Tripod help please !

[victor beato]

sounds good to me. but have you actually tried this tripod? i tried them all and i found myself going back to the flip lock. for me this is the fastest. others are cumbersome and slow to open and fold. thanks.

 

[dumbo]

I prefer the "Gitzo type" of screw locks and find them much faster and easier to work with. Each leg section is unlocked, extended and locked in under 1 second...

I'm not saying that you are wrong, as it's a matter of taste, but that type of screw locks are acutally very fast and easy to work with as you get used to them. The wing nut type that can be seen on some manfrotto tripods, on the other hand, are quite akward to use.

Screw type locks are also less prone to break in cold weather.

sounds good to me. but have you actually tried this tripod? i tried
them all and i found myself going back to the flip lock. for me
this is the fastest. others are cumbersome and slow to open and
fold. thanks.

 

[Kim Letkeman]

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/272449-REG/Bogen_Manfrotto_486RC2_486RC2_Compact_Ball_Head.html

This is what I replaced ...

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/275103-REG/Slik_613329_Pro_330DX_Tripod_legs_only_.html

I was using the 190CLB, also known as the 3001 in the US. An excellent light tripod ... but rickety when compared with the feisol.

The fact is that you get what you pay for, as Thom Hogan and many others have clearly written so often. You can't get VR on all lenses, and if you want to shoot in the best light with a heavy lense, you will definitely be forced to deal with the problem.

An excellent light combo would be the Feisol 3401 with the Markins Q3 Emile.

--
http://letkeman.net/Photos

 

[Meekyman]

Kim,

The fact is that you get what you pay for.

Very true !

An excellent light combo would be the Feisol 3401 with the Markins
Q3 Emile.

Indeed that would be light. I've looked at the Markins website and that looks like a real nice light but strong ballhead. Comes in at 284Euros (approx. £180), which for me as an amateur I would find hardto justify. Reckon I will stick with the Giottos MH1000-652, load is 10 Kg and costs £80.

Graham

 

[Kim Letkeman]

I have a D50 and heaviest lens is 80-200 2.8. This combination
with a SB-600 on top would weigh around 2 Kg. I currently have a
tripod with a load of 2 Kg, so even without the flash not exactly a
steady set-up !

Remember that, for the head, the load capacity has to hold a load that is slung out far from the pivot (the ball) ... and that lense is heavy. I had trouble with the 486 and the 70-210 f4, a lighter lense.

I am off to Utah in June and think that as it's a special trip I
could get myself a more sturdy tripod for those vast landscape
shots. I presently don't use my tripod that much, but realise I
should more so I can use slower shutter speeds for creative
purposes etc. If it was too heavy I would not use it much. I'm
thinking of the following combination:

1) Feisol CT-3401 + Manfrotto 488RC2 ballhead = £170

I like the Feisol ... the 488 is about as low as you should go. You might consider the Feisol CB50HN ball head, which can handle loads of 41 pounds ... double the capacity of the 488 for a similar price. And I think Feisol head uses standard plates.

I noticed a huge difference when switching from the RC2 to the standard Arca Swiss plates (I have Kirk and Markins plates for my cam and lenses). I also bought the Kirk collar for the 300 f4 ... WOW!

Max. load head - 8 Kg, load legs 7 Kg, head weighs 670 g
Max. height is 141 cm (to 168 cm with column), folded 49 cm, weighs
1.5Kg; total weight 2.2 Kg

The legs are fine ... they only have to support a straight load, possibly with some angled loads as you set up on uneven terrain. But the head has to handle the lense slung out there ... even further if you add a TC. (Or is this the lense with the tripod mount?)

You'll need all the load capacity you can get. The 488 is pretty weak in my opinion.

-Anybody have this combination?
-Is the weight prohibitive (I'm a small guy -weight only 65 Kg !!)?
-I'm 173 cm tall - will this set-up be tall enough?

I bought the 3471 and it is well over my head when fully extended ... and that's without a center column ... I'm 5'6" though

-Will it be able to happily hold my D50, 80-200 and flash?

If that is the push-pull 80-200, and if you plan on adding a TC (you will if you take it to the zoo), then the 488 will almost certainly start to sag. So ... not happily.

On the other hand, I was able to get a lot of nice shots with the 486 by torquing it down with great force. Not fun, and it still sagged when I let go.

-Anyone have this combination....does the set-up all fit in the
Feisol shoulder bag that comes with the tripod?
-Would I need to buy the Feisol panning base?

I have the Markins M10 on the Feisol 3471 and it all fits with room to spare in the bag that comes with. I doubt you'd have trouble with any head. The bag is quite roomy.

Any opinions on the CT-3441B:

http://www.feisol.com/english/feisolen.htm

Would the lack of a tension knob be significant? The high minimum
height would be restrictive?

It's 144cm, or about 4'9" without the column extended. Add the ball head and cam and it'll be fine for anyone around 5'6" through 5'10 or so. And a little taller if you don't mind stooping or extending the column.

--
http://letkeman.net/Photos

 

[Meekyman]

1) Feisol CT-3401 + Manfrotto 488RC2 ballhead = £170

I like the Feisol ... the 488 is about as low as you should go. You
might consider the Feisol CB50HN ball head, which can handle loads
of 41 pounds ... double the capacity of the 488 for a similar
price. And I think Feisol head uses standard plates.

Right, the 488 seems as low as I should go judging by everyones comments ! OK, I'll look at he the Feisol Ballhead as well as the Giottos MH1000-652. I'd love to get a Markins, but really they are too costly for me.

Or is this the lense with the tripod mount?

Sure, it's teh lens with the tripod mount, so it's more balanced?

You'll need all the load capacity you can get. The 488 is pretty
weak in my opinion.

OK !

On the other hand, I was able to get a lot of nice shots with the
486 by torquing it down with great force. Not fun, and it still
sagged when I let go.

Sagging...not nice !

-Anyone have this combination....does the set-up all fit in the
Feisol shoulder bag that comes with the tripod?
-Would I need to buy the Feisol panning base?

I have the Markins M10 on the Feisol 3471 and it all fits with room
to spare in the bag that comes with. I doubt you'd have trouble
with any head. The bag is quite roomy.

Great to hear that Kim. Thanks.

Kim.....thanks for your comments, really appreciated. I'm realising that I may end up spending more than I plan ! OK, Feisol or Giottos ballhead. If I win the lottery then maybe the Markins Q3 Emile or a Kirk !!

Cheers

Graham

 

[Adam Bluhm]

I was inches away from pulling the trigger on some 3021Pro legs and Bogen's 488RC4 head. After reading this thread I'm going to reconsider the ball head and I have small doubts about the legs!

I see the Giottos is in a similar price range and I also see that B&H does not carry Feisol products. Are these available in America?

 

[Kim Letkeman]

I was inches away from pulling the trigger on some 3021Pro legs and
Bogen's 488RC4 head. After reading this thread I'm going to
reconsider the ball head and I have small doubts about the legs!

That's still a decent combo ... especially those legs. But the head will have toruble with the heavier geer.

I see the Giottos is in a similar price range and I also see that
B&H does not carry Feisol products. Are these available in America?

http://www.feisol.com ... everyone who uses them has the same thing to say ... very fast shipping, arrived in perfect condition.

--
http://letkeman.net/Photos

 

[Adam Bluhm]

Thanks. I'll definitely look into a nicer head. I picked up a 70-300VR a couple weeks ago and I never thought I'd own a lens that beefy. Just four years ago I owned a Canon Powershot A40 (P&S) and then a Sony H1. My $30 K-mart tripod quickly became very inadequate.

Not that the 70-300VR is too awful beefy in the land of DSLR, but I can now understand why a good tripod is important.

 

[Meekyman]

Well after much dithering I bought the Feisol 3401 and a Giottos MH1000-652. Nice set-up, easily holding my 80-200 2.8 and also pretty lightweight.

Thanks for all the suggestions.

Cheers

Graham

 

[Jimm]

Check out the Sliks, they are high qulity and priced well. Don't fall for the high priced ones.
--

Nikon D80, 18-200 VR, Tamron 200-500, Nikon 50mm 1.4, Nikon 85 1.4, Nikon 6T, SB600