Tripod Recommendations for 8x20

[Sanjay Sen]

(I did find an old thread about this question, specifically for Gitzo tripods, but it's from 2004. So I thought it would be a good idea to ask this question again since tripod models have surely changed in the past seven years.)

My new-to-me (and almost new!) Wisner 8x20 Technical Field weighs in at 18 lbs. So, I am looking for tripod (and head) recommendations for a setup that weighs about 25 lbs. Since I'm not going to backpack with the 8x20, the tripod weight is not a critical factor in the decision process, stability definitely is. I am currently thinking of the Ries A100 with the A250 head. Will this combination work? What would you recommend?

Thanks in advance for your suggestions.


Regards,
Sanjay

[Richard K.]

|||||||||||||||||||||||||||I am currently thinking of the Ries A100 with the A250 head. Will this combination work? What would you recommend?

Thanks in advance for your suggestions.||||||||||||||||||||||||||


Regards,
Sanjay

Sanjay, that is a sterling combination, rock solid. I used that when I owned an 8x20. I've had to downsize to 10x12 as my biggest now.

[Vaughn]

I have that Ries combination. It will provide all the stability you need. I only use it with 8x10, and a little with a light Ritter 7x17, but the increase to 8x20 should be no problem for the combo. I am 6'4" and I can actually set it up too high for me to see easily. If you are not this tall -- it seems that the pod is even more stable when the legs are not fully extended. Both the legs and head are rated to 25 pounds and that seems conservative to me.

[Leigh]

Majestic

Their larger single-leg tripods are rated to support 40 pounds.

I have both the single-leg and double-leg types. The latter has two telescoping legs in each position. I use it to support my car when I change the oil. :cool:

I think the double-leg type is no longer in production, but can be found on the used market.

Majestic products can be found on the B&H Photo website http://www.bhphotovideo.com

- Leigh

[Ari]

I bought an aluminum Induro A413 rated for 20kg (44lbs) just last week for under $200.
Very well-made, very sturdy and quite light at 3kg (6,6 lbs); it feels lighter than that.
There was a sale on Induros at vistek.ca, it might still be at that price.

[David de Gruyl]

Another option: Induro A413, Majestic Head. This is a very solid combination, and several hundred dollars cheaper than the Ries. (also, it is a gear head in one direction, which makes the tilt easier to adjust).

[Peter De Smidt]

I've never owned a Ries, although I have looked at them. They have an outstanding reputation. I don't see how you could go wrong with one.

I have a Zone VI 'standard' series tripod. It's about 16 lbs. I've used it for holding a good-sized telescope. It would have no problem with your camera. This tripod has huge spiked feet, and it's great off pavement.

If you shoot predominantly on pavement (or wood floors), a series 5 Gitzo should do the trick.

[Drew Wiley]

I gave away my old Zone VI to a friend with a telescope. It was just a slightly modified
wooden survey tripod, of the kind you can get for about two hundred bucks. The Ries
is way,way better built: all the hardware is nonferrous bronze or stainless, so won't
rust or fatigue, and the legs are far less prone to literally freezing shut in cold weather.
I don't use a head at all, so the camera is superbly supported just on the flat tripod
platform.

[Peter De Smidt]

I agree that the Ries is more elegant than the Zone VI, but then it should be since the Ries costs $620, about two times more than the Zone VI sold for new.

[Michael Jones]

I agree that the Ries is more elegant than the Zone VI, but then it should be since the Ries costs $620, about two times more than the Zone VI sold for new.

I've had both set-ups and Peter is dead on. The large Zone VI served me well for my 8x20 and 14x17. I loved the Ries, but I was able to use the price differential to buy film. (I kept the head, though).

Good luck.

Mike

[John Koehrer]

The Ries, Majestic, Gitzo and Zone Vl will all do you well. I've never seen an Induro.
Series 5 Gitzo would be great. Gitzo seems to change model numbers and paint every 5-10 years, I think it's like chrome on a car. It's the same car with a new name.

[Sanjay Sen]

Thanks, all, for taking the time to reply and share your opinions/suggestions. I hadn't considered the Majestic or Induro tripods, and will take a look at them.

Does anybody know about (or use) the Berlebach tripods? Also, is there any reason to consider wooden tripods over metal? The Ries website says wood is better, and I am wondering if you agree with that statement from practical experience. I have never owned a wooden tripod.

[Vaughn]

I mis-treat my tripod. I use it as a hiking aid -- using it to help lower myself and my 8x10 pack down off of rocks, etc. I take it off trail and have taken a few good falls -- a metal pod would have been toast by now. Metal bends and deforms -- it does not take much to put a dent in a metal tripod leg so that the inner leg no longer slides in or out. Wood bends and rebounds back to its original shape. Carbon fiber probably shatters.

Of course if you stay on nice safe flat ground this may not be a big factor for you. But I head off into the wild and way off the trail as much as I am on flat even ground. And it is tough to beat a set of spikes on the legs for stability. Weston complained that he lost most of his shots in the redwoods due to the legs of his tripod sinking into the duff during the exposure -- I don't think he had spikes on his pod.

Carrying a metal pod in the cold of winter is tough on the hands. No problem with a wood pod. On a metal pod, one can get around this by putting some sort of neopene or rubber material on a leg or two. Wood also dampens vibrations better.

I have carried a Majestic -- still own it and it is a great steady pod. A SOB to carry...not so much the weight, but all the knobs on that beast means there is no easy way to just put it over your shoulder -- a knob or two will always be there digging into your shoulder, or catching on the straps of your backpack. I had to wrap the upper legs with a closed cell foam backpacking sleeping pad in order to carry it any distance.

[Sanjay Sen]

Thanks, Vaughn, for sharing your experiences. I guess it is safe to assume that you are a fan of wooden tripods! :)

[peter schrager]

just went through an experience concerning carbon fiber...in Vt in the extreme cold and snow storms; mine shattered..first one leg broke off; then another one (ever take 2 legged photos?) regardless my friend Richard Ritter lent me a zone VI and it performed flawlessly
wood is the material you want....and it can be repaired in the field or by a trip to a hardware store..
Best, Peter

[engl]

just went through an experience concerning carbon fiber...in Vt in the extreme cold and snow storms; mine shattered..first one leg broke off; then another one (ever take 2 legged photos?) regardless my friend Richard Ritter lent me a zone VI and it performed flawlessly
wood is the material you want....and it can be repaired in the field or by a trip to a hardware store..
Best, Peter

I'm curious, how cold?

[RichardRitter]

10 degrees tripod sat in the car over night. Some epoxies resins used for fiber glass and other fibers get very brittle when it gets cold. Some have better thermal strength. It just how much money are the manufacture are willing to spend. As to the maker of the tripod Peter had they cut cost. The carbon rods I use sit in a unheated room and this morning it was 5 below and I took a rod and tried to break it. It is still in one piece.

I remember a story from the early 70's where this guys wife took the Corvet out to the store when it was 15 degrees and windy and took the highway home. Bump something pulling it into the garage and the body shattered.

[Sanjay Sen]

Thanks, Peter and Richard. I wasn't considering CF tripods, but it's always good to know. And I do plan on going to Vermont during the winter!

[John Bowen]

1st tripod was a Bogen 3050 with a 3047 head. Metal, wonderful inside, a real PITA in the North East winters.

Next a Zone VI lightweight with a Bogen 3047 head. Solved the cold, but too short for a guy who is 6'6".

Next a Zone VI standard with the Bogen 3057(?) head. Solved the height problem, but VERY heavy.

Next a Ries J100-8 (8" taller than a Ries J100) with the Ries J250 head. Absolutely wonderful tripod. In fact, it is tall enough that when it is fully extended and the camera is pointed down this 6'6" photographer needs to stand on a milk crate to see the ground glass. It handles my Ritter 7x17, Zone VI 8x10 or Ritter 8x10 with no problems. In fact, I like it so well, I purchased a 2nd Ries combo. It comes in handy when you have the 7x17 set up and are waiting for the light to change. The 2nd tripod allows me to continue working with an 8x10 until the light improves.

If I had your Wisner 8x20 camera, I'd be happy with the Ries A series gear or since they likely weigh the same, the Zone VI standard tripod.

[Peter De Smidt]

I have had a wooden tripod warp. It was a Zone VI lightweight. It's true that they can be fixed. I've never had any issues with my series V Gitzo, although I don't shoot much in sand. If I did, I expect that I'd have to disassemble the legs and clean the threads after shooting in the sand. If you shoot near saltwater, then I expect the wooden tripod would be less susceptible to corrosion, although the metal pieces would still do so. Basically, in the muck I prefer my Zone VI standard. Anywhere else I prefer the Gitzo.

[Justin Cormack]

Thanks, all, for taking the time to reply and share your opinions/suggestions. I hadn't considered the Majestic or Induro tripods, and will take a look at them.

Does anybody know about (or use) the Berlebach tripods? Also, is there any reason to consider wooden tripods over metal? The Ries website says wood is better, and I am wondering if you agree with that statement from practical experience. I have never owned a wooden tripod.

I have a Berlebach and really like it. Stable. There are a few threads about them.

[Sanjay Sen]

On the Bogen / Manfrotto 3021BPRO tripod that I currently use for everything up to 8x10, there is a circular bubble level which I use each and every time I setup the tripod. Do the Ries / Berlebach models have this? If not, how do you level the tripod before putting the camera on it? (Assume, for the sake of discussion, that there are no bubble levels on the camera or they have dried up.)

[John Bowen]

My Ries J tripod has a bubble level, but it is on the J series head, not on the tripod itself. I also carry a keychain level I purchased from B&H for about $6. This helps me check levels on the cameras in case the tripod is not completely level.

[Scott Davis]

Depending on the model of Berlebach you get, they have a leveling ball either in lieu of or in conjunction with a center column that you can use to level the camera if the legs are not level.

[Leigh]

... how do you level the tripod before putting the camera on it?
The Majestic has three level vials on the base casting, oriented at 120° increments.

- Leigh

[Dan Dozer]

I have an old surveyers tripod that is pretty solid with a Majestic head for my 8 x 20. The Majestic head is certainly the most affordable now days - less than $50 on the auction site, but I'm not really happy with it. It might work fine for an 8 x 10, but there is too much play in gears for the added weight and size of the 8 x 20. If budget is a big issue, the Majestic head is a good place to start, but you will probably want something better after a while.