Super-duty tripod?

[carlosmh1910]

Hello everybody,

I'm in search of a new tripod because I've been using an extra front standard and bellows for macro shots and my current tripod seems a bit on the light side at only 5lbs. I'm looking for something really rigid and sturdy because I'm outdoors a lot and I don't want the wind to blow me around.

Does having a spreader really make that much of a difference for rigidity? Some tripods with spreaders only have a max weight of 26 when a non-spreader model may have 40. Would it be better to get a Bogen/Manfrotto 3251, which has a spreader but lighter max load, or go with something that carries more and just hang a sand bag? I originally ordered a Vanguard Auctus Plus 323AT, which can carry 39 lbs, but I have not opened it yet and don't know what I should do. Any advice would be great. With so many different types of tripods around, it can be confusing! BTW, I want to spend less than $300 and I DON'T MIND carrying around heavy tripods (I'm pretty sturdy:). Thanks!

[Gem Singer]

Consider the Manfrotto 475B tripod legs.

Your tripod needs will be fulfilled and you will stay within your budget,

[carlosmh1910]

Is that much differ than the Manfrotto 058?

[Richard Wasserman]

Look for a used Linhof Twin-Shank tripod. They only weigh 6-7 pounds and are VERY sturdy. A bit bulky, but solid.

[Bob Salomon]

Look for a used Linhof Twin-Shank tripod. They only weigh 6-7 pounds and are VERY sturdy. A bit bulky, but solid.

You are suggesting the Linhof Twin Shank Pro Expert tripod, 003317. It weighs 6.5 pounds without a head.
But Linhof makes another twin shank tripod. The Linhof Heavy Duty Pro tripod. It weighs 16.3 pounds without a head or a center colum and the center column alone will bring it up to 24.3 pounds.

So don't just go by the twin shank design.

[Gem Singer]

The Manfrotto 058B and the 475B are similar, but not the same.

The 058B is classified as a studio tripod, and is more expensive.

[carlosmh1910]

If the 058B is a studio tripod, does that mean it's not suited for outdoor use?
Also, does the spreader really give much rigidity to the tripod?? I noticed many people recommending the Tiltall in another forum, but it doesn't have the spreader support (and may be too light for my taste.)

[C. D. Keth]

Since you say you don't mind heavy, you can't go wrong with a gitzo giant studex. I recently bought one and it's wonderful. It's extremely steady and will get you a lens height of about 10 feet. I didn't try it but I get the impression that you could probably put it up and do pull-ups from it, or use it as a teepee frame.

I paid less than $200 for mine and I've seen other around that price as well so it won't at all break the bank.

It's tall:
https://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/293090_10100265967036965_1276345111_n.jpg

[Richard Wasserman]

Thank you for the clarification!



You are suggesting the Linhof Twin Shank Pro Expert tripod, 003317. It weighs 6.5 pounds without a head.
But Linhof makes another twin shank tripod. The Linhof Heavy Duty Pro tripod. It weighs 16.3 pounds without a head or a center colum and the center column alone will bring it up to 24.3 pounds.

So don't just go by the twin shank design.

[Cletus]

Majestic 4800. The heavy dutiest of the heavy duties!


80056

[Drew Wiley]

Just buy a wooden Ries and be done with it. Heck, I don't even bother to tighten the knobs controlling leg spread and the thing is like a rock.

[Gem Singer]

According to the OP, he wants to spend less than $300.

That eliminates the Majestic and the Ries.

The Manfrotto 475B is priced under $300 new, and is sturdy enough to handle an 8x10 monorail, yet portable enough for field work.

[joselsgil]

Consider the Manfrotto 475B tripod legs.

Your tripod needs will be fulfilled and you will stay within your budget,

I really like the 475 Manfrotto series. It seems to handle a Kodak 8X10 2D, without any problems.

[carlosmh1910]

Thanks everyone for your very helpful responses thus far! I couldn't find the Ries, Majestic, or Gitzo for under $300, but I can keep looking. The Manfrotto 475 looks good, but I was curious about how accurate the 26.5 lb max load capacity is. So far my Manfrotto 229 head, 131D Side arm, F1, Lens, Extension Rails, extra front standards weigh in at over 20 lbs, and I wasn't sure how close to max weight one can push the tripod. Thanks!

[Gem Singer]

Carlos,

Since you need a tripod that can easily handle 20+ lbs, it will be difficult (but not impossible) to locate one that costs under $300.

The Manfrotto 475 tripod legs can handle the weight, but you will need to match it up with a heavy duty tripod head.

[frotog]

Manfrottos are decent, cheap tripods. I always liked the quick release leg locks...until they break. Stick with a Gitzo or a Linhof if you want something burley. How much height do you need? I might have something in the storage space that fits your criteria.

[carlosmh1910]

Fotog,

Height doesn't matter much, actually. I'm taking macros of the ground, so the camera usually isn't very high anyway and I just use a lateral arm to shoot straight down. I just need something that wont sway in the wind. In the rare occasion that I want to shoot landscapes though, I'm only 5'9" so I don't need anything that tall anyway, LOL.

[joselsgil]

carlossmh,

Where are you located?

Some pro-camera shops have rental departments. You can possibly rent a tripod prior to buying. this would help you decide which tripod meets your needs.

Good luck,

Jose

[E. von Hoegh]

Just buy a wooden Ries and be done with it. Heck, I don't even bother to tighten the knobs controlling leg spread and the thing is like a rock.

Or get a Camera Equipment Co. tripod.

[Jeff Keller]

Check ebay for Manfrotto 3058 or 3258. Currently a 3058 with a broken knob for $275, rated for 44 lbs (weighs 21 lbs).
If you are mostly using the lateral arm, I wonder if two lighter weight tripods with a lateral arm between them wouldn't be much better.
Jeff Keller

[John Koehrer]

CL i Chicago has had several Majestics for less than $200. lately.

[frotog]

Hi, Carlos,

I found my Gitzo. It's a pro-studex series 4 aluminum model (g 410) from the late nineties. A couple chips in the grey crinkle paint but in perfect operating condition. It has a nice R4+ rational head on it. No ctr. column. It's a super burly tripod, not lightweight (around 12 lbs. with head), designed to hold much more weight then you'll ever use, big wing locks on the top leg, and can do the splits if you need it to. Let me know if you'd like to see some pictures.

[Lenny Eiger]

Hello everybody, I'm looking for something really rigid and sturdy because I'm outdoors a lot and I don't want the wind to blow me around.

I think a heavier tripod offers almost no help with wind at all. The bellows, especially if you have it extended for close-ups, is like a sail. Worse, its a sail with ridges which means it vibrates. The best thing you can do is block the wind. A couple of friends next to the camera works. Others tell me they use umbrellas. I've brought along the expandable thing that covers a car windshield for sun protection.

There is also a device which is called a "Wind Eliminating Kit" which is kinda expensive, from AWB (film holders.com). It is basically a little divide you screw on to your front and rear standards, then an aluminum rod goes between them. Does it work? I'm not really sure, but it points the way to other possibilities for locking the front and back together for a shot. Tape, anyone?

The best thing is to shoot when there isn't wind.

Good luck,

Lenny

[Drew Wiley]

Lenny - let's go out to Tomales Point someday on a nice windy March day, and you'll see
exactly why weight matters! Sure the profile of the bellows matters too; and one can always hang a mesh bag full of rocks below a tripod. But there's no real substitute for sheer bully mass and nasty spike feet. I'd much rather use my maple Ries than my big carbon fiber unit with rocks hanging from it. Gosh - I have all my view cameras become a kite at one point or another. Fortunately,none has ever been seriously damaged. That carbon tripod is an investment for old age - to get the weight of the 8x10 kit down. But
in the meantime, I'm gonna use maple.

[Peter De Smidt]

<snip> But there's no real substitute for sheer bully mass and nasty spike feet. <snip>

+1!

[rdenney]

Carlos asked if the center braces really made a difference. For the Bogen 3036 legs (are these the Manfrotto 475? Memory says yes, but memory is a flawed source), they greatly stiffen the tripod. Their adjustable length makes it easy to level the tripod on uneven ground, too. Other tripods may be stiff enough at the top not to benefit as much, but it's a big help with the Bogen.

Rick "who has three sets of these, with various heads" Denney

[Lenny Eiger]

Lenny - let's go out to Tomales Point someday on a nice windy March day, and you'll see
exactly why weight matters!

Maybe I'm just dense. The last time I got caught out in Tomales on a windy day (at 7AM) it was blowing about 45-50 mph. If I was using a metal camera, something in the RB67 variety I could see that the tripod would make a difference. However, I can put a hand on my Canham 8x10 and my Ebony 4x5, both good cameras, and wiggle the front standard. If there is 15 mph of wind, the bellows will too, even if I encased the bottom of the camera in cement. I don't see how a heavier tripod would make much of a difference. To the bed, sure, but not to the front and back....

I have not been successful in this endeavor with wind, even with my old Gitzo metal thing that I got rid of. I could see how it would feel more stable, but I can't see how it would be in reality because the impetus to move is not coming from below... the only thing I have gotten to work is to block the wind....

Like I said, maybe its just me...

Lenny

[Drew Wiley]

Unless you're in the woods or during autumn, Pt Reyes is windy all the time; and I'm out
there a lot. My Phillips 8x10 does well combined with a Ries for wind, but it all in the timing. Once in awhile for something like wildlife I'll carry a Pentax 6x7 with long lens. It
is obviously less bothered by wind than a bellows camera, but with a very long lens actually needs an even heavier tripod support. And here on the East Bay hills during Spring
the wind can be a lot worse. It howls at my house all summer long. Guess I'm just accustomed to it and how to time the shot - but of course, every now and then I get a
blurred one, which is fairly painful given the cost of 8x10 color film.