Field Tripod for Horseman 8x10

[HT Finley]

I have a Horseman 8x10. The big one with the heavy L arms. I'm in the middle of a modification to get rid of the rear L arm, which will shed about 12,000 pounds off the camera and turn it into something that can be used in the field. On another site I saw a 2006 post from a guy who got a surveyor's tripod new off ebay for $40 in 2006 money and put a Bogen 3047 head on it, claiming it was very sturdy. He is no longer there to answer any questions. Like how to attach tripod head like that to it. And which tripod? If he could do it in 2006, then surely I can find the things to do it now. I am in no position to spend a pile of money. He said it was sturdy enough for any camera. Can anybody help? Thank you.

[Two23]

I have a Horseman 8x10. The big one with the heavy L arms. I'm in the middle of a modification to get rid of the rear L arm, which will shed about 12,000 pounds off the camera and turn it into something that can be used in the field. On another site I saw a 2006 post from a guy who got a surveyor's tripod new off ebay for $40 in 2006 money and put a Bogen 3047 head on it, claiming it was very sturdy. He is no longer there to answer any questions. Like how to attach tripod head like that to it. And which tripod? If he could do it in 2006, then surely I can find the things to do it now. I am in no position to spend a pile of money. He said it was sturdy enough for any camera. Can anybody help? Thank you.


Going cheap on a tripod, especially for something as vibration prone as 8x10, is a big mistake.


Kent in SD

[abruzzi]

When I looked at surveyors tripods, most seemed to have a 5/8-16 threaded bolt to mount a head/camera/surveying equipment on top. Most camera gear uses either 3/8-16 or 1/4-20, so you’ll either need to replace the mounting hardware or find something to adapt the 5/8-16 to 3/8-16. If you have a heavy 8x10, I wouldn’t use a Bogen 3047, which can barely manage a lightweight 8x10. I mount my 8x10 to a wooden tripod with only a leveling ball to minimize the leverage.

[Oslolens]

The Bosch BT160 should do the trick. Buy a bolt with the right thread long enough to reach through a 4" or 100mm and 1/8" or 3mm thick aluminium circle. I did found them both on ebay from USA, then came the trouble of a "free" Majestic head that did not like the big, flat circle with hole to big for the 1.5" aluminium bar. I can get a lathe from my father and I have room, but 1.5 ton.........

Sent fra min SM-G975F via Tapatalk

[esearing]

There is a great tripod in the for sale section now. But its a pile of money. Of course if you buy a great tripod once you will never need to buy one again. Imagine if we could get life expectancy out of our Cars and house hold machinery like HVAC units.

[Michael Graves]

I have that same camera...well, not the EXACT same one, but on just like it. Great camera, but heavy. The lightest tripod I own that handles it reasonably well is a Berlebach 3042. According to Berlebach's specs, this camera is just outside of the weight range, but I've got an old Gitzo Rationale #3 head mounted on the tripod and it's worked fine.

[Michael Graves]

T...house hold machinery like HVAC units...

No kidding. The furnace repair man just left my house an hour ago. A 2-year old Goodman furnace blew its inducer motor (whatever the #$%## THAT is). We had to wait four days to get the part in, partly because of the weekend. Then, since Goodman doesn't cover labor under their warranty, I had to pay $160.00 for the service call.

[Drew Wiley]

Forty bucks ain't bad for a beat up old survey tripod on the used market. But a forty buck new one will be a joke - most likely a Chinese knockoff with slipping legs and hardware that quickly fails. A high quality wooden fiberglass-clad tripod of sufficient strength is more likely to run around $200, if you can even find one. Bergger makes them, but also imports lesser quality equivalents, so you have to know which models are which. It's easy to convert survey tripods for camera use - just switch out the 5/8-11 turnbolt below the platform head with a captured 3/6-16 one.

No - don't go for some import piece of flimsy aluminum crap like that Bosch BT160. Get real wood. Those cheap aluminum things are intended as freebie add ons to relatively cheapo laser level packages. And I'm speaking from the standpoint of, prior to my retirement, one of the largest Bosch distributors in the country. And the reason they don't even offer a high-quality survey tripod of their own is that they simply don't need to - they now outright own CST Bergger USA itself as a separate division, and Bosch dealers can buy those items, including reputable US-made tripods, on the same purchase order if desired.

Spending 200 bucks on a decent clad wooden survey tripod is still quite a bargain compared to $600 or more for a comparable duty Ries wooden camera tripod. But a Ries is a Ries is a Ries, and well worth the extra money if you can afford one.

[cowanw]

No kidding. The furnace repair man just left my house an hour ago. A 2-year old Goodman furnace blew its inducer motor (whatever the #$%## THAT is). We had to wait four days to get the part in, partly because of the weekend. Then, since Goodman doesn't cover labor under their warranty, I had to pay $160.00 for the service call.
The service call WAS free. They charged for gas to go up your driveway.:)

[HT Finley]

As the OP, I am grateful for these suggestions and welcome more. I might interject by discussing what I had been using with the camera when it still had it's heavy rear L-arm. A Leitz Tiltall. It's all I had. I'm employed now at the rate of $17 an hour. I'm rich in comparison to those days. But still in no position to buy something really nice. Sometimes I actually used it on that Tiltall with the center post way up, because I am 6'4"". And believe me, I truly wondered if the tripod head was going to snap off. It was a fully loaded dump truck atop a dead tree branch. You use what you have to, with the means you have. I don't mind waiting for the camera to quit swaying a bit after loading the film holder and cocking the shutter. But that Tiltall needs to be put in the past with this camera, even with the removal of the rear L-arm. Or else an 8x10 camera I can't afford to replace is going to be lying on the ground smashed, with 1/2 a tripod still connected.

[esearing]

Having a limited budget requires longterm planning and saving. A Bogen/Manfrotto Aluminum 3021 tripod is pretty stable even with the center column raised. Weighs about 6 pounds without a head, is rated at 13lbs capacity, height is around 5 feet without center column extended. Can be found used on ebay for less than $100. Watch your local FB marketplace for tripods too.

[Bill Kumpf]

Here is the adaptation I did:

https://www.largeformatphotography.info/surveyor-tripod-conversion/

This was for a 4x5 but the idea should work. The article is posted on the LF Home Page.

[HT Finley]

Here is the adaptation I did:

https://www.largeformatphotography.info/surveyor-tripod-conversion/

This was for a 4x5 but the idea should work. The article is posted on the LF Home Page.

Thank you. It would be nice to kow the name of the tripod or one of like kind. Since that 4x5 looks a little puny on it, I'm truing to picture my weight-modified horseman on it. Looks like it might be OK. Of course there's no center column that can be raised up. Wonder how tall it is.

[Bill Kumpf]

I had my Calumet C1 (8x10) on it around the house. The C1 was too heavy for me to use in the field. This one was a CST/Berger. I did add a rope to tie the legs in place. On hard surfaces the legs spikes can slide. I sold my 8x10 outfit with this tripod and an Majestic tripod.

Check the reviews on the tripod. Some times there are used ones available.

Good Luck

[Robert Opheim]

I also have a Calumet C-1 8x10 - I do take it into the field. Most exposures are well over 1 second long. Vibration control and depth of field are my 2 most critical issues. I have used 2 Gitzo tripods, and have a vibration brace I use as well. It depends on how long the shutter speed is. If it is 1/30th of a second no problem - it is is 15 or 20 seconds - vibration control is a big issue. I have found that the tripod to camera connection is the weakest point for vibration - it needs to be triangulated or have
a really massive tripod head. No head is much better - but the connection to the top of tripod legs is still very weak.

[tgtaylor]

For Toyo 4x5 Robos and 8x10G monorails I use a Manfrotto 475B with Manfrootto 329RC4 pan/tilt head. The Robos weight is 12lbs and the 810G's is 19 lbs without lenses. The max load rating of the 475B is 26.5lbs and the 19lbs for the 329RC4. This tripod is heavy (9.5lbs) but very sturdy when set-up correctly with all locks tightened and both screws in the slot on the QL plate. Here is a recent shot of it while using the Robos:


[url]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51680320026_326250d1d6_o.jpg

I am of average height and can spread the legs out for added stability without having to use the geared center column. I also use the 475B for observing with 16X70 Fujinon FMT-SX Polaris using a parallelogram mount (12.6lbs) and 35mm and 6x7 photography using the Manfrotto Gimbal head. Again, this is a heavy tripod and I only use it for locations that are close to the car and within reasonable dolly range. For backpacking (limited) with a Toyo 810MII field camera (15lbs), I use a Gitzo G1349 with arca swiss BP head and arca tech leveling head.

Thomas

[Bernice Loui]

No center column if possible, no need for a center column as they are a point of instability and problems. Do NOT simply set up the tripod to the height/position that is default easy-comfy height. This is the most common Foto composition mistake. Camera position and height has a very strong influence on composition and how the image is rendered.

There are times when the tripod/camera position must be very high or very low or at eye level or etc.. Best to know where the camera position must be and lens focal length before setting up the camera/tripod.

Tripod or similar camera support Must accommodate the needs of camera position/lens choice on camera with absolute stability and vibration control.


Bernice




Thank you. It would be nice to kow the name of the tripod or one of like kind. Since that 4x5 looks a little puny on it, I'm truing to picture my weight-modified horseman on it. Looks like it might be OK. Of course there's no center column that can be raised up. Wonder how tall it is.

[j.e.simmons]

There’s always “The Best Damn Tripod in the World.” The Zone Vi. I trekked the Florida swamps and forests with one and my C1.

[Drew Wiley]

The Zone VI was just a half-baked converted so-so survey tripod. I gave mine away and replaced it with the real deal, a Ries. The legs on that ZVI literally froze up in cold wet weather, the top delaminated and had to be replaced, and all the hardware rusted. But I've nearly committed a felony by even mentioning the ZVI in the same sentence as a Ries. Certainly not one of the better items Fred Picker came up with.