Tripod with extrememly low minimum-height?

[Graeme Hird]

I use a Benbo with my Tachihara - I love it.

Ralph's suggestion of a block of wood seems like the best solution for you. Put a bolt through a piece of plywood and mount your head on it - it's the cheapest and most stable solution.

Cheers,

[Daniel_5275]

Excelent replies, thank you all so much.
This gives me LOADS to go on so hopefully I can now find something which suits me. I must say, if memory serves me correctly, there's a large thread on the bottom of my center-post - perhaps I'll look into upside-down mounting to begin with.

Thanks again - you've all been a great help!

Dan.

[tor kviljo]

ANY modern surveyors tripod normally goes all flat, have individual foldable legs & is by far the most stable tripod you can buy new pr $$. You will find the type I use (I use Sinar up to 8"x10") for less than $$ 100 in US, readily used with any pro-head with base diametre 3" or more. Modern surveyors tripod is lightveight alu-tubing & alu-castings in platform, strong resin/plastic in feed & other not strained parts = much more reasonable in weight than the older wood-brass-beasts. Mine (which I have shortened a little) is 7-8 pounds w/o head

[ronald moravec]

My Gitzo 1227 although a little light for 4x5, is great for low angle. The legs splay out 90 deg and you replace the center column with the short one that is five or six inches tall. This gets right on the ground and will steady a 4x5. They have heavier models that do the same.

Reversing center columns are a pain IMHO.

[John Hoenstine]

Look at Ries tripods. They go flat and if you don't use a head and flip your Sinar 90 degrees on its mounting block you should be almost at ground level. Also Irving Penn used a triangular metal plate with a mounting screw to be at ground level. It is in his book Images in a Small Room and could easily be adapted to a larger camera.

Good Luck
John Hoenstine

[Julio Fernandez]

The Bembo does what other tripods dare not attempt. The Uni-Lok version is similarly designed but sturdier. For doing the impossible and getting the camera into the strangest positions you ever dreamed of, nothing beats it. It is a heavy tripod and for that reason I only take it for short hikes with my 4X5. I have used and discarded several Linhofs, Gitzos etc. but I will never get rid of my Unilok even it often has to stay home when I go with my Gitzo. One word: if your hand dexterity and 3D spatial sense and coordination are lacking, the Bembo / Unilock are not for you, you will be one of its haters, else one of its devotees!

[Daniel_5275]

Again, thanks to everyone here.

Now, I already have a Manfrotto 074B (Bogen 3233) which is heavy but very nice. Problem is, it only drops to 26" minimum which, with head connected is nowhere near low-enough for me.

My question now is; can this be modified in any way to allow it to drop further? If I was to remove the centre-braces, I'm guessing I'll be adversely affecting the integrity of the tripod? If anyone can suggest any modification I can use to drop this lower, without affecting stability too much, I'll be happy to give it a shot!

Thanks for yor time again,

Dan.

[David A. Goldfarb]

I have a Bogen 3233. There is a 3/8" stud on the bottom of the column for mounting the head for low-angle work. You can mount the camera upside down and rotate the back 180-degrees so it works just like it does rightside up (tilts reversed, of course).

[John_4185]

Some time ago I had to shoot from as low as possible with 4x5 and ended up making a small, lightweight platform with three wooden legs and used a panoramic leveling head (much like the lower part of a surveyor's instrument) to finness the alignment. Alltogether, the center of the lens was about 14" above ground. Is that low enough?

[Emmanuel BIGLER]

There is small tripod not mentioned here, the Novoflex basic BB, that could be worth looking at, even if at a first glance this suggestion might appear a bit provocative ;-)This tripod consists of an alumin(i)um sphere into which 3 rigid steel legs are screwed with standard 'photo' 1/4" threads. Those small legs are ended by hard rubber balls. In the standard configuration and the widest possible angle, those legs are long enough to firmly support very close to ground a medium format camera or a light weight 4x5" view camera with a wide-angle or a standard lens, and, according to the manufactuere's specs, can support a load of 25 kg (over 50 l bs.) which is truly amazing. Novoflex offers as an add-on telescopic legs that can serve as conventional telescopic walking sticks; fitted with 3 walking sticks the tripod is rated for 10 kg (22lbs).