Tripod Head Question

[Greg Liscio]

Hello,
Very much enjoying this site. I'm new to LF photography, and I'm trying to get quality equipment without becoming a member of the "Bankruptcy" forum, but I'm very particular about my gear, so here goes.
I'm considering the Linhof Technikardan 44S. Seems many here like the Gitzo tripods. Could you please tell me what head type is preferred, ball, pan, geared. Will the ball type work? I like the look of the Linhof expert tripod (supports 22 lb) with the Linhof Profi II ballhead (supports 17.6 lbs).
Thankee

[Christoforos Giatzakis]

Hello Greg,
I initially used an Arca Swiss ball head but quickly switched to a geared head from Manfrotto/Bogen as I was constantly frustrated trying to level the camera. The 410/405 bogen heads are very good.
best,
chris

[Capocheny]

Greg,

I can't remember the weight of your camera but would highly, highly recommend either a Manfrotto 405 or 410 geared head for your camera. The Gitzo 1325 would also be the way to go as it's a carbon fiber tripod... keeps the weight manageable.

Price wise... the 410 is going to run you under US$175.00. The 405 is going to run you approximately double that price. :( But, IMHO, it's still worth the extra dollars. :)

I wouldn't (personally) recommend a ball head since it can be a pita if you're trying to make changes on one axis or the other. For me, as careful as I was with a B1 head, after loosening up the locks, the camera (partly because of its weight) always moved in more than one axis resulting in having to reposition the camera for the framing of the image I wanted. In other words, there's far more control with a geared head than a free-floating ball head.

But, having said that... there ARE some folks who like using a ball head with their LF cameras. I suppose it's just a matter of getting use to one system over the other. I have the 405 and absolutely love it! :)

Cheers

[Jack Flesher]

I like the low profile of a ballhead but hate the all-axis flopping around when it is loose. The answer for me was the Arca B2 -- it allows you to adjust each axis independently and is strong enough to support a small car. The major downside however is that it can break the bank because it's really expensive new -- but they do show up with regularity on eBay.

My 2nd choice would be the Bogen 405 geared head (the beefier one), but it's kind of pricey too. Lastly, there is the Majestic, readily available used for around $100 and are incredibly strong, but they do weigh a bunch.

Cheers,

[Steven Barall]

A agree about the Manfrotto geared heads or even Manfrotto larger pan and tilt heads . I tried a ball head once and I thought I was impossible to use. If you need to make small adjustments, a ball head will drive you crazy. That said, a lot of people seem to love them ball heads but you have to spend a bundle and get a great one if you go in that direction.

[Frank Petronio]

After using the Arca and the Bogen 410, along with several less trendy (or good) heads several years ago, I have circled back to good old Gitzo 3-way pan heads, preferably the low-profile ones. I have a 5-series that is rock solid and I'll probably get a smaller one. The Gitzo thumbscrews actually hold very well and the ergonomics of the Gitzos are excellent.

As you may gather from the variety of responses, there is no wrong answer, just a lot of opinions.

If you can afford a Gitzo carbon fiber 1325 or 1349 it will be a good match for a TK. But the metal 3-series are also excellent.

[Mike Castles]

Don't have one of the 410's but have looked one over and it looks good. Have used a Bogen 3047 for a number of years, but it has been replaced this year by the Manfrotto model 808RC4...which I just ordered today. Will post something after it arrives and gets some use. Looks much like a 3047, but uses the QR plates like the 410 and has a 3lb spring assist for the ver/hor movements.

[Greg Liscio]

Wow, very impressive responses. And they said LF Photography was dead.
Thanks for the good input.

Forgot to mention I also was looking at the Linhof 3-way leveling head. It supports 11 lbs. The Linhof Technikardan lists at 7.7 lbs. Seems that head would work, unless I'm going to be putting over 5 additional lbs of gear on the camera (lens, back, etc). Any input on that?
Thankee

[Frank Petronio]

The Linhof tripods and heads have a top-flight reputation but few Americans have been lucky enough to see them, much less own them. If you can afford one please give us a report!

I'm sure it is very nice...

[Dave_B]

Greg:
I second the Gitzo G1325 and Manfrotto 405 recommendation. Together they will chew a pretty good sized hole in a thousand dollar bill but they are works of art. The Manfrotto head has a very nice feature where you can rotate the knobs one way for coarse positioning and the other way for fine adjustments. It is a three axis head and so each axis is independent of the others. These two features let you home in on the perfect positioning very quickly. As said earlier, the head is nominally rated for 16.5 lbs but it feels like it would let you move a lot more while under perfect control.
The Gitzo carbon fiber tripods are the best. Smooth, stable, the CF dampens vibrations, the legs are independently adjustable and can let the tripod go flat to the ground. They are wonderful. The combination is a perfect setup for LF (I shoot 4x5).

IMHO, ballheads work much better for 35mm photography. I have a Markins that I dearly love for for 35mm but using it for LF is a pain. LF cameras are heavy and tend to be unbalanced making it hard to change only one axis when you want to.
Good luck,
Dave B.

[Kirk Fry]

If weight is not an issue (never is right?) A Manfrotto 3047 3 way or the old Majestic Geared head are built like bulldozers and are about as heavy, but very stable. I hate ball heads but then I have never had one of those $400 ones either. The 3047 cost me $30.
If wieght is an issue a slightly less beefy Bogen 3029 3 way might do the trick. That one I think can be had for also about $30 if you keep looking. The Manfrotto 055MF4 legs are really nice, but you will have buy those new. Those will cost a bit more.

[John Powers]

Greg,

I’ve had a Technikardan 45, the predecessor of your 45S, for three or more years. My longest lens is a 450mm Nikor M F9 which takes all the bellows. If you want to use that long a lens or go Macro (I like the 180mm Rodenstock) and need all the bellows, I suggest finding the Tele/Macro Bracket part # 002741 which takes the three telescoping base brackets and locks them into a solid piece. B&H wants $346.50 for this little Linhof gem. I found one on eBay for $80. That gives you an 18.25 inch solid platform. I think on a ball head it would be like a pin wheel, don’t know, haven’t been there.

The low Gitzo magnesium pan tilt head with the long platform (about 5.5 inches) is my preference. I bought a 1370M (I think that was the #) in one of Frank’s “I have circled back to good old Gitzo 3-way pan heads “ first circling moments about three years ago. I think Frank drove covered wagons in his earlier life. The current version would be Gitzo 2270M long platform head.

The older three series Gitzo aluminum Studex makes a nice solid base for this at about three pounds heavier than the G1325 carbon fiber. These are $100-125 on eBay. You don’t have 26 lbs capacity, but that is twice the weight of your total package. I would encourage you to go second hand on all these pieces. This is hardware, not electronics or mechanical shutters. Compare that to the above poster’s better part of a $1,000. The only caution is to buy the tripod with a trial return provision. Some abused Gitzo tripods can lose their ability to lock the base for the head.

Enjoy, it is a wonderful set up. Don’t learn to like the larger negative too much. I have tumbled down the slippery slope from there to 8x10 and 7x17. The Linhof seems really light now.

John

[Brian Ellis]

Like many others, I liked a ball head for smaller formats (in fact I just bought a Really Right Stuff BH40 Pro II for my digital camera to replace the Arca Swiss B1 that I found too heavy) but haven't liked them for LF. The problem for me is that with the 6 lb weight of my LF camera plus lens and film holder it's difficult to make very small adjustments. The weight of the camera and other stuff seems to exert too much pull and even if you can make a small change in one direction the weight tends to create an unwanted change in another direction. That's especially a problem with architecture, where I'm often trying to line up vertical and parallel lines (e.g. a door or window) absolutely perfectly.

I've used several different heads (Bogen 3047 and 3039 pan/tilt heads come to mind, also a Gitzo head they called a ball head but which really wasn't and that I absolutely hated). I finally settled on the Bogen 410 geared head, mainly because of architectural work. If I only did landscapes I think any pan/tilt head would be o.k. but for architecture the geared head allows finer adjustments than I could make with a pan/tilt head.

I've used quite a few different tripods. I settled on the Gitzo 1325. It seems to be a nice combination of relatively light weight but plenty sturdy. I prefer the Bogen system of opening and closing leg sections but I've been willing to accept the Gitzo collars, especially on the 1325 where they're larger and easier to use than on the Gitzo aluminum tripod I also have but don't use.

I'd suggest avoiding a tripod with a center column for LF. The center column adds weight and cost but it's difficult if not impossible to raise the camera any distance above eye level and still be able to compose and focus. I'd also ignore the old adage that the heavier the camera the heavier the tripod must be. I never did believe in that one but new materials such as carbon fiber have surely made it obsolete. I also don't like wood tripods. I thought the ones I've seen (Zone VI and Ries) were unnecessarily heavy. The worst tripod you can buy is the one that stays in the closet because you hate carrying it around.

[Stewy]

Hello,

I got a gitzo G1570M. This head is really good. Its ist more than a standard 3-wayhead. Its a head with a great big plate where u can set up your camera safely without skidding around. The friction of all 3 knobs is so soft and hard gripping that small adjustements of cameras with long lenses or view cameras is really joyful task.
It has a height of only 10,5cm, has a load capacity of 10 kilos and weights 1,3 kilo.

wfg Stewy

[Mark Pope]

I currently use a Manfrotto/Bogen 029 3 way head on a Gitzo 228 Reporter tripod. A good combination that's very stable but heavy. I'm getting a 405 geared head for Christmas (how's that for forward planning :-) ) and I'm going to get the Magfiber CF tripod to match - the Manfrotto model number is 190 MF3. It seems to be a well made tripod and it's quite a bit cheaper than the Gitzo equivalent.

[dwhistance]

Hello,

I'm another Manfrotto 410 user on either a Gitzo 1327 (with shortened centre column) or a Gitzo 1548. However I do like using the Arca Swiss quick releases so I have purchased a Kirk adapter plate that fits straight onto the 410 instead of the quick release plate and the Really Right Stuff TK45 plate. I'm very happy with the new combination, plus it allows a little adjustment of the mounting point so that the camera is better balanced with long lenses.

Good luck with the TK45s, I'm very happy with mine.

David Whistance

[Lee Hamiel]

Another vote for the Arca-Swiss B2

Also a fan of the Manfrotto 410 geared head as well - with my son now

[Greg Liscio]

Thanks all. This is really a great source of information. :)

[Kirk Gittings]

I have been reinventing my field camera kit preparing for another book project on the wilds of the SW. I recently bought and heavily tested in the field the Bogen 055MF3 carbon tripod with a 329RC4 COMPACT PRO 3D HEAD based on some recommendations here and my experience with them at the VC conference. The combo has worked extremely well as a lightweight field tripod for a 4x5 field camera at a very competitive price.

On the Chaco trip however, Eric Biggerstaff introduced me to the 410 geared head, which I think is a better head if you are only using view cameras.

[Eric Biggerstaff]

Like Kirk mentions, I have a Gitzo 1325 with the Bogen / Manfrotto 410 geared head. I really like the set up. I checked out Kirks Bogen 055MF3 at Chaco recently and really liked it, it too would be a great combo with the 410 head.

Good luck.

Eric

[Greg Liscio]

As a follow-up, do any of you use a Levelling head instead of a column? I'm not sure if I need the tilt adjustment beyond levelling the camera. The Linhof and Gitzo levelling heads move 15 degrees in any direction.
Thankee

[Mike Castles]

Don't have one of the 410's but have looked one over and it looks good. Have used a Bogen 3047 for a number of years, but it has been replaced this year by the Manfrotto model 808RC4...which I just ordered today. Will post something after it arrives and gets some use. Looks much like a 3047, but uses the QR plates like the 410 and has a 3lb spring assist for the ver/hor movements.

Wanted to post an update after a couple of full days of shooting with the 808RC4. Overall impression is Very Good. This head was a dream to use with the B&J 5x7. Had it mounted on a Berlebach wood tripod, and shooting inside/outside of some churches and adjustments were quite easy. The vertical and horizontal movements have a 3lb spring to help keep movements smoother, and I would say they worked quite well (the tension can be "turned off" if you want). Besides the levels for V&H movements there is a bullseye level for when you filp the camera on it's side (used this shooting with a Mamiya 645). The larger footprint of the quick release plates and the manner it locks in place are much better than the older 3047 QR plates IMO.

[Howard Slavitt]

When I used a view camera (I'm now all digital) my favorite head was the Linhof 3 way levelling head. Truly excellent. It's a bit heavier than the ballheads I'm using now for my Canon 5D, but I loved it. Very stable, and precise. No need to use a levelling base with it.

[Robert Opheim]

I prefer a gitzo 5 series low profile head with my technikardan. I have a gitzo #3 ball head but then you have to mess around with wobbling in 360 degrees to true the head. Also I have a 2 series gitzo head that is under designed for a 4x5 camera - and I have gotten camera movement while using it. I have both #3 and #4 series gitzo legs. I haven't come up with the big money for the carbon fiber legs yet. The base of the technikardan is rather large where it connects to the tripod head and most tripod heads are rather small 2 1/2 inches round etc. and can wobble in the design (it's the weakest point - it's a cantilever). The 5 series gitzo head is bulky but is lower in weight that many other lighter rated heads. I had a bogen head with a quick release I just had to throw away. The quick release didn't seat right and an earlier camera that I had was damaged. I don't want to risk camera movement - you go to all of the effort to get your equipment to a location and you make an exposure and end up with a tinny bit of movement on the negitive. What is the point is shooting large format then?

[speedfreak]

Wow! This thread has been resurrected from way back, but I'll chime in anyhow :)
When I had a TK I originally started with the Bogen 3049 head. Even though it was stout enough and priced pretty low, it has a very tall profile, and the hex plates just don't have the fine industrial design of newer more well thought out quick connect plates. It was kind of funny screwing that clunky hex plate into the bottom of a very well made Linhof product. Like putting stamped steel wheels on a Mercedes!
I then move onto the 410 geared head after hearing many good things about it. It completely holds up to its reputation. If I would have kept the camera (geez, I wish I still had it!) I would have put the after market Arca Swiss plate on the head, and use a RRS rail for the camera. This would make finding the perfect balance with short or long lenses a frickin' breeze. My 2 cents.