What tripod do you use?

[garyp]

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I've been known to put my li'l Mini 2 on my Tiltall from time to time

[Photoskeptic]

I used a tripod quite often for landscape photography with my film M's. Today I only use one for HDR images (and that's not very often!). My tripod is a Gitzo knockoff Hakuba with a Merkins M-20 ball head.

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[jacarape]

IMHO, the tripod is anathema to Leica 35mm photography, unless it is a little thing like the Leica table-pod. If your photography is largely tripod-based, it would benefit most by placing a medium-format camera on the tripod.

 

Here I tend to agree with you. And even when I don't which is most of the time, I wouldn't call your opinions rubbish.

 

As "Leica photography" is usually associated with street, a tripod may not be the most handy thing to carry around.

 

I have an older Gitzo G1027 and an MP, an unlikely pair that I use on the occasion for cheesy landscape. The hummingbird was shot on K64 with the Gog'd 135/2.8 on the Gitz 1027.

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How well does the Leica ball head and tripod perform? I'm asking about each of these items and how they work together? Can the ball head also be used on a full sized tripod?

 

Thank you,

 

Justin

[giordano]

The large Leica ball head can be used on any tripod with the usual 1/4 inch BSW thread. Older models also accepted the 3/8 BSW thread used on heavy-duty pro tripods; I don't know whether this useful feature is still present or was sacrificed to simplification and cost-cutting in recent decades.

 

Although it makes a really neat combination with the little Leica tripod, it's not IMHO a particularly good ball head in its own right. Sometimes it's difficult to lock it in a position without altering the framing slightly (this is a very common problem with ball heads where the locking lever or knob turns a cam beneath the ball; heads with a locking screw seem to have a smoother locking action).

[250swb]

How well does the Leica ball head and tripod perform? I'm asking about each of these items and how they work together? Can the ball head also be used on a full sized tripod?

 

Thank you,

 

Justin

 

Yes it can be used on a full sized tripod. But other manufacturers have gone to the trouble of designing heads and quick release plates that don't screw the paintwork up on your baseplate when you attach the camera to them.

 

Steve

[peter_n]

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To all: thank-you for your posts. I've decided to go with a Gitzo GT1541 and an appropriate ball-head with quickrelease - something light, but capable of holding the camera reasonably still for the longer exposure shots I intend to take.

A good choice. I use the Gitzo 1541T with a Markins Q3T and an Arca-Swiss type of QR clamp, I used it extensively in Bermuda very recently and the results were excellent. For the tripod legs to fold back parallel to the center column, you need a ballhead that has a maximum diameter of 50mm both on the ball housing and the panning base. The Markins Q3T and Photo Clam PC-33NS both comply with this requirement. Markins are very high quality indeed and I strongly recommend them.

 

There are many Arca-Swiss QR manufacturers but unfortunately the Arca-Swiss dovetail is not a dimensional standard. So for example an RRS lever clamp will only work with Wimberley or RRS camera plates. Some have safety features that others lack, some are more adjustable than others, some are just poorly designed. In most cases you can buy a ballhead and replace the clamp with another of your choice; that's what I've done. If you already use Arca-Swiss QR camera plates and have plates from several makers a screw clamp will work with all of them but a lever clamp in some cases won't work at all. In the best case a lever clamp will need to have a mechanical adjustment every time you use a plate from a different manufacturer. I use a screw clamp with a spring-loaded safety detent pin, so I have no worries about safety or compatibility.

 

Recently I bought a Benro C2680T directly from China and I've put it to considerable use and partially broke it down to examine construction and build quality. It was bought as a backup to the Gitzo 1541T but I like the Benro enough that it's replaced the Gitzo as first choice. It's extremely well made, is slightly taller, and comes with spikes. It's also about half the price of the Gitzo. I'm seriously thinking of selling the 1541T and getting a Gitzo GK1581OT, the Ocean Traveler. That model gives me clearly differentiated travel tripods that can be used as backup if necessary.

[RobertJRB]

I just bought the Gitzo 1550 Traveler together with a small gitzo ballhead.

 

Its a max 146 cm hight tripod with 5 segment carbon legs, and reverse folding legs so it can be really compact when folded. Fits in a bag easily and still holds 5 KG, so is strong enough for a big DSLR with zoomlens or a Hassy (with other head).

Only the really small head only takes 2 KG, but for my leicakit its more than enough.

 

As you may notice I'm pleased with it.

 

Only thing I will upgrade later is the ballhead for the P0 Arca swiss, but I'm a bit afraid it will be to big for my like. So will have to test it in the shop.

Really Right Stuff has a small balhead with seams perfect, but lacks the horizontal panning. (without unscrewing the ballhead, like the arcaswiss does)

[dickgrafixstop]

call me crazy but I've never seen the need to replace my faithful Tiltall - older than

my children and used at both their first and fortieth birthdays. It's showing a bit of

wear, but it's still sturdy and while there may be some super techno expensive

alternative, I've never felt the need to exchange it.

(I understand someone bought the rights from Leitz and is manufacturing a clone,

so you may be able to get a new one. They are not too expensive compared to

some of the carbonized fiberrod turbocharged vari-tilt do everything but take bottles back

to the 7-ll for a refund kind available now.

[Laura Sam]

Hi Lee,

 

Choose as good as possible according to your actual needs and budget, tripod with fluid head is nice.All my tripods are fluid head and I think it's perfect experience when I use them. 

 

Best regards,

 

Laura Sam

[jaapv]

welcome, but you are replying to an 11 year old thread...

[Laura Sam]

It can be as a reference for people maybe 11 years later...

[Jeff S]

On 6/27/2022 at 5:20 AM, Laura Sam said:

It can be as a reference for people maybe 11 years later...

Perhaps, but Lee, to whom you addressed your post, last posted on the forum June 27th….in 2011.  He’s very slow to respond. 😉

Jeff