Light weight 4x5 field tripod.

[brucemcelya]

Hello Kirk,

I borrowed a carbon Gitzo for a few days and found it kind of like metal and the consequent vibration. Not that good in a breeze either. Just my brief experience. What I have used for years and may forever is a Ries backpacker with their A250 head. Vitals: Weight with head/legs and cordura case – 11#, length with legs broken down – 29”. This tripod-head combination is the most solid platform I have ever used outside of an old 100 pound studio Majestic. I’m strictly 4x5, in windy gritty rainy places. Wood works. I don’t know if it’s light, but it’s pretty compact.

After looking at one of these in person, you may find their head to be a better choice than the Bogen for field use. The platform is big, and when everything is tightened, there can be no movement. It isn’t quite as versatile as a Bogen, but I haven’t been denied an image because of the Ries head. You may.

Reis: http://www.riestripod.com/index.html

I remember meeting you once, at Paletti’s place a few years back. It was one of the better shows he’s had through there. I was a little overboard with the truth serum during your talk. Apologies about that.

Best regards,
Bruce

[David R Munson]

I went out with the Linhof monorail this morning, shooting from a Bogen 3221 with a 3047 head. It's a big, heavy camera as 4x5s go, but the tripod had no complaints despite shooting in a river, on all sorts of oddly-placed rocks, etc. It took me seven years of hard use to finally break/wear out my old 3021, which I think says something about the quality. Yeah, seven years isn't all *that* long for a tripod to last, but I mean I beat the crap out of mine, and for $100 it didn't break the bank either. Damn good set of legs for the price, IMO.