Reccomendation for tripod and head for 20lbs

[kevs-2323668]

For a 4x5 about 20 lbs, what would be your first few picks for tripod / head. thanks

[Vaughn]

A 20 pound 4x5? My, my! For my less-than-that 8x10, I use a Reis A100 and an A250 (double-tilt) head. Very stable.

Vaughn

[kevs-2323668]

thanks V, actually I stand corrected, I don't know the weight exact, it's about 20lb with the case..... so maybe it's 15? have not got it yet, but it may be an older, but nice monorail calument. never heard of Reis. Curious on Gitzo and that's what everyone praises and I'm sure the used availability will be large.

[Leigh]

Any of the Majestic tripods will handle that load in their sleep. (Do tripods sleep???)

They come in two different versions, with either a single leg or a double leg at each position. I have both.

Either will support my 8x10 Sinar F2 (the heavy version) and not even realize there's a camera mounted.

I use them to support my car during oil changes.

The Ries tripods are wood (at least all of them that I've encountered).
The Majestics are heavy aluminum.
I don't know which you prefer, or if you care.

- Leigh

[Vaughn]

Probably less that 15 pounds, so you won't probably need the A Series Ries (spelled it wrong previously).

http://riestripod.com/

But with a lighter camera you'll have lots of choices. Lots of tripod discussions here if you do a search. Almost too much talk about wood vs metal vs carbon fiber! You have to consider how much you want to carry vs stability vs cost.

I am a fan of wood, but used a Gitzo 300 for years for 4x5 and 5x7. I use one still for those sizes and for MF.

Vaughn

[John Kasaian]

Tell us the make and model camera and someone around here will have a better idea of what kind of wieght your talking about supporting. For my 4x5 Graphic View II camera I have an old Tilt-all that works just swell and also handles the 5x7 Speed Graphic. About $70 on eBay IIRC.

[Greg Y]

+1 for Ries w the double tilt head....in snow, ice water they're great

[Frank Petronio]

Most commercial photographers will opt for a little overkill with a Gitzo 5-series, the largest model they make. If you aren't carrying it far, it's always going to be better to have a heavier, sturdier tripod than one that is marginal.

The wooden tripods are very nice for outdoors but perhaps not ideal for studio work. The Majestics are very strong and sturdy too. The Gitzos are the most popular with rental houses and with commercial shooters. On a tighter budget, there are Chinese-made carbon fiber Fiesols that are fair copies of Gitzos. Manfrotto makes a huge range, bigger the better. Some of the expensive carbon video tripods are very capable. Linhof has some awesome $$$ heavy-duty tripods....

The choice of tripod head depends on the camera. If you got a Sinar, the Sinar Pan-Tilt head is the best, period. For a flatbed wooden camera, the Gitzo 1570 3-way head with the larger camera platform is very good. I had an expensive Foba head that could hold any camera, it weigh a ton and was beautifully made. Same goes for Linhof heads.

There are many other good choices, including geared and 1-, 2-, and 3-axis heads. Most large format photographers shy away from ball heads but there are some strong ball heads available.

I would probably pick up a used Gitzo 504, 505, 513, 1504, etc. with the #5 3-way head on eBay for $300 to $500.

[jcoldslabs]

I've got a Bogen 3258 with a 3057 head for my ~18 lb. Calumet C-1 8x10. It is HUGE, though, and not much fun to carry more than a few yards from the car.

[DuncanD]

You might look at this listing on the forum for a Gitzo carbon Mountaineer with large platform Gitzo head suitable for 4x5. The seller's pictures make it look like an attractive piece at the price.