Hi.

I'm new to 8x10, as I've just picked up a B&J 8x10 from ebay as an upgrade from 4x5.

Now, of course, the EXPENSE of this all is setting in as I'm taking stock of what I own and just how useless it all is.

Chief on the list of "unexpected expenses" are tripod legs. I'm currently using a Bogen 3055S ballhead, that's their "heavy duty, single action" unit.

This guy is ratecd to 15.5lb, and has done me quite well ontop of an old set of "Canon professional tripod" legs. I've been unable to locate any information about these legs specifically, though. Black, aluminum tube construction, geared center column, not real high but with the brace to the legs its held its own under a Graflex Pacemaker and Pentax 645 (including with the column fully extended and lenses reversed onto each other).

Now, I haven't gotten my B&J, yet, but I'm going ot make the assumption that these legs were never built to carry something like that. I assume the 3055S will still be acceptable, but that I'm going to need to invest in new legs? How much do people here value the listed weight capacity of tripod literature? If I'm to believe what they say, I'm going to end up lugging around a $300, 20lb leg set but it seems like lots of people don't sweat that side and just use what they want. Scanning through B&H I saw a Davis and Sandford leg set for only $100 that professed to carry 15lb and at a very reasonable weight, as well.

So, what's popular consenus around here?

My biggest fear is having the whole thing crumple apart under the weight of this thing.