carrying a wooden tripod vs. Alu.

[stradibarrius]

I currently have a Giotto AL tripod that weighs about 7lbs. I also use a Manfrotto 3 way head. When I attach my Sinar F2 and carry it over my shoulder for the day it is not a pleasant experience.
I am wondering if carrying a wooden tripods of equal weight is more comfortable? Comfortable being a relative term for sure.
I also hate the twist locks on the legs. It seems you have to twist a lot to loosen the enough the get them to slide freely.
I am looking at the Berlebach or Wolf. The Ries is out of my price range.
I have read a lot of the threads about wooden tripods here and also on line.

Opinions and experiences would be appreciated.

[Mark Stahlke]

I currently have a Giotto AL tripod that weighs about 7lbs. I also use a Manfrotto 3 way head. When I attach my Sinar F2 and carry it over my shoulder for the day it is not a pleasant experience.Before you spend a lot of money on a new tripod spend a couple of bucks to cover the top section of your tripod legs with foam pipe insulation. I think you'll find that much more comfortable to carry over your shoulder.

[Bob Salomon]

Before you spend a lot of money on a new tripod spend a couple of bucks to cover the top section of your tripod legs with foam pipe insulation. I think you'll find that much more comfortable to carry over your shoulder.

The Giotto leg sections are foam covered.

[William Whitaker]

If your current tripod carried over your shoulder bothers you, then any tripod will do the same regardless of its material. I fold up my darkcloth and use it as a pad between my shoulder and the tripod.

[Peter De Smidt]

My Zone VI standard wooden tripod is very heavy, at about 16lbs, but it has very wide, flat legs. It's much more comfortable to carry on a shoulder than my much lighter Gitzo tripods.

[stradibarrius]

I was wondering if the difference in the shape of the legs would make any difference...good or bad.
Bob is correct my Giotto has foam on the legs.

My Zone VI standard wooden tripod is very heavy, at about 16lbs, but it has very wide, flat legs. It's much more comfortable to carry on a shoulder than my much lighter Gitzo tripods.

[Peter De Smidt]

Yes, wide and flat distributes the weight much better than fairly small and round. It shouldn't be to hard to come up with a pad that your current tripod could rest on.

[Michael Jones]

All these posts are right; the darkcloth is the best pad in my experience.

But after 20+ years, I retired my everyday wooden tripod and bought a carbon fiber Gitzo. Wow, what a relief! The only problem is rebalancing the load; the camera weighs much more than the tripod, so I have to carry it closer to my head. But my shoulder (not to mention my back) is happier!

Mike

[Alan Gales]

I fold up my darkcloth and use it as a pad between my shoulder and the tripod.

That's a great idea. I have done the same thing with my T shirt when I worked construction. It really helps.

If you don't want to use your dark cloth bring a thick towel with you. It can also be used to wipe the sweat from your brow!


If you are patient you may find a good deal on a Ries off Ebay. That's where I bought mine. As you know, they cost a small fortune new.

[Vaughn]

I have a Ries -- when over my shoulder it often rests on the shoulder pad of my camera pack (8x10). I find it carries best when extended almost all the way (for balance and getting any knobs away from my shoulder).

I also do a lot of off-trail hiking with it and by carrying the pod fully extended, I can rest the spikes on the ground when taking large steps up or down -- that way I am not lifting that 17 pounds or so at the same time as the 45 pounds of my pack...nor putting that 17 pounds of weight on my knees stepping down.

[mandoman7]

After getting absorbed in the lore, I got a used Ries in good shape for 8x10 usage. While I loved the craftmanship and look, in use it seemed heavy and balky to me. My old Bogen 3036 set up more quickly and was easier to adjust once up as was the Gitzo Studio Pro, but I swore after a few years to never take those on a hike again. The solution for me was a feisol carbon fiber with a hook that allows using the camera bag as a weight. After using that arrangement in the field a few times, I'd never go back to carrying a heavy tripod a long distance. Working out of the trunk is a different matter and I'll use the heaviest tripod available then. But for me there seems to be an inverse relationship between the amount of gear I'm carrying and the quality of shots that I seem to find.

[Vlad Soare]

I am wondering if carrying a wooden tripods of equal weight is more comfortable? Comfortable being a relative term for sure.

No, quite the contrary. Wooden tripods have sharp edges. All other things being equal, I find wooden tripods less comfortable to carry than metal ones (which have round legs).