Mini Tripods Solutions for Macro 4x5?

[LabRat]

I have attached a tripod head to a 14" square of heavy plywood for low angle 4X5 use... I would rig a cinderblock with a head if needed...

Every time I replace brake drums or rotors, I am always tempted to make a mini floor mount from them... Spare tires are tempting, too...

Steve K

[Bob Salomon]

Thanks for the clarification about Benro, Induro and MAC Group. In the case of ground tripods, the Induro is more expensive than the Benro.

For @Mudrunner... Here are two more photos of the tripod in post #8. This gets a bit fancier. In the first photo, the object on the right is a 6" Riser. In the second photo, the Riser is used to add height. For still photography, this Riser could be used with a half ball levelling base. I imagine that there are also versions with a flat top rather than one designed for a half ball.

In the case of RRS, my understanding is that the main market for its ground tripod is nature photographers. Until last year, it also made one out of aluminium. As you can imagine, aluminium might be attractive to nature photographers working, for example, in fields and muck. However, that ground tripod has been discontinued. RRS says that it became too expensive to manufacture.

The problem with tabletop tripods is that they don't have a large enough footprint to support a large camera. If you put your Toyo on the average tabletop tripod, I think that it's likely to be an accident waiting to happen.


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Again, look at the ones from Novoflex. They do have several that will support view cameras.

[Graeme Hamilton]

You could get a hi hat if you don't want to make something from scratch.
https://www.adorama.com/pahtbwl7500....ce=adl-gbase-p

Brake rotors make good fruit bowls

[r.e.]

I have attached a tripod head to a 14" square of heavy plywood for low angle 4X5 use... I would rig a cinderblocks with a head if needed...

Every time I replace brake drums or rotors, I am always tempted to make a mini floor mount from them... Spare tires are tempting, too...

Steve K

Add some kind of riser between your piece of plywood and your tripod head and you've made what filmmakers call a Hi-Hat. This could be done with the riser shown in the photos in post #10. The plywood, if it's on level ground, provides the stability that tabletop tripod legs won't. As Bob says above (post #12), Novoflex makes a system that is probably an exception, but it isn't cheap.

[LabRat]

Add some kind of riser between your piece of plywood and your tripod head and you've made what filmmakers call a Hi-Hat. This could be done with the riser shown in the photos in post #10. The plywood, if it's on level ground, provides the stability that tabletop tripod legs won't. As Bob says above (post #12), Novoflex makes a system that is probably an exception, but it isn't cheap.

The thing that sux about these is having to lay on the ground to shoot (boat cushions help)... And had to shoot with the front rise jacked up, so GG image was even lower, so I had my chin to the floor... My neck hurt later... :-(

In "Citizen Kane", Greg Toland had a lot of floor level shooting, but they built the sets with trenches in the floor for the cinematographers to stand up in... This is where the idea came from, but they would never consider a trench in a factory floor for me... :-I

Steve K

[Mudrunner]

Not that I've tried, but I have some table top mic stands where the base is a 12inch disk of cast iron--pretty heavy. It wouldn't be too hard to adapt a 3/8-16 to the top. I bring this up because all the "mini tripods" I've encountered are super light weight, and I'd worry about stability with so little weight. I'd actually be looking for the heaviest mini tripod I could find.

Thanks...I have some mic stands as well....I really like the concept, but not the idea of lugging those around back country.

[Mudrunner]

If you're talking a few inches off the ground, try a sandbag.

I was considering that....or an empty bag I can fill with dirt or snow when I get to a site. I wonder how stable it is when running through various adjustments? Have you tried this option?

[Mudrunner]

The Pedco Ultrapod that you're considering is very inexpensive. My apologies if what I'm going to say involves more than you want to spend. I have a very good tabletop tripod, but I don't think that that class of tripod is stable enough for a 4x5 camera. I'm attaching some photos of a Really Right Stuff Ground Tripod. The photos show it supporting a Blackmagic camera and zoom lens, but it's also rock solid with my 4x5 (Arca-Swiss). Benro and Induro make very good, less expensive versions. Benro and Induro are closely related companies (the ground tripods are almost identical), and I've read that the Mac Group owns both. This is an item where I would not hesitate to buy aluminium rather than carbon fibre.


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Thanks...good option and I appreciate you have experience with your own 4x5....the Pedco wasn't selected for the cost, more for the form factor.

[Mudrunner]

I have attached a tripod head to a 14" square of heavy plywood for low angle 4X5 use... I would rig a cinderblock with a head if needed...

Every time I replace brake drums or rotors, I am always tempted to make a mini floor mount from them... Spare tires are tempting, too...

Steve K

This is a great idea actually. I sometimes shoot in deep snow, so I could adapt the size of the ply to suit floatation....or rig up a threaded base to a snow shoe or ski.

[LabRat]

This is a great idea actually. I sometimes shoot in deep snow, so I could adapt the size of the ply to suit floatation....or rig up a threaded base to a snow shoe or ski.

Just don't come up with icicles on your chinny-chin-chin... (ouch!!!) ;-)

Steve K