Tripods: any major difference between
CF and wood? I assume wood is a bit heavier? I like the specs I see on the Feisol products. The Ries look nice and fold small....but they're twice the weight snd price. What's the Anti-Rotation business all about? Any recommendations on Heads? geared v ball? Always used a simple ball for my 35mm work....I have an old Bogen tripod that came with the used equip I purchased and I think it's very difficult to work with due to the extreme weight. Although, it would make a great studio tripod.
Re: Tripods: any major difference between
I bought a used Ries thirty years ago and it's still my only LF 'pod. That's saying something.
Re: Tripods: any major difference between
I use a wood Berlebach... I think it's great.
-Rob
Re: Tripods: any major difference between
Nothing beats a Majestic Tripod....in the studio.
Are you hiking? Biking? Taking camera/tripod out of Hummer and going for a 5 mile walk or within site of your car?
I've hiked with a Bogen 3221 + medium format and I'm faily fit. I cycle a few hundred miles a week. That thing hurt.
Next hiking tripod for me will be CF.
Re: Tripods: any major difference between
Some people work out of their car trunks and a heavy tripod plus geared head isn't an issue. Weight is a feature and an important one if you want to be mobile and walk or hike long distance with your gear. A good CF tripod is rigid and light, and a high quality ballhead like an Arca Swiss B1 is relatively light and compact. Anti-rotation is a convenience that makes it easier to lock and unlock tripod legs. It's nice to have, but I have an older Gitzo CF without it and it's no big deal.
Re: Tripods: any major difference between
I think the anti-rotation legs and the short-throw collars on the new Gitzo tripods are a real improvement. They're as fast as the cam locks on a Bogen/Manfrotto now. The main thing that kept me from buying a Gitzo in the past was the locking collar system.
Ries tripods are very nicely made, but heavy compared to CF. Heavy isn't necessarily a bad thing in a tripod, if you don't have to carry it long distances. CF and wood both have good vibration damping properties.
Re: Tripods: any major difference between
I'm not planning on 5 mile hikes. I would like to be able to pack my equipment on my back and climb up a simple trail or down steep stairs leading to some scenic area. The Bogen has nice features, but it's a heavy sucker. For the time I can take my Cambo apart and reassemble w/o too much trouble. So a decent tripod is more important at this time I think.
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Carbon fiber is light and convenient. My Gitzo with the Arca Swiss ball head is also super solid. I have never owned a wooden tripod but several of my LF friends use wooden tripods (mainly Zone VI). I prefer the carbon fiber.
Sincerely,
Hany.
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"A bit" heavier is an understatement. Wood tripods in general are a whole lot heavier than CF for comparable weight capacities. Back in the days before carbon fiber, comparable metal and wood tripods were roughly the same weight. Today, with CF being available and prices of CF having come down, I don't get the appeal of wood outside the studio but many obviously do.
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It took me one LF photo session to convince me to get a CF tripod. I just have to spend the bucks - they are pretty expensive.