Mascarpone Posted December 31, 2009 Share #21 Posted December 31, 2009 Advertisement (gone after registration) A man with two clocks never knows what time it is... I have three tripods: - A chinese Benro monopod, I never use it, a mispurchase (Benros are chinese plagiarisms of Gitzo, and I don't buy chinese products in general) - A great wooden Berlebach tripod, medium-sized, which is my main tripod because it is so damn good at dampening vibrations (with long telephoto lenses the difference is visible in the prints), ca. 2.8kg - A quite massive Gitzo Gilux Professional with a geared Manfrotto head, very tall, very good for architecture, easily carries an 8x10", ca. 4kg Even the monopod is somewhat oversized for some purposes... What I don't have is a small, lightweight tripod that is stable enough for a classic Leica M equipment with three lenses, (max. 135mm). So, I am listening with interest to this debate :-) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted December 31, 2009 Posted December 31, 2009 Hi Mascarpone, Take a look here Leica Tripod. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
ptarmigan Posted December 31, 2009 Share #22 Posted December 31, 2009 I've used Manfrotto tripods for years and currently have an 055 Carbon one which I pretty light. However, for optimum stability it's not brilliant and so this Christmas I just got a Berlebach Ash wooden tripod. It's a bit heavier but awesomely stable. It will also take a little more looking after than the Manfrotto which I am now selling together with a separate self levelling column. The Berlebach has one built in. Very nice. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMK Posted December 31, 2009 Share #23 Posted December 31, 2009 I use mine as a "ChestPod", with and M-camera attached to the tripod, with the longest leg resting on the sternal region. I can often squeeze out and extra stop or two with no detectable shake. It's leather carrying holster is functional, but can raise eyebrows based on its weapon-like appearance. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
giordano Posted December 31, 2009 Share #24 Posted December 31, 2009 ...stable enough for a classic Leica M equipment with three lenses, (max. 135mm). You'll need to be more precise: there's a world of difference between stable enough for indoor use - i.e. almost any tripod ever made - and stable enough to use a 135mm lens at 1 second exposure in a cyclone with the legs fully extended (your big Gitzo, perhaps, if you tie it down firmly enough. In moderate winds, I'd trust my carbon fibre Gitzo Traveller (without extending the centre post). Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mascarpone Posted December 31, 2009 Share #25 Posted December 31, 2009 ...stable enough for indoor use - i.e. almost any tripod ever made - and stable enough to use a 135mm lens at 1 second exposure in a cyclone with the legs fully extended... Well said :-) I would say: stable enough for an M6 in gentle wind with a 135mm or a moderate breeze with a 35mm lens. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
giordano Posted January 1, 2010 Share #26 Posted January 1, 2010 Well said :-) I would say: stable enough for an M6 in gentle wind with a 135mm or a moderate breeze with a 35mm lens. In that case one of the lightweight Gitzos will do the job nicely. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
tobey bilek Posted January 1, 2010 Share #27 Posted January 1, 2010 Advertisement (gone after registration) Gitzo CF 1227 + the medium size Leitz ball head. I need the tall Gitzo because I am 6 feet and never use the center column extension except for small adjustments. It is simply bad practice. The ball head was purchased new in 1966 for $25 and works as well today as when I got it. It is good for M & R cameras up to 280 mm. I mad $600 monthly in 1966 so that was a substantal investment, but it gave good value in the long run After that I get the wood tripod for the 4x5. It has a built in "ball head" designed for heavy stuff. Also have a Leitz table pod as old as the ball head. I have a pile of unsatifactory lesser pods which will drive you nuts, that I have purchased over the years. Buy a really nice model one time, one which you will enjoy using, and actually save money in the long run. CF is better for me than wood and aluminum. Buy the artic version if you take it out in the cold or wrap the top with biycle handlebar tape. I know nothing about the new basalt pods. Cheap aluminum one are worthless except as a car trunk emergency pod. Gitzo again are best. Get one tall enough you don`t need to stoop over. Best if it comes to your mouth level without a head or eyes with the intended head with no center column extension. If you don`t want to mess with a pod, the shoulder grip for Leica teles is very nice. Just put the camera pus ball head on it. A properly used monopod is decent also for exposures to 1/30. Some technique is required to learn to use it I will also tell you to learn how to hold the camera properly. I goes a long way towards tripod steadyness, but is not exactly the same. But if you make 1 to 30 sec exposures at night or need perfect matching frames for HDR, a tripod is the only way to go. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wildlightphoto Posted January 1, 2010 Share #28 Posted January 1, 2010 What about monopods? I see these being used in Digital Camera Magazine, are they really any help, perhaps midway between a tripod or hand held?Richard I use a monopod with shoulder stock with my long lenses. With the 280mm lens I've used shutter speeds as slow as 1/15 sec with excellent results but I would not count on being able to repeat this. I find it a good combination of mobility and stability. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
blazesmokey Posted January 2, 2010 Share #29 Posted January 2, 2010 I would stay away from any tripod with plastic camlocks. I went to use my bogen monopod the other day, and the camlock broke when I released it. It had been in an air conditioned room for 2 years, I think I might have used this monopod 3 times. Glad I still had an old monopod with metalic twist locks. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wildlightphoto Posted January 2, 2010 Share #30 Posted January 2, 2010 I would stay away from any tripod with plastic camlocks. I went to use my bogen monopod the other day, and the camlock broke when I released it. It had been in an air conditioned room for 2 years, I think I might have used this monopod 3 times. Glad I still had an old monopod with metalic twist locks. I find metal twist locks much more difficult to use in the field because they require two-handed counter-torque to loosen or tighten the locks, so I must take my hand off the camera. Unless the camera is directly on the monopod w/o a tilt head or ball head, taking the hand off the camera increases the risk of the thing flopping over and, with some cameras, breaking the camera's tripod socket when the monopod's head runs into its stop. I have been using a bogen monopod for about seven years with no problems. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wlaidlaw Posted January 2, 2010 Share #31 Posted January 2, 2010 I would stay away from any tripod with plastic camlocks. I went to use my bogen monopod the other day, and the camlock broke when I released it. It had been in an air conditioned room for 2 years, I think I might have used this monopod 3 times. Glad I still had an old monopod with metalic twist locks. I had two travel Manfrotto Modos go the same way. I have replaced it with a Pro Giotto with twist locks. The cam locks on the pro Manfrottos e.g. the 055 or 190 are fine but I think they are aluminium. Wilson Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pindy Posted January 5, 2010 Share #32 Posted January 5, 2010 Gitzo 2531 + RRS BH-40 In my A&A bag I can fit the current Leica tabletop tripod and ball head (assembled). I considered the BH-25, because the Leica ball head was "too long" in my mind. In fact, it's perfectly sized for an M that connects at the right end of the base plate. Love that little thing. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wlaidlaw Posted January 5, 2010 Share #33 Posted January 5, 2010 I often wonder if the standard 1/4" camera tripod thread could be improved, to give the advantages of a QR plate but without the bulk and unbalancing plate on the bottom of one's camera. One thought would be to use an interrupted thread, like the breach of a gun. It would need a locking pin/button but then one could just push the release button and turn 1/4 turn to release the camera from the tripod, without any additional plates and clunky bits on the top of a tripod. I use the Manfrotto 200PL rectangular plate system, and although they work very well, I don't usually leave one on the bottom of my M cameras due to the size. I know I could go to Kirk or Arca plates, which are neater but I would then have to change all my tripod heads as well. The one I would be very loath to lose, would be the Manfrotto 222 head with sprung trigger locking ball. I usually have a separate base plate with a PL200 ready mounted on it, which I change on the camera, which slightly defeats the object of QR plates. Wilson Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mascarpone Posted January 6, 2010 Share #34 Posted January 6, 2010 Not a bad idea. Or a mini-bayonet like a lens mount. Something like that could even be built into the bottom plate of cameras. If it were not a proprietary patent but a free norm without license fees for the camera manufacturers or tripod head manufacturers it could become a standard for new equipment, for old gear the plates could be quite simple. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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