ok so i'm looking for a good sturdy tripod for my burke&James press camera. I have a budget of $250, i am gonna be using it for mainly landscapes so its gotta be stiff and not easily moved by wind. any suggestions, Thanks
ok so i'm looking for a good sturdy tripod for my burke&James press camera. I have a budget of $250, i am gonna be using it for mainly landscapes so its gotta be stiff and not easily moved by wind. any suggestions, Thanks
This one is in the classifieds. Put a plain old pan-tilt head or a 410 geared head on it and you're in business.
Majestic. Built like a tank. Put a 20x24 studio camera on it and it wouldn't even notice.
Pan and tilt head with geared front-back tilt.
I have two of them. Use them to jack my car up for oil changes.
- Leigh
If you believe you can, or you believe you can't... you're right.
Used $100 Leitz Tiltalls (lighter) or $200 Majestics, both with heads ~ classic old school tripods.
A used Gitzo 2- or 3- series metal legset is quite nice, although I can't say much good about their heads. I don't like Manfrottos, especially used, they have clever designs but tend to wear out quickly. There are some gems out there though, SLIK made some quality professional tripods along with millions of junky cheap ones. Generally the heads are the weak spot and as you go along, you get pickier and don't like having to crank so hard to get them to hold. The better ones lock with just finger tightness.
If it is for landscapes then a lot depends on how much hiking you plan to do and whether that's your style. It's always a compromise between the weight on your back and how far you can walk - or what else you have to leave behind. I use a Gitzo Mountaineer. Crazy light - maybe too flimsy for some. But it weighs in at just on 1Kg with a Gitzo ball-head on it and I love it.
I keep a light CF tripod for longer walks, too. I have a little tarp with grommets in each corner that I can set below the tripod, fill with dirt, rocks, or even water and pull it up on a cord so most of the weight is hanging under the center column. It helps a great deal with wind by effectively adding mass to the whole deal but with a total addition of around an ounce of carry weight.
Used Leitz Tiltall, weighs 6 pounds including a Great Pan/Tilt head (built-in). About $100 on ebay. It's the best possible combination of weight, durability, and price.
Wilhelm (Sarasota)
I'm with Frank and Bill; the original Tiltall will leave you with plenty of money for other necessities. Despite having several other tripods, I've almost always used Tiltall for several decades. Unlike some modern tripods, they last that long!
Especially for a B&J Press camera.
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