Combination of tripod + ball head with pan lock - any suggestions?

From what I read, I don't think the Manfrotto 190 series is stable enough for the 70-200 f2.8. Look at the Sirui ET-2204 Carbon Fiber Tripod with the included E-20 Ball Head and the MeFoto GlobeTrotter or maybe Roadtrip series and see what you think. I have no experience with any of these, though.

smecsi said:

Or maybe other tripod+head combination for 300-350 EUR ?

Click to expand...

For a kit very close in specifications to the 190-series (as far as holding up your gear), but smaller and much lighter overall, look at the Sirui ET-1204. Has flip-locks like the Manfrottos, and the ball head has separate pan control. I reviewed it here, and found it to be sufficient for a 1.5kg lens and 800g camera. That said, I wouldn't go much over that amount, just in case you were thinking of getting a 150-600mm lens sometime soon...

Another option is the Benro A2692 version of the MeFoto Globetrotter (MeFotos are hard to find in Europe, it seems). This is a much taller and heavier tripod (particularly the aluminum version), but it can hold more gear and when folded up is still more compact than the Manfrottos you mentioned. A very good compromise on price and stability.

Aside from your gear, how tall are you?

the 190 series has no stability problems with the equipment indicated but i belive that a head like x pro offer a better clamping comparable to that of ball heads sizeable

First off I am not a fan of Manfrotto. I think they are too heavy and not designed all that well although the new silver flip locks on the 190 series are a big improvement.I don't know what your budget is but the Induro AT214 149.00 or Ct214 400.00 carbon fiber are better than the Manfrottos you list. I'm not familiar with th Sirui tripods but there have been a lot of favorable comments about those. I am familiar with the Sirui ball heads and the Sirui K-20X is light years ahead of the Manfrotto, It also has the hugh plus of using Arca Swiss compatible plates which are a secure as anything you can get. In my opinion Either of the suggestions, Induro or Sirui are better ways to spend yur money. Tripods are something I know far mor about than photography as I have been watching birds for a long time before I ever picked up a camera. A tripod that will hold an 88 mm spotting scope well will work for anything except maybe the big primes 500f4 and up.

Steve

I have the Induro AT-214 legs. they're awesome, but too heavy for what you want. try the Induro AT-114 instead. As for a ballhead, don't get the manfrotto. they sag. try something like the Induro BHD-1 or BHD-2. If you can afford it, the BHL-1 would suit you perfectly. Good Luck!

Thanks for the info! Unfortunately, MeFoto tripods are not sold nowhere near, but will definitely check for recommended Sirui model.

d not agree with you.

the new 190 is really a project worthy of note, head down to the level of the intersection of the legs improving stability.

if he had a better stiffness in torsion would be perfect (like gitzo).

i personally find theball heads very inaccurate inadequate to support unbalanced loads

Thanks Mark, I checked that review several times already, and found it very helpful. But believe it or not, none of the models can be found in Croatia. Basically, besides Manfrotto, there's Vanguard (had bad experience and would rather avoid buying another Vanguard), Gitzo (way too expensive), and some of the Velbon, Sirui, Cullman and Benro models.

I'm just checking this two models of Benro Travel Angels, A2692TV1 i A2692TB1. They both seem to fit my interests and budget, but I'd love to hear more reviews about their performance before I decide – do they absorb vibrations well, how they perform in windy situations, etc.

Same thing goes for Sirui – there are some models that I find interesting (and locally available), but the info about their performance is very limited, and as you wrote, I'm mostly concerned about their longevity. None of the brands (Sirui, Benro) have their representatives and distributors in Croatia, which might be a problem if anything goes wrong (getting repairs or spare parts). In that case, Manfrotto would definitely be safer bet, but I'm definitely interested in getting better product for less money.

Mark Banas said:

Aside from your gear, how tall are you?

Click to expand...

I'm 170cm. Forgot to mention that in my first post, sorry...

Thanks Stefano, I pretty much liked the head, seemed pretty sturdy and solid to me, I was only worried about the tripod. But at the moment I think I'll have to consider some other brands too before I decide.

Thanks Steve, I appreciate your thoughts. Unfortunately, there's no way to find Induro tripods selling anywhere near Croatia. Same goes for MeFoto, and probably many other brands that are usually worth considering.

But I will definitely try to find out more about Sirui equipment which does exist here. At the moment, unfortunately, their products can only be ordered online, which is not really something I feel comfortable with. I guess I'd like to check how the equipment works (at least get that first impression) before I invest into it. But it's definitely helpful to hear positive opinions about Sirui equipment, will definitely explore that more...

Thanks for suggestions, I had a chance to try friend's Induro tripod, and was very pleased with it. But I just mentioned in the posts above - Induro can't be bought where I live - it seems that the brand is generally not that popular in Europe as it is in the US.

benro prefer the convenience of trasportation on other things the feet are hard rubber and tend to slip on the smoot surface 5 sections of the legs do not help stability that despite this is pretty good ,a ball head other than that provided by the manufacturer does not allow reclosing correct leg

are a good customer and my dealer let me play with the equipment

smecsi said:

Thanks Mark, I checked that review several times already, and found it very helpful. But believe it or not, none of the models can be found in Croatia. Basically, besides Manfrotto, there's Vanguard (had bad experience and would rather avoid buying another Vanguard), Gitzo (way too expensive), and some of the Velbon, Sirui, Cullman and Benro models.

Click to expand...

Both Induro and MeFoto are brands of Benro, so you can almost consider them the same. Another brand that is popular in Europe is Triopo. They are also sold under the names Rollei, FotoPro, and others. Not bad, but about equal to Vanguard, so if you weren't happy with those...

smecsi said:

I'm just checking this two models of Benro Travel Angels, A2692TV1 i A2692TB1. They both seem to fit my interests and budget, but I'd love to hear more reviews about their performance before I decide – do they absorb vibrations well, how they perform in windy situations, etc.

Click to expand...

What I noticed with the Benro aluminum travel angel was that it performed very poorly in vibration stress tests. Not sure how consistent this is with the larger models you are looking at, but you can almost always assume that carbon fiber will be better, and wood even better than CF, when it comes to vibration resistance. This is not only from wind, but also moving water if you put your tripod in small rivers, like I do!

smecsi said:

Same thing goes for Sirui – there are some models that I find interesting (and locally available), but the info about their performance is very limited, and as you wrote, I'm mostly concerned about their longevity. None of the brands (Sirui, Benro) have their representatives and distributors in Croatia, which might be a problem if anything goes wrong (getting repairs or spare parts). In that case, Manfrotto would definitely be safer bet, but I'm definitely interested in getting better product for less money.

smecsi said:

Aside from your gear, how tall are you?

Click to expand...

I'm 170cm. Forgot to mention that in my first post, sorry...

Click to expand...

Then I think the carbon-fiber Sirui ET-1204 will work well for you, and probably fits within your budget. Yes, they are not as well-represented as Manfrotto in many places, but my experience with their customer service (coming from China, before they had US and Canadian distributors) was just as good as other brands, if not better. Still a bit of a risk, since you cannot try them out in a store, but on the other hand Manfrotto tripods are still very good (just heavier and not as compact). I'd still recommend a Sirui or Cullmann head over the Manfrottos, though...

smecsi said:

I'm looking for help with choosing a decent tripod. I use Nikon D7100 (800g), the heaviest lens I own at the moment is Sigma 18-35mm (800g), but I plan to buy 70-200 2.8 lens (weights around 1500g). I will be using it outdoors, on moderately long hikes, walks, travels, mostly in wet climate and strong winds. My initial plan was to buy Manfrotto Befree compact, but after reading several reviews I got an idea it doesn't absorb vibrations well and is pretty unstable in windy situations. So, I'd rather go with something more sturdy...

I'd love a ball head with pan lock option, and I think that Manfrotto 498RC2 would be perfect for that.

However, suggested tripods for that particular head are from Manfrotto 055 series which are all definitely too heavy and too expensive. I am more interested in something lighter, maybe 190 series. I was thinking about getting MT190XPRO4 – although it's still too heavy and too long when folded, I suppose I could live with that.

Does anyone have an idea if MT190XPRO4 + 498RC2 make a decent match? Or any other suggestion for a lighter but sturdy tripod in the same price range (200 EUR) that would go well with this head?

Or maybe other tripod+head combination for 300-350 EUR ?

Thanks a lot

Click to expand...

I own a 190PROB and the 496RC. The only difference between the 2 ball heads is that the 496 doesn't pan. The 190 is plenty stable enough for your lens.

That said - consider the Sirui or the others mentioned. Induro is also an excellent brand.

The ball head is terrible, I hated ball heads for years until a friend made me get a Kirk. I've never looked back. I've got 2 Sirui ball heads now, they're excellent. You do want an Arca-Swiss compatible head, which is pretty much what everything else is.

The K-20X ball head is excellent, with a very, very smooth pan. Zero stutter. They've dialed in the resistance and it feels very close to a fluid head. The k-40X feels like it's got too much resistance at first (very smooth), but the more weight that's on it the quicker it can turn. I highly recommend Sirui heads as well.

For tripods I've got a Bogen, a Manfrotto and a Sirui, and had a Gitzo. The Sirui brand surprised me with its build quality and stability. Just a fantastic tripod all around. I still use the Manfrottos, but not much. The Sirui turned out to be so good, and do so much that I sold the Gitzo, which I was having too many problems with. I think it's pretty neat that a tripod costing half as much can be every bit as good.

I really feel Manfrotto was getting really fussy in their designs, and need to get back to their simpler designs. A little trickle down from their sister company Gitzo would be nice.

Anyway, Mark did a great article on tripods which he's probably pointed you to. Also worth a look is the Benro travel angel, which is very similar to the MeFoto, with a slight weight rating difference. If I were looking again, I'd look at Sirui, Induro and Feisol. However I don't think the latter 2 make anything in your budget range.

Probably outside your price range, but Arca Swiss P0 is an inverted ball head, so the pan base is above the ball and can be levelled much easier/quicker than conventional ball heads, which I found very useful. I use mine with a Sirui T1204X as a hiking setup, fits into the side pocket of a LowePro Photo Sport 200 AW. I believe some Novoflex ball heads are also inverted and function in the same manner as P0.

Mark Banas said:

Then I think the carbon-fiber Sirui ET-1204 will work well for you, and probably fits within your budget. Yes, they are not as well-represented as Manfrotto in many places, but my experience with their customer service (coming from China, before they had US and Canadian distributors) was just as good as other brands, if not better. Still a bit of a risk, since you cannot try them out in a store, but on the other hand Manfrotto tripods are still very good (just heavier and not as compact). I'd still recommend a Sirui or Cullmann head over the Manfrottos, though...

Click to expand...

I'm afraid that carbon fiber Sirui tripods are way out of my reach, costing almost twice the money I'm able to spend on tripod+head. I'm considering aluminum tripods from the same group, N-1004X and N-2004X, whose characteristics seem pretty impressive. Again, there's no many reviews to be found, but will keep on looking. The weight difference between them is 400g, height difference is almost non-existent. On the one side, N-2004X is obviously stronger and has wider leg segments, and on the other side N-1004X is 400g lighter, 10cm shorter when folded, and still reaching almost the same height when extended. I'd love to be sure that N-1004X can handle the usual conditions you meet when shooting long exposures (wind, water etc), as its compactness would suit me perfectly well...

Another dilemma is which ball head should I choose. I'm just starting the 'research process', but I've already seen several great reviews of Sirui K-20X and K-10X, and some of G-20X. I have to admit, they all look good enough o me – but I'm sure that more experienced users see the things I don't. However, any help regarding the head would be more than welcome. Just to add, the price and weight difference between all three models is rather small, I'm more interested in general approppriateness of the chosen head for the legs beneath it.

And again, I very much appreciate your help here!

Thanks a lot! It seems that I'm more and more interested in getting some of the Sirui's models instead of Manfrotto's, so it's great to hear you're pleased with Sirui stuff you have. Of course I like the idea I can get better tripod for less money – I would just love to make sure I choose the right stuff, and avoid that usual beginners' mistake of buying cheaper but mostly useless equipment.

Check Vanguard Alta Pro. It has both Carbon fiber and Aluminum tripods. This tripod has very good central column system that could extend with any angle. You can choose between 3 leg section or more compact 4-leg section tripods. Make your choice between tripod heads also.

I just got Alta Pro 254 CF - like it very much, not too heavy, not too light.

I had Slik 700 Pro series tripod for 7 years, wanted CF this time to avoid too heavy tripod.

For travel tripod I use Slik Pro GM.

--l
Person is taking photos, not camera. When photograph is bad, it's because photographer doesn't know how to choose settings optimal to "own preferences". Then blames camera for bad IQ.
This is same as blaming car about arriving to wrong destination.