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Recently i bought a Calumet C1 (the green monster) and am using my existing Bogen/Manfrotto legs with a 3047 head. Would this seem adequate to you?
i made an adapter plate to go from the camera base to the hex unit on the head with a pin to prevent it from rotating. the head seems strong enough though all up weight is in the low twenty lbs.
Thoughts
joe
Which legs?
You'll want a bigger head than a 3047 for the Green Monster. A larger Manfrotto pan-tilt head (3058?) will do a fine job.
At Kodak, when we used a C-1, we commonly used a Majestic tripod and head, or sometimes a (long out of production) Quick-Set Samson.
With that camera a big tripod is a necessity.
Legs + Bogen 3036
I couldn’t use the 3047 with my C1. I wouldn’t use any kind of quick lock feature with such a heavy camera - and one capable of such length because of potential torque. I used a Zone VI heavy duty tripod, which was overkill even for the C1, though I drug the combo through the Florida swamps for ten years. I found a lighter surveyor’s tripod and put a Majustic head on it. That worked very well. There are also some old Gitzo pan-tilt heads made in France that work well. These come up on eBay frequently.
I used a Bogen 3036 for decades, mostly for 4x5. It's strong enough for your camera.
I use and recommend a double-leg (per side) Majestic with the standard head.
It's strong enough to support your car for an oil change.
- Leigh
I have a Bogen 3036 with a 3047 head as well. It’s rated for up to 26 lbs with the legs and center column fully extended. And that’s a pretty conservative rating. The C1 is what? 18 lbs? That still gives you 8 lbs left before hitting the recommended limit. And that tripod is so big, why would you ever fully extend the legs and center column?
Personally, I love that tripod. It will and has held all 180 lbs of me. It’s a beast. It’s only drawback, as far as I’m concerned, is the weight. It weighs about as much as your camera. However, in the wind, that becomes an asset. It’s my favorite tripod for studio and locations within a half mile of my car. I also use it with my home made, barn door Astro tracker. And that thing is not only heavy, but needs to be completely still for extremely long exposures. That tripod never blinks.
However, they’re old and have some plastic parts, so I would say that if everything on it is in good shape, give it a go. But if it’s got some broken or worn out parts, I’d address those first. If you’re worried, give it a test run in the safety of your home and see how it handles.
If you have a tripod as heavy as a 3036 or 3051, use a 3039 head, and get a square plate for it. I use the 3039 on a 3051 with the square plate, and it's as solid a platform as you can find.