tripod suitable for heavy sinar and graflex-which?

[Discoman]

i'm looking at a manfrotto 058b with 400 geared head, an 8018 majestic tripod, and a 5221 majestic tripod.
which would be the best for my uses? i want/need the geared head, and i'm saving up for a lot of accessories for my sinar, which are going to add a lot of weight. i'm looking for user opinions mostly.
thanks!

[Kirk Fry]

My old Majestic with geared head will hold a Sherman Tank and weighs 19 lb. before you put the camera on it....... Perfect for a digitoy. KFry

[Cornelius]

I'm running probably on the lightest weight tripod I can use with the camera I have, but so far it's worked great. I use a Sinar F2 with a 90mm f8 Schneider lens mounted on it, with the Manfrotto 055XB legs and they're fantastic. Very stable, and if I thought there would be an issue, I could always hang a counter weight on the hook. This is the only lens setup I currently use though, and the wide angle requires little if any bellows extension. If you're thinking of using a tele/long lens, with rail extension and extra bellows they may not work as well. They're supposed to be good for 15 pounds, and like I said, with my setup they have been more than enough. Very inexpensive as well! :D

[seepaert]

I'm using a Cambo 4x5 on a manfrotto 58B, without any problems. In between is a Cambo geared head, a lot heavier than the more common Manfrotto 400-series geared heads.

The B on the typenumber only indicates that it is black, it's your choice whether you think that's important or not.

I never move the centre column for more than a few cm, preferably not at all, for me that's common practice on any tripod or any camera.

[Frank Petronio]

I'll be a nag and go robotically go back to my recommendation for every Sinar camera: the Sinar Pan-Tilt head designed for the system. Ask anyone who uses one... it is simply the most solid, best designed component in the entire Sinar line, and a joy to use. The camera's own Rail Clamp provides your yaw axis movement. It won't be geared but because it is so smooth and secure, it allows you to position the camera very accurately.

Perhaps you think you want the precision of a geared head but be prepared to sacrifice some stability compared to the Sinar head, which mates perfectly with the camera. It will hold a fully extended 8x10 with ease, yet it is compact and fairly lightweight. For that reason alone I'd go with the Sinar.

I'll also point out that if you think you want a geared head... what you probably really want are geared movements, aka a Sinar P or P2. The point of view is always going to be fine-tuned by the camera, not the support system, otherwise you might as well not have those movements....

I've had the Majestic geared head and the Manfrotto 410, both of which have a fair amount of play and backlash. Advocates of the Manfrotto advise that this can be reduced by adjusting their heads. I don't think the Majastic was meant to be super precise -- rather it was meant to make moving a very heavy 8x10 camera easier.

As for the legset, whatever you can afford... and go as heavy duty as you can stand to carry. The Gitzo 5-series is rock solid and weighs as much. The carbon fiber version dampens vibration and is the ultimate. But the Majestic line is very solid/heavy and a good value. If I don't mention that the Manfrottos have a fair amount of slop that only gets worse with age (but can be adjusted out on their better models) it's because I tend to give Italian-made products a little more leeway thanks to my heritage.

[Dirk Rösler]

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4027/4371617036_4e18a66cec_o.jpg

What Master Frank said...

[Peter De Smidt]

I'm agree with Frank and Dirk.

[Milton Tierney]

Has anyone used a surveyor tripod? I’ve used one during my short survey days. They are very stable and I think cheaper. http://www.southern-tool.com/store/Tripods.html

[Frank Petronio]

Hey Dirk that's MY head!

[Peter De Smidt]

Has anyone used a surveyor tripod? I’ve used one during my short survey days. They are very stable and I think cheaper. http://www.southern-tool.com/store/Tripods.html

Sure, but you'll have to adapt it for use with a photo head, as survey equipment used 5/8ths threads. It's not too hard. A Zone VI tripod is a wooden surveyor tripod modified for use with photo heads.

Surveyor tripods excel in the field for waist level and higher camera positions, especially when you can sink the huge feet into the ground. They are heavier and bulkier than photo tripods. I prefer a Gitzo series 5 tripod on hard smooth surfaces.

[Dirk Rösler]

Hey Dirk that's MY head!

Get over it Frank, she is with me now and we're happy together :p

[Discoman]

I'll be a nag and go robotically go back to my recommendation for every Sinar camera: the Sinar Pan-Tilt head designed for the system. Ask anyone who uses one... it is simply the most solid, best designed component in the entire Sinar line, and a joy to use. The camera's own Rail Clamp provides your yaw axis movement. It won't be geared but because it is so smooth and secure, it allows you to position the camera very accurately.

Perhaps you think you want the precision of a geared head but be prepared to sacrifice some stability compared to the Sinar head, which mates perfectly with the camera. It will hold a fully extended 8x10 with ease, yet it is compact and fairly lightweight. For that reason alone I'd go with the Sinar.

I'll also point out that if you think you want a geared head... what you probably really want are geared movements, aka a Sinar P or P2. The point of view is always going to be fine-tuned by the camera, not the support system, otherwise you might as well not have those movements....

I've had the Majestic geared head and the Manfrotto 410, both of which have a fair amount of play and backlash. Advocates of the Manfrotto advise that this can be reduced by adjusting their heads. I don't think the Majastic was meant to be super precise -- rather it was meant to make moving a very heavy 8x10 camera easier.

As for the legset, whatever you can afford... and go as heavy duty as you can stand to carry. The Gitzo 5-series is rock solid and weighs as much. The carbon fiber version dampens vibration and is the ultimate. But the Majestic line is very solid/heavy and a good value. If I don't mention that the Manfrottos have a fair amount of slop that only gets worse with age (but can be adjusted out on their better models) it's because I tend to give Italian-made products a little more leeway thanks to my heritage.

I was going to sue the geared head for the cameras that I use that do not offer geared movements. the sinar I use is a C2, which has the P2 rear standard/standard bearer, and the multipurpose standard for the front.

as nice as the sinar tripod head is, it won't do as much as a regular geared head, which wouldn't work as well when i use the graflex or other cameras.

I did look at one at one point before deciding it wasn't really that great of an idea.
Thanks though

[Discoman]

well, to be more specific, i was wondering if the portability, ease of use/setup of a 058B with the 400 (previously the 3263) tripod head would have any benefit over a majestic and majestic head.
I use a manfrotto 3046 with the standard head that came on it for my tripod uses. i do sorta avoid having to use it i must admit-the legs are really hard to adjust and i HATE the non geared head-it has a lot of slop. it's really fun to try to hold a heavy camera so you can release the head to move it without it falling. plus, the head on it still likes to move, no matter how hard i clamp it down.

i have heard that majestic tripods were good and incredibly strong, but their issue was that they were heavy.

i doubt i would use a carbon tripod, i have seen a carbon tube explode, and it doesn't really offer much of a benefit for me.

[Daniel Unkefer]

I just bought an old FOBA C40, it's really sweet with my 8x10 Norma. I use the Sinar Pan Tilt Head, it's the best.

[Frank Petronio]

We tried ;-)

You need an Arca-Swiss Cube.

[Discoman]

We tried ;-)

You need an Arca-Swiss Cube.

and i appreciate the help.

the cube looks really nice. what about the knockoff version that's half the price? they are pretty much the exact same thing.

this costs about as much as the arca swiss cube: http://www.hobiecat.com/kayaking/models_adventure.html
the cube is great, just a little pricey.

as a (hopefully) final question, i'm thinking the best way to make the tripod choice would be to try the ones out. is there a place that rents tripods and tripod heads?

i'm thinking rent a majestic 7525 tripod with a 1207 tripod head

and also a manfrotto 058B with the 400 tripod head (not 405 or 410)

the sinar head is nice, but it does like to go for really high prices-even used on fleabay

[erie patsellis]

We tried ;-)

You need an Arca-Swiss Cube.

or, if you're on a budget a used Majestic will be geared on one axis, cheap as dirt these days.