Which tripod head for large format photography

[Alan Gales]

I too use a Berlebach (don't remember the model) with leveling center post with my Kodak 2-D. No ballhead , just screw it straight onto the center post. Gives me enough movement for the work I do, holds the camera securely and saves the weight of a 8x10 class head.

Often times, less is more.

I used to use a Berlebach without head with my Tachihara 4x5 and it worked great. The Berlebach leveling balls are really nice.

I now use Ries but that is a personal preference. Both companies make fine tripods.

[Dave Langendonk]

Gitzo 1270 magnesium low profile on Gitzo 3531 CF legs for 4x5. Gitzo 1370 magnesium head on 5540 CF legs for 8x10. Great combination of stability and light weight.

[angusparker]

Consider the Arca Swiss D4 - it's really a joy to use. I agree its overkill for a 4x5 Chamonix but great for 8x10.

[biedron]

Consider the Arca Swiss D4 - it's really a joy to use. I agree its overkill for a 4x5 Chamonix but great for 8x10.

Since you have a D4 and use it for 8x10, I have a couple of questions: how well do the pan axes (and the D4 has two) lock down? That's probably my biggest issue with my B1 - I have to really crank down on the pan lock to get it to stay in place when I load film holders. Also regarding the lower pan knob, does it work with a larger tripod like a Gitzo 5 series? It looks like there might be some clearance issues on a large-diameter tripod top.

Thanks

Bob

[paulr]

I got a recommendation for induro pan/tilt heads. They look solid, have two panning axes, and take arca-swiss plates.
This is the lighter of the two. Holds up to 23lbs.

[angusparker]

Since you have a D4 and use it for 8x10, I have a couple of questions: how well do the pan axes (and the D4 has two) lock down? That's probably my biggest issue with my B1 - I have to really crank down on the pan lock to get it to stay in place when I load film holders. Also regarding the lower pan knob, does it work with a larger tripod like a Gitzo 5 series? It looks like there might be some clearance issues on a large-diameter tripod top.

Thanks

Bob

Dear Bob:
I actually don't use it on an 8x10 (don't own one) but with 4x5 and 6x17 view cameras and a Noblex 150 and 175 pano cameras. While I use a very small ball (RSS BH25) for the Chamonix 4x5 when hiking, the D4 makes leveling the 4x5 and especially the 6x17 very easy. Getting a level shot is even more important with 6x17 panos than 4x5 since the non-level horizon can really screw up perspective.

In this review http://www.onlandscape.co.uk/2011/06...-geared-heads/ I found these sentences:

"I haven’t found a maximum weight specification but I might consider carefully whether I would put a 10×8 or larger camera on this head or indeed anything bigger that a d3x/70-200mm combination."

and

"Lock nut placement on the base of the head isn’t good when the tripod base is larger than the head base. Its fiddly even with my small fingers. The head fits perfectly on a Manfrotto 055 but looks tiny on my Gitzo systematic 5 series. The base is about 5.5cm in diameter. I don’t have a Gitzo 35XX to hand but suspect the head would be about perfect on these legs."

Don't know about a Gitzo but I'm using a Manfrotto 190CXPRO4 which works pretty nicely and probably has a similar head plate. As for locking the pan/tilt - it can either be used in free tilt mode and locked or self-locking - which is what I do - this allows you to tilt and pan and just leave it where you want without any more adjustments. The mini pano head that comes with the D4 is really not great for taking digital panos / stitching because it's not got any gear / clicks and has no scale in degrees just marks like "I I I I' etc. The one other think is the flip lock version of the release plate is really confusing to use at first (http://www.arca-shop.de/en/3d-Tilt/d...vice-Flip-lock) there is a ribbed screw on the outside of the flip lock that needs to be pulled to one side to fully open the lock. It took me an hour to figure it out - rest assured nothing is going to get out of it's grasp! In fact it came a bit tight and I needed to loosen it a bit using a screw in the middle of the release so that my standard non-Arca Swiss but Arca Swiss style plates from RSS would fit.

All in all, I would say try someone else's out first before buying (it's pricey) for an 8x10 - if it's a lighter 8x10 it would probably work but I would want to make sure there was a good return policy and it works on your tripod. If it did I doubt there is a better option with built in pan / tilt that is so precise and light weight.

Best, Angus

[biedron]

Angus,

Thanks for the info.

Bob

[ki6mf]

Normally a 3 axis head is preferred over a ball head.

[Jim Jones]

For the past 44 years my favorite is the three-way head on a Tiltall: inexpensive, reliable, and comes with a set of decent legs. If it was good enough for Ansel Adams, it is overkill for me.

[jeroldharter]

I use Feisol CF legs with a Gitzo 1570 pan tilt head with a Wehman 8x10 camera and lenses as long as 600 mm. The movements on the head could be smoother but it is solid. The Ries is probably better but weighs as much as my tripod. I avoid ball heads because of flop and the inability to adjust axes independently from one another.

The Arca D4 looks great for 4x5 (? cost) but I would want to test it before trying with 8x10. I have an Arca ball head that on paper could easily manage 8x10, but in practice it is not solid. It feels like I am balancing a ship on a pinhead. If I lock it down tightly enough I guess it technically "works" but it is not stable.

Also, I don't like quick release plates with 8x10 flat beds. Not a big deal with 4x5, but the flat bed of an 8x10 is huge and the quick release plate gets lost down there. I tried one of the really long ones but that was only minor improvement. I find it much easier to attach the camera with a conventional screw and it holds the camera more securely on the big tripod head platform.

I tried using just the tripod without a head and also tried the tripod plus a leveling base. My goal was a minimalist lightweight setup. The main problem with that is attaching the camera. You must swing a big camera in a circle through multiple rotations. (Is there a more clever way?) I gave that up quickly.

For choosing 8x10 tripod heads, there are 3 axes, just like the heads themselves: weight, stability/ergonomics, and cost. It is difficult to get all three in alignment but I find the Gitzo 1570 line the best combination.