Tripod recommendations for Leica S 006

[Acekerman]

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I need a good tripod and ball setup to get the most out of my 006. RRS tripods and heads are fantastic but are there other alternatives out there? Just curious what folks use. Mostly used for landscape and still. Size isn’t an issue for me.

best

Briab 

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[Michael Geschlecht]

Hello Briab,

Welcome to the Forum.

You might consider a small, solid, table tripod with soft, non-marking slippers, With a large ball head & a cable release.

Against my chest it gives me + 2 stops of hand held stability.

Against a wall (Soft, non-marking slippers.), inside or at the top of a door frame,  against or on a rock or a tree, on a car with the engine off, or even on a table, it gives a person all of the stops of extra stability they want or need.

The more you use it, the more ways & places you you find to use it. I have pretty much left my full size tripod at home for years.

I use a home made ($9.00), esthetically compromised version of a Leitz/Leica table tripod along with a medium sized Leitz large ball head (They came in a variety of sizes.). Leica still makes a large, large ball head.

Best Regards,

Michael

 

Edited November 18, 2020 by Michael Geschlecht

[Sandokan]

I narrowed my choice down to RRS or Pro Media Gear. I chose the 424 and have the half ball head but also the Arca P0 head too. This easily holds SL with zoom lens or Hasselblad 503X with 50mm lens

There is also a German tripod manufacturer FLM but it wasnt as big as the PMG. 

Don't forget the long spikes for the feet for landscapes. 

[LocalHero1953]

Gitzo tripods come highly recommended across their range. I have the smallest of all (Traveller 0545T), with a small Markins ballhead, and can vouch for its design and manufacturing quality. This model is too small for the S, but the range is large (and the price is high).

I have a larger Benro with an Acratech head, which is also good, but I'd buy a Gitzo if I was buying again. 

Edited November 18, 2020 by LocalHero1953

[John McMaster]

Gitzo and Arca Cube......

john

[SrMi]

I use a Gitzo tripod and Arca Swiss D4 Geared Pan Classic.

Here is a site that ranks stiffness of tripods: https://thecentercolumn.com/rankings/

I had issues with Acratech heads (camera falling off, etc) and with P0 Hybrid (not suitable for heavier cameras). As they say, YMMV.

I also had loose leg issues with RRS tripods and switched to Gitzo because of that

Edited November 19, 2020 by SrMi

[darylgo]

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Gitzo and Arca D4 geared head.  The D4 gives the versatility of a ball head and the precision advantage of gearing.  Flm ballheads are also great, setting of the drag is a bit difficult at first but it is the best once set, for an 006 the 38, 48 or 58  would work well.  

[LeicaS2]

Try something new:

https://coloradotripod.com/products/centennial-tripod
They are carbon fiber but much less cost than Gizo.

If you are as tall as I am, don’t skimp on a shorter tripod to save a pound and then have to crouch down to see through the eyepiece. Your back will be happier standing straight.

I too have the tabletop Leica tripod which is very nice but haven’t used it for the S.

[Jeff S]

1 hour ago, LeicaS2 said:

Try something new:

https://coloradotripod.com/products/centennial-tripod
They are carbon fiber but much less cost than Gizo.

If you are as tall as I am, don’t skimp on a shorter tripod to save a pound and then have to crouch down to see through the eyepiece. Your back will be happier standing straight.

I too have the tabletop Leica tripod which is very nice but haven’t used it for the S.

Coming soon to Leica Miami.  Discussion at about 1hr, 37min...

Jeff

[Ouroboros]

I have three Gitzo Carbon 6X tripods of different sizes all with Arca Swiss heads.  Still the best, imo.

The new Peak Design tripod might also be worth a look for travellers and landscapists.

 

[Stuart Richardson]

I use a RRS TVC-33 and BH55, which is a solid setup. I hate to say it, but I have a Riis wooden tripod to shoot 8x10, and I got better results from that, especially in any kind of wind. The moral of the story is that the best tripod is the heaviest, most "dead" tripod you can bring yourself to carry. There is no free lunch. I recommend a very substantial tripod for work out of a car or at a studio, and a lighter tripod for use when you need to carry a long distance or hike. I would stick to Gitzo, Riis and RRS, but that is just me. It seems others have more experience with other brands.

[albireo_double]

I use different Gitzo tripods (3541LS on location plus one of the 5 series for the studio). Arca Swiss P1 and P0 heads. But I would also highly recommend the wooden Berlebach tripods. Lightweight, very stable and quicker to set up and fold than the Gitzos. 

[mgrayson3]

PD - good for iPhone, ok for APS-C/FF mirrorless with normal lens. 2+ lbs. Smallest, lightest, feels like jello. Might be ok with Leica S and wide lens.

RRS TFC-14 - Surprisingly stable, light, packs small. Us BH-30 head for light weight, L60 leveler for more stability. 3 lbs with head. Use with Leica S and Fuji GFX100. No problem without wind. I god a RRS 2 series and returned it as it was indistinguishable in stability. I don't understand it.

Gitzo 4553S - Also packs very small after Markins yoke replacement. Supports anything. 4 lbs without head. Use leveler, D4, or Cube, depending on mood.

None of these are tall, but they're tall enough for me on level ground. I had the Gitzo 3-series tall (3542XLS?), and the extra leg length was helpful on sloping terrain, but it was just heavy enough that I never carried it. All the above are packable.

[BernardC]

On 11/19/2020 at 7:53 AM, albireo_double said:

I would also highly recommend the wooden Berlebach tripods. Lightweight, very stable and quicker to set up and fold than the Gitzos. 

+1 for Berlebach. Lovely looking, lovely to use, and dead stable. I bought one in the late 1990s when they first became available in Canada, and I got a mini with a levelling head a couple of years ago. The mini has a huge load capacity, contrary to most small tripods. I use it for ground-level shots.

[John McMaster]

I use the larger of the Zone VI wooden tripods with a Wimberley head for longer lenses, far more stable

john

[LustingLeicaLover]

On 11/19/2020 at 2:35 AM, Ouroboros said:

I have three Gitzo Carbon 6X tripods of different sizes all with Arca Swiss heads.  Still the best, imo.

The new Peak Design tripod might also be worth a look for travellers and landscapists.

 

+1 on Gitzo Tripods, Monopods owning and using them for years and never wear out.  .. I have 3 of the 6 series 5540 LS with the Gitzo leveling bases as I did post pictures of them with the leveling bases ..! Nothing rivals Gitzo in Tripods to me..

[LustingLeicaLover]

On 11/17/2020 at 11:57 PM, Acekerman said:

I need a good tripod and ball setup to get the most out of my 006. RRS tripods and heads are fantastic but are there other alternatives out there? Just curious what folks use. Mostly used for landscape and still. Size isn’t an issue for me.

best

Briab 

Arca Swiss makes some incredible "BALL HEADS" and has the quality build or more of any on the market... RRS also is very top notch too...

[xiaubauu2009]

With deep pockets, Tripod - RRS/Gitzo, anything 2 series-ish, Head - RRS ball, or Arca Cube, not D4, don't like D4, vibrate in winds.

With value to performance, Tripod - Leofoto Summit series 3series-ish, Head - Arca L60, or even lower budget Leofoto RRS replicas... they are ok, the material feel a bit too light for my liking, but so far, haven't found much problem with it.

Always use L plate, so can use gear head.

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[glenerrolrd]

Tried a bunch of different combinations .  Best has been RRS tripod and Arch Swiss Cube .  Perfect balance with Leica S .   My next tripod will be a Reis ...wood is definitely better for vibration control just impractical for hiking much .  

[Stuart Richardson]

Another thing in favor for the Riis (at least in terms of view cameras) is that the big flat head has just so much more contact area that it keeps everything a lot more stable. I tried using the Riis legs with Arca Swiss style plates and the BH55, and while it worked and was still a solid combo, the Riis head was a lot more stable. The tripod plate and clamp style holds the camera very securely in place, but it inherently allows for more flexion in the system. The big flat tripod plate on the Riis head means that the surface to surface contact area is much larger, and of course it makes the whole system better coupled. I found dramatically less sway and movement in wooden view cameras. Obviously the S is a lot stiffer than they are, but every bit helps. Personally, I think the Riis style of leg adjustments and knobs are not too friendly on the hands and rather awkward in comparison to any aluminum or carbon fiber legs, but in terms of stability, it is way ahead of the game. I found it was even more stable than my studio stand, which is about 2m tall and at least 50kg. Despite the weight, however the t shaped designed is inherently unstable in comparison to a rock solid set of wooden tripod legs. So now when I need to do macro work (especially on 4x5) or multishot work, I will use the Riis if I can. Don't get me wrong, however, it is a fool's errand to carry it more than a few hundred meters.

Edited November 26, 2020 by Stuart Richardson