good affordable tripod?

[dh003i]

I purchased a Linhof 4x5 monorail, and am looking for a good stable tripod for it. I currently have a Bogen/Manfrotto 190XPROB, but that is rated for 15 lbs, I believe, and I think I'll want something more sturdy for a LF camera.

Frank Petronio's house this weekend to see his 8x10 LF in action (thank you Frank, beautiful piece of equipment), and he certainly has a sturdy metal tripod for it.

What do you guys recommend? Ideally, I want something that can get down quite low (but not center column tilting thing), and can also go up fairly high.

In light of the maxim that for tripods, you can pick two of stable, light, and affordable, but not all 3, I'll forgo the "light" part.

[Eric Biggerstaff]

Check out the Giottos line of tripods distributed by HP Marketing. Excellent quality and lots of features for the money. One of the best tripod values out there in my opinion. They come in aluminum, CF and lava. Bob at HP Marketing can answer any questions you might have.

[Ron Marshall]

If you are planning to shoot any distance from your car, pay the premium for a lighter tripod; otherwise you will be in the market for another tripod in a year or so.

Check out the Feisol tripods.

[Pat Hilander]

Here's one from the For Sale section of this forum. Not mine and not lightweight but a pretty good price:

http://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/showthread.php?t=41446

[Vick Vickery]

Since you said "afordable", I assumme that money is at least a small concern (right, some of them can get quite pricy!); I'd go to eBay or other used sources and take a look at the old Davis and Sanford line. Their big tripods will hold ME up and they extend to about 8' (watch your chin, though, they have an air assist built into the center column that can be forceful). For going low, they made a side extention that attaches to the bottom of the center column and can hold the camera just a few inches off the ground. I've got two of these tripods and have been using this brand for about 40 years without complaint...well with one small complaint: they are heavy.

[Alan Davenport]

IINM, the 190XPROB is the current number for the former 3021? If that's the case, I suggest you give it a try before just replacing it. I use a 3401 legset (which is 3021-series) and I find it adequate for my 4x5 monorail, including using the column horizontally with the camera hanging off the side. If you demand more support, the next step in Manfrotto's pods might be the 3051 (or whatever they're calling it this year.)

[Frank Petronio]

http://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/showthread.php?t=41446 that Gitzo is only $125 now, better snag it as it is worth every penny and a great match for a light 4x5 Linhof monorail...

otherwise, why not look for a good used Linhof aluminum tripod?

[dh003i]

Thanks all for the help, I'm checking out the tripod in the for sale forum.

[zack]

I had the same objective and took a slightly different approach. I found a surveying tripod on an auction site for about $100 shipped. An afternoon at the hardware store converted it to work perfectly with my 3047 head.

Here's (http://zack.loseby.net/images/cameraporn/1.jpg) an image of the tripod before I removed the center column and attached the head. The legs will easily support my 185 pounds. It seems to weigh about 20 pounds. Not exactly ideal for long treks, but I've carried it a couple miles and didn't die. The whole thing is rock solid. My only issue is the spiked feet don't work well on smooth floors. I may make it some booties.

[Bill_1856]

I'm a Tiltall man myself, but old Linhof tripods are built like the proverbial outhouse, are relatively light for pre-carbon fiber construction, and go for peanuts on ebay. As far as I'm concerned, Gitzo's suck.