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Thread: Can anyone recommend a sturdy tall carbon fiber tripod and ball head/pan-tilt head?

  1. #21

    Re: Can anyone recommend a sturdy tall carbon fiber tripod and ball head/pan-tilt hea

    I shot LF for many years and have transitioned to a full digital setup now, but I'm currently using the Sirui W-2204 which you are looking at, and personally I love it. My Dslr is just as heavy as my LF set up was (Chamonix 4x5) and I wish I had this tripod when I was still shooting LF. I'm about 6'2" and the height is great. The leg sections are smooth and the locks are easy to use. I seriously doubt you'll find anything in the $300-$400 range that will even come close to matching this tripod in terms of overall height, weight, sturdiness and features. I used 2 different Feisols when I shot LF and never liked them and they were just as expensive, or more. I have a Acratech GP head now (got it used for $200), but I used to have an Acratech Ultimate when I shot LF. The GP is all around a better head, but I'd expect either will do just fine. Total setup will be around $700 if you're a smart shopper.

  2. #22

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    Re: Can anyone recommend a sturdy tall carbon fiber tripod and ball head/pan-tilt hea

    So considering everyone's suggestions (thanks to all that commented/replied!) and my own further research, I'm wondering if the FEISOL CT-3441T Traveler Rapid Carbon Fiber Tripod and the Benro GD3WH 3-Way Geared Head would be the best way for me to go.

    What do you guys think?

  3. #23

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    Re: Can anyone recommend a sturdy tall carbon fiber tripod and ball head/pan-tilt hea

    I'd tend towards suggesting/ seconding the suggestion of the Feisol CT-3372 or CT-3472 - and see if you can find the Linhof levelling head (current part#'s are 003659 & 003664) with the milled ridges in the half ball section - it locks down very securely & has been around for a long time, so secondhand ones should be findable.

  4. #24

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    Re: Can anyone recommend a sturdy tall carbon fiber tripod and ball head/pan-tilt hea

    Quote Originally Posted by manfrominternet View Post
    So considering everyone's suggestions (thanks to all that commented/replied!) and my own further research, I'm wondering if the FEISOL CT-3441T Traveler Rapid Carbon Fiber Tripod and the Benro GD3WH 3-Way Geared Head would be the best way for me to go.

    What do you guys think?
    For Feisol, the difference between the 3441T and a 3372, is that the latter has the beefy legs. (37mm, versus 28mm.) That's something that I value. But, I also photograph with 8x10 on my tripod.
    Quote Originally Posted by interneg View Post
    I'd tend towards suggesting/ seconding the suggestion of the Feisol CT-3372 or CT-3472 - and see if you can find the Linhof levelling head (current part#'s are 003659 & 003664) with the milled ridges in the half ball section - it locks down very securely & has been around for a long time, so secondhand ones should be findable.
    I don't miss leveling. But I've tried one out, and I can see where it would be convenient. Note that the Feisol 3472 accepts an integrated, leveling center column that Feisol sells. (The 3372 does not accept a leveling column.)

  5. #25

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    Re: Can anyone recommend a sturdy tall carbon fiber tripod and ball head/pan-tilt hea

    Flm tripods....Ari is great to work with too !
    Gary Pikarsky

  6. #26

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    Re: Can anyone recommend a sturdy tall carbon fiber tripod and ball head/pan-tilt hea

    Just to be the odd man out, I did the same search for a tripod here and elsewhere, for similar cameras (Arca Swiss 4x5 and Rolleiflex 6008i) and ended up with a Novoflex Triopod. It's among the tallest availible, is very sturdy, and light. It's not cheap. The legs are removable/interchangable and I have an extra, much larger apex from the Pro75 Series with a leveling bowl insert for when I need to mount larger loads. I'm very happy with it so far, and expect it will last longer than I will if I take care of it.

    Before that I had a Gitzo aluminum tripod for over a decade, also a workhorse, and should be at the upper end of your list. RSS are also quite sturdy and well built.

    All of these are beyond your quoted price range. As I figured, I may upgrade the camera or lens multiple times, but the tripod will always be there, so might as well get it right to start with. Everything starts with a stable base and immobile camera.

    I'm not even going to say what head I ended up with...

  7. #27
    Drew Wiley
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    Re: Can anyone recommend a sturdy tall carbon fiber tripod and ball head/pan-tilt hea

    The mentioned Benro 3-way head looks underbuilt for long monorail extensions like a TK45 offers, a weak point liable to cause or amplify vibrations. I've seen those in person.

  8. #28
    http://www.spiritsofsilver.com tgtaylor's Avatar
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    Re: Can anyone recommend a sturdy tall carbon fiber tripod and ball head/pan-tilt hea

    I've been using a Gitzo G1348 without a center plate with an Arca Swiss z1-sp ball head for at least the past 15 years for backpacking with a Pentax 67II, Toyo 45AX, and Toyo 810 MII. I bought the tripod new just as they were being discontinued and were sold out everywhere except for one dealer in Toronto. The ball head was also purchased new and this tripod/ball head combination for me is the perfect setup for field use with MF and LF. The tripod weighs just under 5lbs, is perfectly balanced, and the folded length slips neatly in one of the sides sleeves of the Lowepro pack for carrying. The total weight is ideal for backpacking with relatively heavy cameras: 5lbs for the Pentax and AX, and 15 lbs for the 8x10. I have a 3-way head that I use for the 810G and Robos monorails but don't need a 3-way head for the fields. Instead I beefed-up the QR plate on the MII. Here is an online review on the tripod: https://www.fredmiranda.com/reviews/...hp/product/150

  9. #29

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    Re: Can anyone recommend a sturdy tall carbon fiber tripod and ball head/pan-tilt hea

    Quote Originally Posted by Drew Wiley View Post
    The mentioned Benro 3-way head looks underbuilt for long monorail extensions like a TK45 offers, a weak point liable to cause or amplify vibrations. I've seen those in person.
    Thanks for mentioning this!

    I should have also made it a point to ask you guys this: Do you guys recommend a pan & tilt head, a (good) ball head, or a geared head?

    I'm using a Linhof Technikardan 45S and a Bronica GS-1, shooting landscapes and architecture, if that helps.

    Thanks again!
    Last edited by manfrominternet; 6-Nov-2020 at 19:15.

  10. #30
    Drew Wiley
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    Re: Can anyone recommend a sturdy tall carbon fiber tripod and ball head/pan-tilt hea

    Personal preference. I don't use any kind of head for large format work, or especially big MF telephoto lenses. Ball heads are anathema where serious leverage vectors are involved. I use a high-quality Gitzo pan-tilt head for ordinary MF and 35mm applications. Geared heads make sense only when they are relatively massive and expensive, with equally massive and expensive legs or studio stands under them.
    I notice that now Feisol has their own interchangable 7572 "leveling base" for strictly their 3372 and 3472 legs, which might be fun to test, and should be quite a bit more stable than any ballhead option. But even that tripod is overkill for my ordinary 4x5 monorail work, where on long-haul treks I use the lighter original model Gitzo "Reporter" CF, better made than their present equivalent.
    Sinar monorails are easy to balance along the rail; I don't have any experience with a TK. But these lighter tripods only work in a vibration-free sense if an intermediate head isn't involved, create a susceptible torque fulcrum. Like I alreadly said, you're only as good as your weakest link. You'll hear different opinions, of course, but I've have most certainly earned the right to give my own, considering the blood, sweat, and tears I've got behind it!

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