same old tripod thread

[bizarrius]

Hello ! First post here.
My name is Demetris and i am from Cyprus. I didn't know how to start my posts going so i will start with a boring to you question but really troublesome for me. a new guy in Large format.
I've been doing street photography with rangefinders for years now and also some medium format work. i develop and print in my own place and now i feel like i want to join the LF area.
since i'm on a lookout for a tripod i'll start with this.
How heavy should i expect a cambo monorail 4x5 basic camera with lens to be? i'm on a lookout for a good tripod but i don't know how many max kg should i look for :)
My cambo isn't here yet but i would love to be ready when she arrives so i can take her for a spin.

Thank you for having me :)

[metalsmith]

I believe my Cambo 4x5 weighs 14.5 Pounds,

Kevin

[bizarrius]

I believe my Cambo 4x5 weighs 14.5 Pounds,

Kevin

so a tripod with 8kg max weight load is fine? :)

[N Dhananjay]

In smaller formats, the tripod is arguably the main source of weight. In LF, the weight of camera, lenses, holder is already pretty large and the tripod is just one more heavy thing to carry. LF also tends to result in more unbalanced loads, sometimes with the load cantilevered out well beyond the center of gravity. So, I would suggest a tripod that is over-rated for the load you have. The other advantage is that when you (inevitably) decide to go to an even larger format, the tripod will (probably) work for that format as well. In addition, if weight is seriously an issue, modern carbon fibre tripods are remarkably light. So I would suggest getting a tripod rated for holding up 20-25 lbs or so. Please ignore this if you are hiking long distances where every ounce saved is important. Cheers, DJ

[Randy]

I believe my Cambo 4x5 weighs 14.5 PoundsForgive my ignorance, but my Fulmer & Shwing 8X10 is right at 15 lbs. How can a 4X5, any 4X5, weigh that much...? I think a Graflex Speed Graphic weighs about 5 lbs.

[bizarrius]

i don't think i will be hiking for a long time but i WILL be going outside. maybe park 1km away from where i will take the pictures max each time. so i don't really mind the weight? i guess? well i am not going to get a large wooden tripod but i don't think i mind the weight as long as it does a good job holding my camera steady.

any suggestions? i can't really go overboard with gitzo since they cost 800 euros but something around 150-200 would be sweet.

thanks

[Dan Fromm]

Forgive my ignorance, but my Fulmer & Shwing 8X10 is right at 15 lbs. How can a 4X5, any 4X5, weigh that much...? I think a Graflex Speed Graphic weighs about 5 lbs.

Fair question, Randy. It prompted me to weigh my hybrid Cambo. 2x3 front standard, 4x5 intermediate standard, 4x5 rear standard, 21" rail, 2x3 board, 4x5 graflok back, tripod mounting block but no bellows. 4,050 g. A 4x5 Cambo standard weighs ~ 1.05 kg. The OP's camera, bellows and all, can't weigh much more than mine.

My Berlebach 8023 (discontinued) weighs 2.8 kg, is rated to support 10.2 kg. It easily supports the camera with bellows and lens in shutter, a Manfrotto 438 leveler (.65 kg) and a Manfrotto 229 head (2 kg).

OP, we don't buy tripods by weight, we buy them by capacity. And wood tripods with adequate capacity don't have to be very heavy. Look into Berlebach and Wolf.

[Leszek Vogt]

Welcome to LF forum. I'd add Tiltall (made by Leitz or in Italy) tripod to the above recommendations. I use CF Feisol for 5yrs and it suits me just fine. No idea if the tripod would hold something larger like 8x10.
Good luck.

Les

[bizarrius]

Thank you for your answers. :)

is this a bad tripod? http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/KINGJOY-VT-2500-155cm-Video-Photo-Tripod-Kit-360-Degree-with-Ball-Head-for-DSLR/152467001768?_trksid=p2047675.c100009.m1982&_trkparms=aid%3D888007%26algo%3DDISC.MBE%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20140328180637%26meid%3D3c0b5451e7c8427f834cadba22a1c483%26pid%3D100009%26rk%3D2%26rkt%3D2%26sd%3D132102252025

why shouldn't i choose a video tripod that can hold 15kg? i am fairly confused :)

berlebach tripods don't mention max weight. do they take it like they should or i should go for something in particular?

[Bob Salomon]

Thank you for your answers. :)

is this a bad tripod? http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/KINGJOY-VT-2500-155cm-Video-Photo-Tripod-Kit-360-Degree-with-Ball-Head-for-DSLR/152467001768?_trksid=p2047675.c100009.m1982&_trkparms=aid%3D888007%26algo%3DDISC.MBE%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20140328180637%26meid%3D3c0b5451e7c8427f834cadba22a1c483%26pid%3D100009%26rk%3D2%26rkt%3D2%26sd%3D132102252025

why shouldn't i choose a video tripod that can hold 15kg? i am fairly confused :)

berlebach tripods don't mention max weight. do they take it like they should or i should go for something in particular?
Berlebach lists their tripod weights and capacities for all models on their web site. Why not go there and check.

[Slowhands]

I would be very wary of these fly-by-night Chinese manufacturers. Tolerances can be loose and materials unsound when there is no brand or reputation to maintain. Your tripod will hold gear that is very dear to your heart, and act as a vital support for your treasured photos. I would not skimp money here. There hasn't been many new advancements in tripod technology the past couple decades aside from carbon fiber; one can easily resell a quality tripod if they don't end up loving it.

[Leszek Vogt]

Similar to above. I've looked at Amazon and saw that no one reviewed this product. That and the low price is bit of a flag. Furthermore, you are unable to go to brick/mortar place to check it personally (even used)....that's another flag. Some of the opinions that I saw mentioned as a Manfrotto-copy. Whether good or bad it totally your call.

As quality video/film tripods go, here are some that are respectable in the field: Cartoni, Sachtler, Libec, OConnor and only few others. I'm unable to make a full assessment of the more reasonably priced ones, but they could wiggle more than one desire, despite the indicated weight limit the tripod could be overwhelmed.

Anyway, when something is too good to be true....comes to mind.

Les

[Peter De Smidt]

A used Gitzo Series 3 Systematic is a very good tripod.

[seezee]

In carbon fibre (CF), Feisol, Gitzo, Really Right Stuff (RSS), and FLM all have very good reputations. But if you go with CF, buy a model that you can hang a weight from. The reason many LF shooters use wooden tripods is that the added mass makes a much more stable platform that is resistant to wind-driven vibration. CF is light and strong but will move more under load unless weighted.

If you choose wood, look at Ries or Berlebach, or buy a surveyors' tripod. All are plentiful on the 2nd-hand markets. Look at the classified ads here, to begin with.

[bizarrius]

i fell inlove with the berlebach. i am putting some money aside and buying a berlebach for around 350 euros inc shipping :)

[Jim Andrada]

I love my wooden tripod (Ries) and I think you'll like your Berlebach. Wood is wonderful.

By the way, re video tripods for stills photography, I do both video and stills and have both kinds of tripods.

Video tripods don't (normally) have adjustable center columns. And they're designed to be particularly stiff with regard to resisting "wind-up" - the tendency of tripods to twist when panning a video cam. If the tripod twists there will be a nasty rebound at the end of the pan, which you really don't want in your video. For stills, it doesn't much matter, so the extra structure is added cost/weight for not much benefit. Video tripods also typically have a half - ball leveling system so you can level the camera below the pan axis - again really important for video, not so much for stills.

And top notch video tripods cost big bucks - many thousands of dollars for the really good ones, and that's without the fluid head.

I have a Libec unit - it isn't the best but it's good enough for my needs and I do use it for my heavy LF cameras like my 8 x 10 Linhof.

[Thalmees]

Hello, ...
But, with large format(specially mono-rails), the tripod weight(alone) is as important as any other feature in the tripod itself or in the tripod head.
The tripod weight should exceed the standards adopted in the digital realm nowadays. Its very biased toward simplicity and mobility(lower size/weight) of the tripod in its self, not as an essential photo requirement.
As an example, IMO, the tripod weight of Gitzo series 4 and RRS TVC-3x series(they are equivalent/4-5.5 Lbs without tripod head) or any equivalent tripod of any sort of material, is not enough to support a monorail camera(like Sinar 4X5, C2, with usual weight lens/10Lb with lens), UNLESS an extra weight is used hanged under the top plate.
Even, if you added a 2Lb ballhead, the amount of friction needed(for gross camera adjustment) on the ball head is too high to be accommodated by a lower weight tripod for appropriate stability. The problem is exaggerated(truly not apparently) if you used a longer focal length lens.
After you lock the main knob, the fine adjustments of the camera could be transferred easily to the tripod, if it is of lower weight.
The difference in weight is not that much, if you decided to start with enough weight tripod.
If you backpack, you may have to use a field camera in the first place, and accordingly the tripod weight can be lower. ...
From Post# 21 : http://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/showthread.php?137460-What-kind-of-head-are-you-using-with-your-monorail-camera

Hello bizarrius,
A carbon fiber tripod of 2.3Kg/5Lb weight, is barely enough to support a camera of 4.5Kg/10Lb weight.
Weight under the top plate is required.
Of course, that also depends on how much legs are extended. For any tripod, if legs are just minimally extended, the tripod will be much more sturdier than if the legs are fully extended.
For that particular tripod, extended, I can promise you, it will not collapse even if your camera is 40Kg/88Lb. But, at that high camera weight(88Lb), the tripod is not any more acting as a photographic tripod. It just functions as a mechanical support, and it will pass the test well.

[RedGreenBlue]

I just want to confirm that 4x5 Cambos are surprisingly heavy. An SC-2 weighs 8.8 lbs, so does the 45SF. Not sure about the SC, but most likely also less than 9 lbs. The Master PC may be the heaviest at 16 lbs. An SCX should weigh around 15 lbs, the Ultima is 6 kg or 13.2 lbs and the Legend approximately the same. I believe the lightest are the SC, SC-2 and 45SF. All weights are without a lens and lens board.

Scott