Help Please with Tripod Recommendations

[Mylek]

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Have a look at the Acratech ball heads.

 

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[Manolo Laguillo]

A good tripod head, be it a ball head or a 3D head, must be small, light, easy to handle, sturdy, rigid, and "geometrically correct" (with this I mean that the turning points or axes are intelligently placed).

It must offer some ways of avoiding the "falling-over" of the camera if the knob(s) get unintentionally loose.

And it must rest where you want it to stay when you tight the knob(s).

I remember some Gitzo 3D heads I did have years ago where this last 'must' did not happen.

The only head system that fulfills everything I just mentioned is the Arca-Swiss one, as far as I know. Period.

If you buy one of the Arca-Swiss heads you will have a piece of equipment that will last for your whole photographic life. The smaller ones are in no way an overkill for the M9. But even the d4 (loading capacity 30 Kg) will work with a Leica M perfectly. I own it, and it's incredible how easy it is to setup my M9.

In any case, the small and handsome p0 ball head has a very nice price, and is perfect for the M Leicas.

Just my two cents.

Cheers,

Manolo

[peter_n]

My regular tripod is a Gitzo 3541LS systematic with an A-S Z1. No center column for maximum stability, but you can't really avoid a center column with a travel tripod. I'm 5ft 8in and bought a Gitzo 1541T last year and also bought a Benro C2680T as a backup. Soon I was using the Benro all the time and the Gitzo was the backup. The Benro is sturdier, easier to use and taller than the Gitzo and costs about half the price; it's a great tripod. The word on the street is that the Gitzo 1542T is not an improvement on the 1541. I use a Markins Q3T ballhead which was specifically designed for travel tripods with fold back legs. It has a diameter of 50mm for the ball housing/panning base which is the maximum if travel legs are to fold back properly.

[Jeff S]

 

I really appreciate all the comments so far. I'm close to a decision, just trying not to make the wrong one. I don't think I will go wrong with Gitzo 1542 and...what ball head???

 

 

Well you seemed to follow the first mention of the 1542 vs the 1541 (post #8); and the same post summarizes the most common past recommendations (many threads) on ball heads...RRS or the Markins I cited.

 

Jeff

[alainD]

I can do curls with it using only my pinky even with the Arca swiss P0 that alain mentions above. I think the 1541 with Markins folds up more compact. With the 1542 and P0 the ballhead sticks out the end when folded. I'll try to get some pics when I get home next week.

The P0 only weighs 280 grams. I bought it without the panning plate and put a standard arca swiss clamp on top for panning(ebay). Much better than the non standard slidefix they make. So now my RRS bottom plate slides in perfectly. If you think you may do panoramas consider that the design of the P0 ballhead with panning on top means you don't have to level the tripod legs. You only level the ballhead..then the panning clamp on top moves perfectly level.

 

 

I've made the same modification to get an arca-swiss classic clamp.

Note: my 1541 and the P0 with the classic clamp still fit inside the gitzo traveler bag, which makes it very easy to carry.

 

Alain.

[alainD]

A good tripod head, be it a ball head or a 3D head, must be small, light, easy to handle, sturdy, rigid, and "geometrically correct" (with this I mean that the turning points or axes are intelligently placed).

It must offer some ways of avoiding the "falling-over" of the camera if the knob(s) get unintentionally loose.

And it must rest where you want it to stay when you tight the knob(s).

I remember some Gitzo 3D heads I did have years ago where this last 'must' did not happen.

The only head system that fulfills everything I just mentioned is the Arca-Swiss one, as far as I know. Period.

If you buy one of the Arca-Swiss heads you will have a piece of equipment that will last for your whole photographic life. The smaller ones are in no way an overkill for the M9. But even the d4 (loading capacity 30 Kg) will work with a Leica M perfectly. I own it, and it's incredible how easy it is to setup my M9.

In any case, the small and handsome p0 ball head has a very nice price, and is perfect for the M Leicas.

Just my two cents.

Cheers,

Manolo

 

I have both the d4 and P0. The P0 sits on my gitzo traveler, the D4 on my Gitzo series-2 when I need something a bit more robust.

 

Alain.

[NZDavid]

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I have several tripods -- ancient Vivitar, a Manfrotto, Cullmann mini, and Leitz tabletop. The Cullmann is very well made, especially the ball head. I generally like quick snap legs rather than fiddly ones. There is a new range that may be worth checking out. The travel range looks good. For example, the Nanomax 200T was tested on a recent trip to China. There are some taller models, too. Small and light but still sturdy make all the difference when traveling. cullmann-foto // NANOMAX 200T CB5.1 and cullmann-foto // TRIPODS

[pierovitch]

Linhof ball head and Manfotto 323 quick release plate with safety lock. Saves wear and tear on baseplate. Gitzo and Manfrotto have secure locks. Nothing worse than seeing a Leica going earthward when a cheap lock doesn't hold.

[Peter H]

I have the gitzo traveler + arca-swiss P0 ballhead.

Very light, very easy to use, and no problem taking my M9 + Noctilux.

The P0 is a very interesting ball head, I find it much, much easier to use than

a classic ball head such as the RRS BH-30 that I initially bought for it.

 

Alain.

 

I agree with this 100%

 

It (the Arca-Swiss P0) is now my favourite head after years of switching around, trying almost everything.

[Manolo Laguillo]

What the Arca-Swiss designers did with the p0 and p1 ball heads is reversing the whole thing: the ball is now down, and the body holding it is up. The camera attaches therefore to the body, and the ball to the tripod. The 360° panorama movement is now up, where it belongs. Once the camera is level, you can rotate it without losing that level-ness.

 

Secondly they designed a system of fixing and de-fixing the ball that works embracing it completely, and is handled via an external ring that goes all around.

 

In this way they arrived to a head_without_protruding handles.

 

The head has a clever braking system that avoids the sudden falling-over.

 

The thinking method I mention in the 1st paragraph (what normally went down now goes up, and viceversa) was applied by Arca-Swiss some decades ago, after it changed ownership. The (then) new Arca bellows camera charriot was the result of exactly the same reversing procedure.

 

Cheers,

 

Manolo

[giordano]

Is this something you'll be using frequently while travelling, or only once in a while when there's not enough light to hand-hold at the aperture you need?

 

If the latter, quick release plates and top-quality ball heads cost a great deal in relation to the time they'll save you. Instead, get a good carbon-fibre tripod and a decent ball or 3-way head, and screw the camera on as photographers did for more than 100 years.

 

The most important things about a ball head are:

1) Sufficiently rigid when locked up. But there's no point having an ultra-rigid ball head on a moderately rigid tripod.

2) Angle of camera doesn't change when you lock the head. Most cheap ball heads fail on this score, which is really irritating.

3) A user with enough sense to screw the camera on properly and tighten the locking lever!

[StephenPatterson]

Is this something you'll be using frequently while travelling, or only once in a while when there's not enough light to hand-hold at the aperture you need?

 

If the latter, quick release plates and top-quality ball heads cost a great deal in relation to the time they'll save you.

 

I would think that, based on past experience and my style of photography, that 80% of my photos will be hand held "street style" photography, and 20% will use a tripod in low light, scenic, more static situations. I definitely do not mind taking a little extra time to attach the camera to the tripod, and in fact I enjoy using a half case when walking with my M9. The case gives me a more positive grip on the camera. It removes easily (less than 10 seconds), but having to attach a separate mounting plate, and then attach the camera to a ball head seems like overkill in my situation. I would much rather just take off the half case and attach to the ball head. This should be possible in less than 30 seconds. Fiddling with a "plate" seems like more bother.

 

I see myself carrying a tripod in a case below my camera bag, and as the light or situation dictate I will take it out and set up for a shot. I do not believe that any of this will be extremely time critical. Setting up in less than a minute seems very possible, regardless of "quick release mounts".

 

I didn't realize this was going to be more difficult than choosing lenses.

 

Stephen

[hoppyman]

Pluses and minuses, priorities and preferences, Stephen. Of course the traditional tripod stud threaded into the camera will work as it has for a long time.

One advantage of a good quick release plate design is that it has a lip which indexes to the camera and prevents it slipping/rotating no matter how tight you think you twisted it in.

Once that happens twice or so you appreciate the camera plates.

 

In the unique case of the M8/9 RRS baseplate, a quarter turn of the camera baseplate locking key, swap plate for the RRS unit (with its integral QR surfaces) and turn its key. Good to go and probably actually faster than threading a stud into the original baseplate, definitely more secure and sure and it will index identically if you just line up the marks on clamp and baseplate.

Also if you have or plan to have more than one tripod setup/head to use in different circumstances or ever want to do panos with camera vertical then its a no-brainer.

Here's the setup for your interest anway. There are different clamp options that fit on the ball head and if you buy the ballhead with the cheapest option of the platform with traditional stud you can change it later if desired. Note that the L plate on left side is optional. Wonderful for verticals and panos especially but not essential.

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[Michael Geschlecht]

Hello Stephen,

 

I use a Leitz medium sized large ballhead. It holds a 135 Tele-Elmar & M vertically w/ both @ any angle w/ no problem. It is a rock. In the field a large ballhead & cable release is the best.

 

I know this Thread is about full sized travel tripods & heads but have you ever considered a small, really strong table tripod w/ soft non-marking slippers on its feet against a doorway, wall, tree, car w/ engine off, rock, etc. Even works on a table. Against my chest it gives me 2 stops. Sometimes more. You would be surprised how many places you can find to put it once you start looking. Don't forget your cable release. I use 2.

 

If you get to leave the World's best full-sized travel tripod home that is a big deal.

 

A really solid table tripod is not so big & doesn't take much space. You can fold it up & put it in a not too large pocket.

 

It is important to use the same head whichever you decide to take. The head is the key. The tripod must be the rock it attaches to. Whatever the size.

 

Since I started actively looking for places to put the table tripod on or against years ago I now almost always leave the full-sized tripod @ home.

 

Best Regards,

 

Michael

[bpalme]

Here's some pics. The Gitzo bag is 21" long. From what I remember the 1541T with Markins will fold up smaller. This is the 1542T.

BTW the Gitzo bag is really cheap, it's almost paper.

Anyway the Arca Swiss heads have an aspherical ball in them. You only need to tighten it to slightly snug. It won't move due to the shape of the ball. As it tries to fall over with a heavy camera on it it get's tighter as it falls.. so basically it doesn't move.

The top plate purchased separately on ebay from Sunwayfoto. The only other ballheads with a top panning feature start over $500. Like the Arca Swiss Z1 and BH-55 with top panning.

 

If you're going to do long exposures I also use these:

Celestron Vibration Suppression Pads - 93503 - OPT Telescopes

You don't realize how much vibration the slightest movement of your feet make until you look through a high power telescope and move around.

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[hoppyman]

That head setup seems to have some very clever design features but looks a bit bulky and complex to leave on a compact travel tripod. I think it deserves to be on a bigger tripod.

Here's the RRS BH30 head on the 1541T and it has a compact quick release clamp in this instance. You can see that it fits entirely within the end of the legs and I dare say weighs less of course. If I plan panos, I carry a separate head with panning clamp in place of a normal clamp attached and just swap it over on whichever legs I am using. Where I don't need compact and light that is another Gitzo (Series 2).

 

Compare the pics of our suggested ball heads for travel on our similar legs

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[StephenPatterson]

Thank you everyone for offering so much help and advice. I really appreciate everyone's input, as there is obviously no such thing as "one tripod fits all".

 

After much deliberation I have ordered the Gitzo 1542T and the "standard" Gitzo G1177M Ball Head. I'm very impressed with the RRS lineup, and will probably add one of their mounts in the future, but for now this small, light, compact kit should accommodate my needs.

 

Thanks again for all the help!!!

 

Stephen

[bpalme]

That head setup seems to have some very clever design features but looks a bit bulky and complex to leave on a compact travel tripod. I think it deserves to be on a bigger tripod.

Here's the RRS BH30 head on the 1541T and it has a compact quick release clamp in this instance. You can see that it fits entirely within the end of the legs and I dare say weighs less of course. If I plan panos, I carry a separate head with panning clamp in place of a normal clamp attached and just swap it over on whichever legs I am using. Where I don't need compact and light that is another Gitzo (Series 2).

 

Compare the pics of our suggested ball heads for travel on our similar legs

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If you want the shortest folding length then the 1541T is the way to go. There are trade offs. The 1542 in my pic is 3 inches taller and lighter ..and I'm 6'2" so take your pic. Also like you said you carry a separate panning head.

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Hallo,

Look here: Interesting Leica gear

[StephenPatterson]

If you want the shortest folding length then the 1541T is the way to go. There are trade offs. The 1542 in my pic is 3 inches taller and lighter ..and I'm 6'2" so take your pic. Also like you said you carry a separate panning head.

 

I ended up buying the 1542T, mainly because I found it new on Amazon for $529. That's $170 less than I could find the 1541T ($699 at places that still had one).

[billib]

This won't help Stephen, but it may help some of you

in the future. Really Right Stuff is introducing a new

smaller, lighter weight tripod (probably) for Christmas.

 

Its the TQC-14. It weights 2.6 pounds and its four sections

extend to 59 inches, without a head. It folds to just under

18 inches. Yes, it's Carbon Fiber and supports up to 25

pounds. The price hasn't been announced yet but its in

their RRS 2012 catalog on pages 12 & 13.

http://reallyrightstuff.com/mmRRS/Others/ReallyRightStuff2012.pdf