drives (the "book" variety for example) are very convenient and easy to use but if the controller electronics fail in most instances you've lost the data on the disk. I use simple OWC enclosures for external drives not on the LAN. They have straightforward USB/Firewire/Thunderbolt connections to the machine with no intervening NAS board. I format the drives from the machine using Windows Basic format not Dynamic format. If the interface in the enclosure fails I can take the drive out of the enclosure, put it in a PC and read from/write to it.

May 15, 2013

Johnny I think you made the right decision as I've read mixed reviews on the Sirui models but everyone who uses a RRS tripod seems to consider them seriously stable. I use Gitzo systematic and Benro tripods but the RRS leveling base fits my systematic and is a better design than the Gitzo leveling base. It's a really well-made and nicely finished product and I'm sure you'll find your new tripod is too, RRS has enough of a track record now and their service is exemplary. Good luck with your new tripod!

May 15, 2013

Some of the recent Gitzos have laser marks on the legs for adjusting the tripod to a specific height. I don't know about the puffy squares though, but I do recall my Gitzo systematic coming with some incomprehensible junk in the box. If that really is grease on the legs I'd send it back, it might have been used as a demo or something.

May 15, 2013

Travel tripods are compromises, there is no escaping that. I use a (very) short center column on my Benro and never use the regular column. My model has beefy legs and takes Benro, Gitzo and RRS spikes. Also I have a bungee cord arrangement to hang from the column's hook. For the small cameras I use it's fine as 4 leg sections are pretty stable. In my experience 5 leg sections is one leg section too many.

May 2, 2013

which of the benro travel angel would be a good size if my largest lens is the 70-200 2.8...

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I think a 2-series Benro would be suitable. I'm in my third year of use with a Benro C2680T travel tripod and have found it to be reliable and durable. I bought it as a backup to a Gitzo 1541T traveler but pretty soon realized that the Benro was a better tripod and have since sold the Gitzo. I have an Acratech Ultimate ballhead on it, it's great in both severe cold and on the beach as it doesn't lock up in sub zero temps and if you get sand or dirt in it you just run it under the faucet. If you're interested in the construction of the Benro I reviewed it <a href="http://bit.ly/mCtWJN">here</a>. The review shows a Markins Q3T ballhead on the tripod but I've had issues with that head and eventually replaced it with the Acratech.

April 22, 2013

Well, I've purchased a Triopo RS-3 ballhead, with a Really Right Stuff QR clamp to top it off. As for a tripod, I bought the Feisol 3442. Saved myself a good bit of money, and it should serve me well enough for the time being.

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Aaron I also have a Triopo RS-3 but as yet no clamp but I've taken the circular base off it and I have a clamp on the way. Hopefully you ordered the RRS clamp with an M6 screw. I think your purchase of a Feisol CT-3442 was a good one, I do not own a Feisol tripod but people who's judgement I respect think very highly of it. When it arrives tell us what you think of it.

I'll be using my Triopo indoors but if you shoot in extreme environments you might want to take a look at the Acratech ballheads if you run into trouble with the Triopo. They all have very open designs and if you get snow, ice, sand, mud or dust in one you just run it under a faucet and you're all set.

BTW I live in Boston and we've had something of a traumatic week here. The authorities did a brilliant job in catching the perpetrators so quickly, but two of those who protect the public from harm have paid dearly for their bravery. I would just like to say thank you for your service, it is very much appreciated.

April 10, 2013

I enjoy night photography from time to time on my travels. So I`d like a good, solid travel tripod... And perhaps a good head, too... I`m thinking ballhead, but I don`t have a definite preference.

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I use a Gitzo systematic for long exposures at night but you are right, you don't absolutely need one. I only got mine because its price dipped below that of a Chinese value brand equivalent. For good value in travel tripods the two most popular brands are Benro and Feisol.

Benros are made in mainland China and Feisols in Taiwan. Both are well made, well finished and durable. Benro is an OEM manufacturer for many brands and has two or three of their own brands, their house brand is Benro, their cheaper brand is MeFoto, and their upscale brand sold in the US is Induro. The most cost effective way to get a Benro (assuming you live in the US) is to source directly from China and the Benro tripods are warrantied for 5 years.

I'm in my third year of use with a carbon fiber Benro C2680T travel tripod and have found it to be reliable and durable. Benros are Gitzo copies and some parts are interchangeable, I have a Benro part on my Gitzo and vice versa and have gone through a succession of ballheads on the tripod. Benro make a smaller and lighter version of my tripod and they also make all of their models in aluminum and some of the weights are surprisingly close to the CF models. You can <a href="http://www.holgacamera.com/benro-travel-angel/">look at their best selling models on this page</a> and click through to see detailed specifications. My tripod on this page is the C2680TB1 which is the way it is sold now as a kit with the Benro B1 ballhead. The equivalent aluminum model is the A2680TB1. If you're interested in construction and usability details <a href="http://bit.ly/mCtWJN">I reviewed my tripod here</a>.

The Feisols have stolen a bit of a march on their competitors recently by upgrading the metal components on their better models to parts that are CNC milled from a solid piece of very high grade aluminum. Most manufacturers use a cast alloy for the metal parts which under most conditions will be fine but there have been a number of reports of fractures in extreme conditions. My Gitzo and Benro tripods have metal parts made from cast magnesium alloy and I live in New England where we have severe cold in the winter and I've had ballhead lockups but so far no tripod defects. However if my choice was between a tripod with aircraft aluminum parts or cast parts I would absolutely get the aluminum one, just because of where I live. This may not be a consideration for you.

Most all travel tripods have center columns but <a href="http://www.feisol.net/feisol-tournament-tripod-ct3442-rapid-p-31.html">the most popular Feisol tripod is the CT-3442</a> which has a systematic design with no center column although you can optionally fit one into the top plate. But clearly a systematic design is going to be more stable than any tripod with a center column, and while I've not even seen a Feisol tripod never mind used one enough people who's judgement I trust rate them very highly indeed. I think you should take a serious look at the Feisol range.

WRT ballheads probably the best travel ballhead is <a href="http://www.markinsamerica.com/MA5/Q3T.php">the Markins Q3T</a>, which was specifically designed for the Gitzo style of travel tripod with fold-back legs. It can be a bit finicky in use but it's a marvelous piece of engineering and product design. It's expensive though, and a less costly but very similar type of head is made by Photo Clam. Their smaller models, <a href="http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/827532-REG/Photo_Clam_PCBH_PC33NS_Ball_Head_with_Friction.html">the PC-33NS</a> and <a href="http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/827534-REG/Photo_Clam_PCBH_PC36NS_Ball_Head_with_Friction.html">PC-36NS</a> are also well made and finished. Both Markins and Photo Clam heads are copies of the Arca-Swiss B1/Z1.

March 29, 2013

I only use B+W filters on my lenses, the MRC F-Pro versions. The filters sold in the US and Europe have brass rings and are expensive. But B+W make less expensive filters with the same Schott glass but with aluminum rings for the Asian market. I've bought a lot of filters from <a href="http://maxsaver.net/BW-UV-Haze-Filter.aspx">MaxSaver</a> and they have the brass 77mm in stock but are back-ordered on the alloy version. It's worth looking for the alloy versions though as they're a lot less expensive.

March 12, 2013

I'm a little wary that the RRS one (of which I've heard good things) appears to have no safety mechanism to stop it from coming open if something hooks the lever...

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You're partially correct Andrew, and it used to be that RRS L-plates weren't even tapped for safety stop screws either! There is a relief area cut into the top of the clamps for safety stops though, and if the lever is hooked it will only open half way and provided you have safety stops on the plate the camera will slide but not come out of the clamp. The RRS clamps lack the spring-loaded safety detent pin in my Markins clamps that I like a lot. Until I got the RRS lever clamps all my clamps were Markins screw clamps and I even had one machined to go on top of my Arca-Swiss Z1 head. I've had about two months use of the RRS clamp and it's OK, I'm not replacing my screw clamps but I don't dislike the lever clamp either - it's quite usable.

You'd pay US $120.00 for a simple quick release clamp? Simply so you don't have to twist a knob? You've got more money then sense.

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Ellis I wish I did have more money than sense! I'm a "tryer", basically I like to try things for myself. I'm completely settled with my camera gear so for the last couple of years I've been trying out tripods and ballheads to find out what works for me. So yes the clamp is expensive but it appears to have very good build construction and finish. And it does work with different plates. It's the same width (60mm) as a standard Markins clamp and the same total length, but as you can see from the pic below the self-adjusting mechanism makes the body of the RRS clamp longer.<div></div>

March 11, 2013

The Arca Z1 is the only ball head with one control knob for both tension and lockup.

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The Markins and Photo Clam ballheads have an identical arrangement to the Arca-Swiss Z1 without the aspherical ball. (They are Z1 copies after all!)

Sorry Andrew I didn't see your prior response hiding away here on page 2. ;-)

March 11, 2013

There's nothing wrong with flip-lock conventional-style clamps - it's just that they rely on all your plates being exactly the same size, and some third party ones aren't. You can adjust flip clamps, but switching between slightly different plates would be annoying. The extra half second to tighten a screw (and the slightly larger head profile from the screw knob) seemed worth it not to have to worry about this, for me. It's also easier to feel that the plate is fully gripped, which is bonus security.

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Andrew I completely agree with your comment about lever release/screw knob clamps. I've always used screw knob clamps because I use plates from a variety of manufacturers. However I recently bought <a href="http://reallyrightstuff.com/ProductDesc.aspx?code=B2-AS-II-1/4-20&type=3&eq=&desc=B2-AS-II-clamp-with-1%2f4-20-screw&key=it">a RRS B2 AS II clamp</a> which purports to adjust to a variety of plates automatically.

I can report that I've tested it with plates from Benro, Clearsight, ProMediaGear, SunwayFoto, RRS and Wimberley and it provides a secure connection with all of them. So far it has worked quite well.

March 5, 2013

Another unfortunate consequence of the Arca-Swiss type of QR system not being a dimensional standard. Some clamp makers issue warnings about incompatibility, for example RRS says that Markins plates don't work too well in some of their lever clamps. It's sometimes good policy to buy clamps and plates from the same manufacturer, so if you already have a Kirk L-plate maybe you should look at the Kirk clamps?

March 3, 2013

Is there any advantage to carbon over aluminum as weight doesn't seem to be an issue. Is carbon just fashionable rather than practical?

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There are advantages John, CF is a bit lighter, more rigid, and transmits less vibration than aluminum. Also if you live in a cold climate it's easier to handle. To me these are practical advantages.

If the Feisol rep suggested a 3342 I guess you prefer a three leg section tripod and that's fine as the only real practical difference from the 3442 is folded length. I would buy the tripod and take a good look at the Acratech GP ballhead I linked to above, it may save you buying a leveling base. I read a very brief report on the FM forum from a guy who just bought the GP ballhead and he's used it upside-down and said it worked very well. I would think that you could also use that ballhead upside-down on a center column.

March 3, 2013

I use Benro and Gitzo tripods but would recommend the new Feisol designs to you. They have updated the metal parts from cast alloy to aluminum milled from a solid block; much more durable. <a href="http://www.feisol.net/feisol-tournament-tripod-ct3442-rapid-p-31.html">The Feisol 3442 is a model that a lot of people like</a>, and you can buy a short and regular center column for it as well as a leveling base. The 3442 by itself is basically a systematic without a center column, a design that gives you maximum stability.

WRT to ballheads, Acratech, Markins, Photo Clam and RRS are well regarded. The Photo Clam heads are the least expensive and are well made Arca-Swiss clones like the more expensive Markins heads. Both are from S. Korea and have very good build quality and finish. The Acratech heads feature very open designs that seem to work very well, and <a href="http://acratech.net/product.php?productid=69&cat=1&page=1">the Acratech GP ballhead</a> can be turned upside down and can act as a combo head/leveling base. I recently bought an Acratech Ultimate and it's very nicely made and great in extreme cold. The RRS heads are very solid and popular with many users but I personally don't care for their ergonomics. Users swear by them though.

I'd avoid getting legs and head from the same manufacturer, it doesn't seem to work for some reason. I use Acratech, Arca-Swiss and Markins heads and none of those manufacturers actually make tripods. I'd also stay away from Novoflex heads as I've read conflicting reports on them, and with HP Marketing as the distributor you'd be better off buying directly from Europe as the markup over here in the US from the distributor is outrageous. I think you'll be able to find a quality rig within your budget without too much trouble, I can speak to the Benro line if you're interested but right now I think the Feisols offer very good value for money.

February 26, 2013

Congrats Eskil! I was going to buy a Benro C3780T a couple of years ago then with two discounts the Gitzo 3541LS was suddenly cheaper and I bought the Gitzo instead. I'm into my 3rd year of use with a Benro C2680T travel tripod and I prefer this tripod over the Gitzo equivalent which I also owned. <a href="http://bit.ly/mCtWJN">You can read the details here</a>.

I think these Benro tripods are pretty good value for money. I wouldn't say they're as well made as the Gitzos but you get about 85% of the quality for about 1/2 the price. I would certainly buy another. Benros are Gitzo copies and some of the parts are interchangeable, I'm using a Benro part on my 3-series Gitzo systematic and a Gitzo part on my Benro traveler.

Enjoy your C3780T!

February 26, 2013

Isn't the M7 still in production?

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Yes it is, as is the MP, and a la carte continues too. You have to wait awhile sometimes, but B&H currently have both models in stock.

December 4, 2012

Get yourself the <a href="http://www.sears.com/craftsman-strap-wrench-small/p-00945533000P">small strap wrench from Sears.</a> I've been using one for years and it's perfect for ballheads.

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Posts posted by peter_n1664876959