bogen 3047 vs. tiltall

[Kirk Gittings]

IMHO the Tiltall mounting plate and screw cannot provide enough torque to adequately secure the the Calumet.

[Dan Fromm]

I'm with Kirk. A Tiltall -- I have an all-metal Star D version in the closet -- is at best marginal with a CC-401.

Re the Bogen 3021/Manfrotto 055, I have one, used it for years with a 3047/029 on top. That combination will hold y'r Calumet. My 3021 doesn't have enough torsional stiffness to work well under my 700/8 Questar; I diagnosed the problem, which couldn't be adjusted out, as a consequence of short bearing surfaces in the leg locks. Two of my birder friends use 3021s under their spotting scopes; one is very stiff in torsion, the other isn't. If you get a 3021, buy with right of return.

I eventually retired my 3021 in favor of a Berleback 8023, which is much better. I replaced my 3047 head only when I built my Baby Bertha, which weighs around 25 pounds, much more than a 3047 can bear. Y'r 3047 should be fine under a 4x5 Calumet.

[lenser]

Kirk, I would agree if you are simply trying to put the camera on the Tiltall head in alignment with the handle and then screw it down. However, I have never trusted ANY tripod or mounting plate that way. I always place the camera on at about a 15-20 degree offset to the right of the handle, tighten the screw as much as possible, and then simply use the camera (or lens in 35mm long lenses made to be tripod mounted) to twist into position which gives tremendously more torque. This technique has been used from 35mm up to 8x10 cameras on various tripods including cameras as large as a Cambo SCX on the Tiltall in a pinch.

It also helps to substitute a better material for the usual rubber pads which fairly easily come loose over time. For many years I replaced those with cork and then switched to cured deer hide from Tandy Leather which is applied with contact cement, Weldwood being my favorite. I've been using that for at least eight years and have never had a problem or had to replace a pad.

[Mark Sampson]

The Star-D has never been anything but a cheap copy of a real Tiltall. (That didn't stop me from putting an 8x10 Ansco on a Star-D back in 1981, which broke the Star-D in short order.) I have a Marchioni Tiltall now, which IMHO is too small for a 4x5 rail camera. Having used Bogen 3047 heads since 1985 or so, I'll say that a leg-set slightly larger than the Tiltall's and the 3047 head should work just fine.

[Jim Jones]

The Star-D has never been anything but a cheap copy of a real Tiltall. (That didn't stop me from putting an 8x10 Ansco on a Star-D back in 1981, which broke the Star-D in short order.) I have a Marchioni Tiltall now, which IMHO is too small for a 4x5 rail camera. Having used Bogen 3047 heads since 1985 or so, I'll say that a leg-set slightly larger than the Tiltall's and the 3047 head should work just fine.

I used a Star-D Tiltall from 1974 until a few years ago, when I lost it.The Star-D was disassembled maybe twice for cleaning in that time, but gave no trouble except for a plastic knob breaking when the tripod was dropped. Now there's a Marchioni model in the car and a Leitz in the house. I've heard that some Star-D Tiltalls came with plastic, not brass, ferrules in the leg locks. Mine had brass.

[Dan Fromm]

Mark, you're absolutely right about late Star Ds that seem to be nearly all plastic. The one I bought in '78 differs from a Leitz Tiltall only in having plastic knobs on aluminum shafts (I know I've expressed it poorly). Real Tiltalls' knobs are all aluminum and interchange with my Star D ones. Like all of the Marchioni and Leitz Tiltalls I've had the chance to play with my Star D lacks stiffness in torsion around the center post. I think this is a consequence of short bearing surfaces in the leg locks. I've never broken mine, but the heaviest camera I've ever put on was probably a Beaulieu 5008 with a 6-70/1.4.

[BradS]

Is this the one:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000UMX7FI

Yes. There is also a simpler version. It looks like it is model 055XB

here's the whole family at B&H:
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/search...8741&Ntt=055XB

[BetterSense]

Being a noob to proper photo tripods,it seems odd to me that these don't have any struts running between the legs and the center column, and that the legs are just one piece. Having never dealt with them in person, the lack of triangles in the design just seems flimsy, but maybe the tolerances and build quality make it ok. Still, BH says of the 055 "ideal for 35mm and light medium format cameras".

[John Koehrer]

Be aware that the Tiltall doesn't use a standard mount for the head. Their head wasn't made to be removable and is part & parcel with the center column.

If you don't mind permanently removing the T&A head you could insert a plug into the column with either 1/4" or 3/8" stud for the 3047.

[BradS]

Being a noob to proper photo tripods,it seems odd to me that these don't have any struts running between the legs and the center column, and that the legs are just one piece. Having never dealt with them in person, the lack of triangles in the design just seems flimsy, but maybe the tolerances and build quality make it ok. Still, BH says of the 055 "ideal for 35mm and light medium format cameras".

I've used the 055 with every LF camera I've owned....everything from a 4pound 4x5, several different 5x7's and an 8x10 Tachihara. It is quite adequate for 4x5. Even it's little brother, the 190 (was 3001) is adequate for 4x5.