Need help finding a tall tripod

[Sizam]

Look into the Gitzo 500xG (Giant) series, they're 102' tall w/out a column.

http://www.gitzo.com/product/GT5561SGT

[Richard Wasserman]

Since you'll need a ladder anyway with a tripod this tall, what about just mounting a tripod head to the top of a stepladder and not using a tripod at all?

[Alan Gales]

Since you'll need a ladder anyway with a tripod this tall, what about just mounting a tripod head to the top of a stepladder and not using a tripod at all?

What a great idea!

[rdenney]

Look into the Gitzo 500xG (Giant) series, they're 102' tall w/out a column.

http://www.gitzo.com/product/GT5561SGT

102'? Wow, that's tall! (Did you mean 102"--yes, I'm being a jerk.)

Remember that he intends to put this underwater. I would therefore buy something that is all metal, cheap, and easily taken apart.

Rick "who dropped a Gitzo monopod in a lake once and had to replace the fiber friction rings in the clamping collars" Denney

[Alan Gales]

I think Richard might be on to something. If you bought an 8' aluminum step ladder and fastened a plate on top of it for rigidity and then attached a tripod head onto it.

If you are handy you could even rig up a short center column using a lockable collar and a piece of pipe. Of course you would need to attach a plate onto the end of the pipe for the tripod head to mount.

[John Brady]

I have a ladder rig I currently use, I mount a gitzo lveling head with a ball head through a hole on the top of various step ladders. This works great in the field, but my current project is to photograph in about 5 ft of water on the edge of lakes while sitting beside the tripod in my small boat. I have a shallow water anchor system that keeps the boat from moving so I don't knock over the tripod. I considered using a ladder in the water but it's too unstable.

Sorry I can't post pictures from my iPad, on Monday when I'm back in the studio I will post my 8x10 on top of a ladder.

Thanks for all the great suggestions! Please keep em coming!

Here is a link to my ladder on face book.
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fb...&type=1&ref=nf

www.timeandlight.com

[Alan Gales]

Well John, I hope you find your answer. You take beautiful photographs!

[John Brady]

Thanks Alan!
Here is my ladder rig discussed above with my Ebony 810 slw. The other image is a tree I shot last week in about 5 feet of water. The best composition was setting up in six feet which my tripod couldn't handle. The last one is just for fun!

I think I have purchased a Majestic 2500 and head very reasonably. The Gizo gint series looks awesome but I can't find any used ones and the new ones are, forget about it!

www.timeandlight.com

[johnmsanderson]

I use a Gitzo 504 Giant, bought from a forum member 2 years after he listed it. They are hard to find used. I love mine, goes up to 100" or so and pretty rock solid. I have a folding ladder that I take with me in the car. A pretty economical setup for some extra height which comes in handy in and around cities.

As long as you're of average height you only need a 4-5' ladder to see to the top of a big tripod like the G504. Mounting the camera on a 9 foot ladder would never work for me in nyc.

John -- how do you keep water out of the tripod leg sections or is that not an issue?

www.john-sanderson.com

[Kirk Gittings]

The Bogen extention legs have been hard to find for a very long time. I think they are no longer made.

OTOH, It is easy to make extension legs for those tripods of any length. I use some 10' made of 1/2" pipe-very heavy and very stable. They get me up about 13' if I need it. I tried aluminum but it was too flexi in the wind. I think maybe electrical conduit might be a good compromise.