What is your tripod of choice?

[Noah B]

Just wondering what your alls favorite tripod? I like the bogen 3021, its light and quick to set up!

[vinny]

I had one of those but it was too short for view camera work (I'm 6'3"). Gitzo 1325 now and much happier. No janky center column either.

[Geoffsco]

I recently bought a Really Right Stuff TVC33, and so far it's excellent. Very stable, and very light for its size. Nicely made too.

[darr]

Gitzo 1325 and I am short (5'3"). ;)

[Scott Davis]

I was using a Manfrotto 555 carbon-fiber, but I switched to an Induro CT314, also carbon fiber. I got the induro because I wanted something a bit more durable than the Manfrotto (it was a relatively early one and it had seen better days). Also, I prefer the twist-locks to the thumb-toggles for the leg extensions. The Induro will still fit in a suitcase with the head off, and handle just about any camera I have smaller than my 14x17 (I haven't tried it on the Induro yet but weight-wise it would be ok. Just don't know about the surface area though). For that one, I have a Gitzo 1420 legset with the 1570 pan-tilt head. The 11x14 will live on the Induro, I'm sure, but I haven't tried it yet - it's more of a museum piece and doesn't get used in the field. And then for the studio there's always Inga the INKA studio stand. It'll support ME... and I weigh north of 200 lbs.

[Gem Singer]

The Bogen 3021 with a Bogen 468RC4 ball head has long been my favorite tripod for my lighter weight cameras.

For my heavier cameras, I use a Manfrotto 475 with a Manfrotto 808RC4 pan/tilt head.

With arthritis in my hands, it is uncomfortable to use tripods that need a twisting movement in order to loosen and tighten the leg sections.

My Bogen and Manfrotto tripods use flip levers instead of twist collars.

[Leigh]

A wooden Zone VI, which I prefer in the field because it attracts attention.

Two Majestics, either of which would easily support my car.

- Leigh

[Vaughn]

Reis A100 with A250 head for the 8x10, wonderful piece of equipment for how I work. And for 4x5, 5x7 and non-LF I do like my old Gitzos (Studex and Reporter series).

The large Majestic with its gearhead is my second-string pod. Uncomfortable to carry any distance (too many knobs), but a nice back-up.

Vaughn

[Herb Cunningham]

Best in open field:Reis. I sold mine and regret that.
Best inside, the big Feisol. I don't like the "CF tripods or for that matter, any tripod that uses the twist collars for leg extension in cold weather, as if you don't have gloves on it can be painful to twist the collars.

I don't think there is a perfect fit for all occasions.

[RJC]

I have a Manfrotto Carbon 'n One 441 with a RRS BH55 head.

I have also purchased from Manfrotto a stock of the parts that wear out, so intend to keep this tripod in working order for another 20 years with luck.

Rob

[Frank Petronio]

I found a new old stock Aluminum Gitzo 326 with the two-pc center column for $200 and couldn't be more pleased, it is the perfect size and heft for 4x5 outdoors and won't blow over. It goes over head height, which I like for certain shots, and it isn't ridiculously large or heavy like the #5-series Gitzos (which are ideal for 8x10). Properly cleaned and adjusted, even the old style Gitzo leg locks work nicely (for me at least).

A few years ago I owned what I think is the best Gitzo in the same range, the GT3541XLS, which was great. But it costs $899 which distorts my personal scale of what such things should be worth. The new RRS tripods look even nicer - and more expensive.

Carbon Fiber probably is the best tripod material, being stiff yet damp so it absorbs vibration well, but the Aluminum Gitzos are heavy enough that they never get tippy or wind-blown. And so far I haven't found one prone to having harmonic vibration with my gear. And... while the Chinese CF tripods are nice, Gitzos (and I assume RRS) tripods are best quality.

After trying a lot of heads I came back to the Linhof 3-D head, which is also quite expensive new. I found one in great shape for under $200 on German eBay. I also like the Sinar Pan-Tilt head a lot but it really only works best with Sinar cameras, using anything else is a bit of a kludge.

If you are on a tighter budget, it is hard to beat a $100 older Leitz or original Tiltall until you spend 3-4x more....

[douglas gove]

Ries J100 and A100...Beautiful and trouble free

[Chris Wong]

Gitzo 1325

[yeknom02]

I'm really surprised that no one has mentioned a Tiltall yet. Just got an early one and it seems pretty good.

[Bob Salomon]

There are a myriad of choices but before getting everyones specific opinion you should first find out how tall they are, what they are putting on it. How far they trek with it, do they need one for use in water? etc.

Whatever will suit you best may not suit anyone that has answered your question. Best way to find the best tripod for you is the old fashioned way. Go to a store with a lot of tripods and look at them and compare.

You have a choice of wood, aluminum, carbon, basalt, etc. You have a choice of three leg and 4 leg camera supports, you can choose tripods with a leveling ball or without one. With a ball or pan head or without one. With a pceter column or without one, with a pneumatic, geraed or free moving column, lever locks or twist locks.

As for support, we have a small reverse fold tripod series that our 195 pound rep in Texas does pull-ups on. Of course, the tripod he does this on is rated to support 13 pounds!

[Ben Hopson]

Ries A100 with Ries A250 head for 8X10. Gitzo 3530LS for smaller formats. I have a RRS BH-55 head on the way for the Gitzo.

[jeroldharter]

Feisol.

I have one for 4x5 and a larger one for 8x10. Plus I have a monopod which I sometimes use for medium format.

[Heroique]

I like my Ries J-600 – the “backpacker” version that gets me through branches and brambles.

But add the Ries J-250 head, and I no longer like the tripod – I love it.

Remember, you can use the J-250 as a car jack in a pinch.

[Alan Gales]

I purchased or should I say "stole" a beautiful Ries A100 off of ebay a few years ago. The only reason I bought it was because it was such a great deal. I put an A250 double tilt head on it and fell in love with it. The leg locks are fantastic! Unfortunately, due to a back fusion it is heavy for me. I liked the A100 so much that I just recently bought a used J100 with J250 double tilt head. I'll keep the A100 for around the house or next to my Jeep.

[Two23]

Gitzo 1325 carbon fiber. I've had it for about eight years now and it just keeps doing its thing no matter how cold it gets or what I do to it. It was once hit by a train. Works like new. It could well outlive me. It has twist lock legs and I've never had a problem with them here in the Dakotas & Minnesota, even at 42 below zero.


Kent in SD

[Eric James]

Another vote for the 1325/1329, unless you're trimming to go light. I use mine without the center column.

[ivm]

Berlebach Report series of wooden tripods. Supports 36 lbs, but I can easily lean all my weight - 170 lbs on the top of it, and it does not even flinch. Cheap compared to CF - and gorgeous to look at. Weight is 7 lbs - but look at the weight of any CF tripod that will support that kind of load.

[R Mann]

Another vote for Ries with 250 head - they just got everything right - design, fit & finish, looks, and easy to use.

[rfesk]

I sold every tripod I had and made one work (by suspending weights from the center hook when necessary) for everything from a light P&S to my 5X7. Plenty rigid just too lightweight sometimes. It is the Gitzo G1228 with the center column replaced with a Markins plate.

The Gitzo 1325 is a fine tripod and the Bogen 3021 is my favorite to put up and take down.

Thinking of converting a wooden surveyors tripod for my 4X5 and 5X7 to use when I don't need to travel far.

[bobwysiwyg]

Berlebach Report series of wooden tripods. Supports 36 lbs, but I can easily lean all my weight - 170 lbs on the top of it, and it does not even flinch. Cheap compared to CF - and gorgeous to look at. Weight is 7 lbs - but look at the weight of any CF tripod that will support that kind of load.

Gets my vote as well.

[Rick A]

I've used Tiltalls for years, the Marchioni and Leitz models, and love them. I recently purchased an Induro AKB-2(ball head) and think it may replace my Tiltall permanently. It comes with a carry case and holds up to 22lbs. They also make a carbon fiber version, I haven't tried that yet.

[Two23]

Do the carbon fibre tripods get brittle or have problems at 20 below zero or colder temperatures?

If you don't wrap the legs will a damp hand stick to the legs like with metal?


No to both questions. I shoot at night a lot, in the Dakotas & Minnesota during winter. I love the drama! It's almost always below zero (F), and often 20-40 below. No problems from my Gitzo 1325 or AcraTech head. I don't like wrapped legs, but note that I don't go around out here without decent gloves on either. That would be stupid considering our low temps and high wind speeds. (The white on the upper legs is white camo tape. Lower legs is just snow.)

Kent in SD

Shot during a blizzard, --10F

[Chris Wong]

[QUOTE=Dakotah Jackson;722823]Do the carbon fibre tripods get brittle or have problems at 20 below zero or colder temperatures?

I had trouble with my Gitzo 1325 carbon fiber tripod this winter shooting in Yosemite on two different trips where I couldn't pull out the legs to extend them when I went shooting in the early morning. The tripod had been left in the car overnight at freezing temps. I ended up using my backup aluminum Gitzo. Later on in the morning when it warmed up the legs on Gitzo 1325 came sliding out when I picked it up to check on it because I had loosened the leg locks earlier. Did the carbon fiber expand or contract to cause it to not extend?

[Ed Kelsey]

I finally gave up on my old Gitzo CF due to leg locking problems. Replaced it with a 3 series aluminum Induro for under $200. A real bargain for the price with great leg locks.

[Richard Wasserman]

Chris,

I'm thinking that maybe you had some moisture inside the legs that froze. I have used my Gitzo 1325 in temperatures from about -20F to +100F with no problems whatsoever.

Another really nice tripod is a Linhof Twin-shank. It is light-weight and very solid—it also is taller than a 1325 which can come in handy. It has struts reinforcing the legs that I sometimes put sandbags on to further stabilize it. The only downside is that it is a bit bulky folded up.

[tgtaylor]

Gitzo G1438 without center column and Arca Swiss z1-sp for field work with 4x5 field cameras and Pentax 67II.

Gitzo GT0540 with G1177M ball head for lightweight backpacking with Toyo 45CF and Pentax 645N.

Manfrotto 475B with 329RC4 pan/tilt head for Toyo 810G and ROBOS.

Manfrotto 475B with Orion parallelogram mount for binocular astronomy with Fujinon 16x70 binoculars.

Meade field tripod with super wedge for astronomical observing with Meade 10" SCT.

[Petzval Paul]

Majestic! You can park your car on one of those babies!

[Ari]

I had a Tiltall for a couple of years, and it works perfectly with any metal field camera I've owned. When I got into using monorails more often, I bought an Induro 4-series for under $200, and it's been the best tripod I've ever owned.
Coupled with a Bogen 3039 head and oversize QR plate, I feel very good about putting an 8x10 Toyo G atop of it.
I still use the Tiltall with the metal field camera.

[kev curry]

The big fiesol legs...more stable than my gitzo 1227 but maybe not a fair comparison!

[Two23]

Later on in the morning when it warmed up the legs on Gitzo 1325 came sliding out when I picked it up to check on it because I had loosened the leg locks earlier. Did the carbon fiber expand or contract to cause it to not extend?

More likely there was moisture on the legs and it froze overnight when you retracted them. When it warmed up the ice melted and freed the legs. I once had my 1325 do that when I was shooting in a sleet storm. I collapsed the tripod without wiping the legs down, and left it in my car overnight as usual. Got down to about zero (F) that night, and next day the legs wouldn't slide out. I slammed the tripod against the highway pavement a couple of times and that loosened up the ice, freeing the legs.


Kent in SD

[Jim Noel]

Otto - the tripod Ries wishes it had made.

[Bill_1856]

For up to 5x7 the TILTALL is the best combination of low weight/price/durability. Lots of 'pods out there which will beat it on any two, but none (that I know of) can touch it for all three.

[John Kasaian]

Ries for the big cameras, a rather battered old Tiltall for the 4x5s:)

[I Am Luna]

I have a 4x5 camera that doesn't have fine/gear movements. Would it be smart to purchase a head that provides these movements to compromise?

ie: Manfrotto 410 or Manfrotto 405?

[Bruce Barlow]

My good ol' friend the Zone VI Lightweight with the Bogen 3047 head...

That said, I covet a Reis, but haven't treated myself...yet...

[Michael Graves]

For working in the field, I love my Berlebach tripods. I have the larger (3030?) for my 8x10 and a 2000 series for 5x7 and smaller.

[Fred L]

Ries A100 and J600. Really liked the Berlebach's built in ballhead when I owned one but not enough to make up for the lack of leg spread-ability. The Ries Tri Locks totally rule.

[Bob Salomon]

Ries A100 and J600. Really liked the Berlebach's built in ballhead when I owned one but not enough to make up for the lack of leg spread-ability. The Ries Tri Locks totally rule.

That depends on which Berlebach you buy. All that we sell have leg spreadability.

[Colin Graham]

I always wanted a Ries, but the weight and collapsed length seemed questionable for hiking. But those independent leg angle locks are a nice touch. Have they ever made a 3-stage leg design like Berlebach?

I'm surprised more manufacturers haven't used a cammed flip lever lock instead of the tiresome traditional thumbscrews to tighten the stages. When I played the drums, hardware fitted with it made setup and breakdown so much easier.

[Steve M Hostetter]

Gitzo G1325 carbon fiber tripod w/ Gitzo GH3781QR center ball head basalt bubble ball.. Great thing about this head is that it solves problems with needing to read levels from beneath the camera position..

weight = 5 lbs total

weight capacity = 46.2 lbs

I also have the same size Gitzo tripod in aluminum w/ a slik ball head at:

9 lbs total

weight capacity = 20 lbs

[Fred L]

That depends on which Berlebach you buy. All that we sell have leg spreadability.

They do spread but they have set detents whereas the Ries have infinite positions which is great if the terrain you're set up on is a hodge podge of stuff. Do miss the weight of the Berlebachs though but can live with it :)

[John Bowen]

I'm 6'6" and treated myself to a Ries J-100-8 (8 inches taller than a J-100). I used to own a zone vi lightweight and my back bothered me every time I put a camera on it. I also have a J-600 with extension legs and could stand on a milk crate and still be comfortable shooting. My cameras are Ritter 8x10, Ritter 7x17 and a zone vi 8x10. I don't own any 10 pound lenses. Oh yeah, I gave the j-250 heads on both tripods.

[Vaughn]

I always wanted a Ries, but the weight and collapsed length seemed questionable for hiking...

FWIW, I day-hike with the A100 Ries' legs fully extended -- I find it more comfortable to carry that way (the balance is better and the knobs are away from my shoulders), I can use it as a climbing aid that way, and it easier to rest on the ground when I stop.

But because of the weight and length, there is no easy way to attach it to a pack or bicycle, though I have ridden a little with it on the back rack (but no one better be tail-gating me!)

Vaughn

[Michael E]

They do spread but they have set detents whereas the Ries have infinite positions which is great if the terrain you're set up on is a hodge podge of stuff. Do miss the weight of the Berlebachs though but can live with it :)

I have three Berlebachs (two small ones and a big one). Only one of these has limiters for the leg movements, the others rely on friction only.

I have a Manfrotto 075 too, but I truely love my Berlebachs. One is always in my car, just in case. Incidently, they are made about 70 miles from my home, in a small town deep in the woods. Very idyllic there.

Michael

[Bob Salomon]

They do spread but they have set detents whereas the Ries have infinite positions which is great if the terrain you're set up on is a hodge podge of stuff. Do miss the weight of the Berlebachs though but can live with it :)

That depends on which version you buy. We import the ones with the preset cam positions. If you set the cam at the black position the legs spread infinitly up to their widest angle. Just the way a tripod with no leg stops would.

[Fred L]

That depends on which version you buy. We import the ones with the preset cam positions. If you set the cam at the black position the legs spread infinitly up to their widest angle. Just the way a tripod with no leg stops would.

True but there was no way, at least with the two that I owned, to lock the legs securely and tightly in a non detent position. That's all. I found it annoying when trying to pick up and move the sticks to reposition.

They're indeed a fine tripod but not for how I work.


cheers,

Fred

[Bob Salomon]

True but there was no way, at least with the two that I owned, to lock the legs securely and tightly in a non detent position. That's all. I found it annoying when trying to pick up and move the sticks to reposition.

They're indeed a fine tripod but not for how I work.


cheers,

Fred

That is why there are small hooks on the back of the lower leg locks so you can attach an accessory chain from Berlebach or a hardware store or a string to limit leg spread.

[Hector.Navarro]

another vote for Tiltall...

[Peter De Smidt]

I mainly use Gitzo series 5 aluminum pods, but they're overkill for 4x5, and I wish that the ones that I have went taller and had attachable spiked feet. I have the one's that I do because they came with kits that I bought. I expect a series 3 would be a better choice.

I have a 1227 Gitzo carbon fiber tripod, which is great for traveling with medium format rangefinders, but it's not a great choice for 4x5.

Finally, I have a Zone VI wooden tripod, which is super strong and great in the muck, but it's a pita to carry more than a short distance.

[rdenney]

I use Bogen 3036 tripods. For the Sinar, I use a Sinar tilt-head, which is the only really right answer for that camera. For my Pentax 6x7, I use an Arca-Swiss Monoball.

I also have a Manfrotto CF tripod--the one that is about the same size as the Bogen 3021 (I can't remember Manfrotto model numbers). It's fine for the Pentax and it's a boon for travel, but it's a bit light in my opinion for 4x5.

I also prefer lever locks rather than twist locks. I have a Gitzo monopod (also a Monostat monopod) that use twist locks and I always have to go into Captain Torque mode to avoid the risk of slippage.

I have always lusted for a Ries but have never been prepared to spend that kind of money, when I can get 3036 legs used for a hundred bucks.

The Tiltall is a classic, but the lack of a removable head is a deal-killer for me. The head is a bit light for a top-heavy monorail. Might be fine for a field camera or a smaller camera.

I played with Berlebachs extensively with the idea of buying one, and I really like the leveling ball. But I did not not like the leg angle scheme. The chain is no replacement for the stiff, adjustable-length center braces used by the 3036.

Rick "who has carried a 3036 like a suitcase for miles at a time" Denney

[Kevin Crisp]

Gitzo 1325, with no center column, and I'm 6'4". Fast to set up, very solid, much lighter than an aluminum tripod. I use it for everything from MF to 4X10.

[ki6mf]

Berlebach 3042 - Tripod cost about US$285.00 Wood Tripod as good as carbon, much less money and fairly light weight.