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Thread: Berlebach tripods - advice?

  1. #61

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    Re: Berlebach tripods - advice?

    Quote Originally Posted by Delfi_r View Post
    The 803 lacks the star knob, very useful if you want to carry the tripod without heat. I always take out my Linhof 3D Micro. I had an old wood tripod with column (Berlebach or another german make before 1990). The flat plate is more solid, and I have no problems with the 3 section legs.

    If you download the catalog on pdf you can see all possibilities

    Quote Originally Posted by Bob Salomon View Post
    The more leg sections on a tripod the less stability and the more vibration.
    Thank you Delfi, thank you Bob.

    So, it is just a matter of deciding between 2 or 3 sections legs.

    I had a close look at the Berlebach catalog; in the 130cm range these are the options: the 813 (lighter and shorter when folded, 3 sections, rated for 10kg equipment) and the 312 (20cm longer when folded, half kilo heavier, 2 sections, rated for 12kg equipment).

    I wonder if I would need to go taller considering I won't use the center column. In this case the 913 and 412 are in the 155-160cm range, weight penality at 0.3-04kg. I manily do portrait and landscape.

    Thank you
    Pressing the shutter is the only easy thing

  2. #62

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    Re: Berlebach tripods - advice?

    The 813 with my Technika puts the center of the image at 155 cm max. I prefer lower a little than tiptoeing, so it's fine for me. If you need open your legs (for sure if you are using a long draw) you need a longer tripod.

    Three sections are fine with LF as you don't touch the camera when doing your photo, and only some seconds are needed to cancel the vibrations of the chassis pull (my measures). On birding or animal watching I would go to two sections tripods.

  3. #63

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    Re: Berlebach tripods - advice?

    Quote Originally Posted by Delfi_r View Post
    The 813 with my Technika puts the center of the image at 155 cm max. I prefer lower a little than tiptoeing, so it's fine for me. If you need open your legs (for sure if you are using a long draw) you need a longer tripod.

    Three sections are fine with LF as you don't touch the camera when doing your photo, and only some seconds are needed to cancel the vibrations of the chassis pull (my measures). On birding or animal watching I would go to two sections tripods.
    Yes Delfi,

    I think I will go for the 813 in green or titanium grey.

    I made a test with my Manfrotto 055 and 130cm height (plus 12cm of the 410 head) would be more than enough for almost all the occasions.
    I'd afraid the longer (folded) length of the 312 could be awkward when hiking.

    Thank you and take care all of you in Spain, we will overcome it
    Pressing the shutter is the only easy thing

  4. #64

    Re: Berlebach tripods - advice?

    I started with a Bogan (now Manfrotto) 3057, and a tri-tilt head with quick release. This was for my Sinar 4x5. I backpacked across the Sierra with that thing, 72# pack. Ouch. I saw the Berlebachs around 1999 or so, at a show. I wasn't sure if I would want a 2 section leg or 3, the built in ball head or my upgraded Bogan ball head. I bought them both. I decided I liked the compactness of the three legs, and the built in ball head. I took apart the two units, swapped the upper assembly, and ended up with a compact 3section tripod with built in ball head. At the time that was not in the catalog, maybe now they do. I gave the 2section, center colume to a tall relative.
    It is my go to tripod, for 4x5 and 8x10. The knob under the ball is a great place to hang a weight, but I don't find vibration a problem.
    I have a Majestic with a gear head for the 11x14".

  5. #65

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    Re: Berlebach tripods - advice?

    Quote Originally Posted by Michael Filler View Post
    I started with a Bogan (now Manfrotto) 3057, and a tri-tilt head with quick release. This was for my Sinar 4x5. I backpacked across the Sierra with that thing, 72# pack. Ouch. I saw the Berlebachs around 1999 or so, at a show. I wasn't sure if I would want a 2 section leg or 3, the built in ball head or my upgraded Bogan ball head. I bought them both. I decided I liked the compactness of the three legs, and the built in ball head. I took apart the two units, swapped the upper assembly, and ended up with a compact 3section tripod with built in ball head. At the time that was not in the catalog, maybe now they do. I gave the 2section, center colume to a tall relative.
    It is my go to tripod, for 4x5 and 8x10. The knob under the ball is a great place to hang a weight, but I don't find vibration a problem.
    I have a Majestic with a gear head for the 11x14".
    All of the Report series with a 3 digit model number take interchangeable tops, at the turn of a knob.
    Among the tops are two flat plates, one ¼ and one ⅜”. Pull up column, geared column, both leveling, a leveling ball, etc.. it is very fast and easy to switch from one top to the other.

  6. #66

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    Re: Berlebach tripods - advice?

    Almost a year ago I joined this Forum, when I finally decided to go for a large format camera. When I finally received a Sinar F2 in late January it became obvious that it isn't easy to get this thing mounted onto a tripod. While I also realised that my 190 series Manfroto will be a bit overwhelmed with this camera, the immedate problem was that the base of the benchholder is too large for my quick change plate. And in fact for most plates of any system out there. I eventually managed to convert my head to the Arca-Swiss system with chinese made components from Amazon. A very long, but very thin quick change plate could at least mount the camera so that I could play around with it. The plate connected to the benchholder forms the shape on the London Underground symbol. I suspect it is prone to vibration.

    The problem for me is the crazy design of the base of the Sinar benchholder. It is not a flat surface but a central 'island' with the threading, a recessed circular space around it and a ring forming the edge and actual contact surface. Like a coral atoll. Many people say to find and use the original Sinar tilt head. But I seem to remember that, eventually, I found an image of its base and it might have the same design. You need a tripod with a massive mounting surface then. Let alone that the Sinar head is quite rare to find and expensive when you do.

    These details never seem to get mentioned in the discussions of the Sinar gear!

    Anyway, I'm writing in this thread because I found it in my search for solutions to my problems. Berlebach tripods were mentioned several times as a tripod recommendation for LF cameras. But despite that I never found too many details, especially detailed pictures, which would reassure me about mounting my camera on these. But I finally ended up ordering a Berlebach Report 362/75. The 3x2 series is the second largest two-segment version. At this point I wanted to play it safe and buy the sturdiest tripod I could afford and, hopefully, handle.

    I also chose one of their 3-way heads, after calling in to confirm that it would (just about!) work with the Report. As they told me on the phone, that head is really meant for their larger Uni Series. But the lesser heads wouldn't offer a sufficient mounting surface. A Uni tripod would have been too heavy and of course more expensive.

    Because this doesn't seem to be very well documented, anywhere, I'd like to do so here in the Forum. It'll take 19-21 images to do so and I sized them according to forum rules. But due to the limit of images per post it will take several, ideally in its own thread. I'm not sure if that strategy would be acceptable to the moderators. Perhaps someone could comment.

    As a teaser I'm attaching an image of the whole system out, working, in the wild. Captured on 35mm film.


    Click image for larger version. 

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    Last edited by lantau; 19-Dec-2020 at 07:58. Reason: typos

  7. #67

    Re: Berlebach tripods - advice?

    Just take about a 4" (100mm) piece of thin sheet of metal (in aluminum about 1/16" (1.5mm), put a 7/16" (11mm) hole in the middle and sandwich it between the top of the tripod head and the Sinar rail mount. Screws develop full strength at two threads of engagement, so you only need about 1/8" (3mm) of engagement using the standard 3/8-16 screw. You could probably get away with the top of a soup can. All you really need to do is bridge the gaps.

  8. #68
    Drew Bedo's Avatar
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    Re: Berlebach tripods - advice?

    I have a Burlli with a leveling center post. I use it to hold up an 8x10 Kodak 2D. The camera is mounted directly to the center post as the movement it provides is usually enough for what I do. Working without the massive ball head I've got eliminates around 2 pounds of weight.
    Drew Bedo
    www.quietlightphoto.com
    http://www.artsyhome.com/author/drew-bedo




    There are only three types of mounting flanges; too big, too small and wrong thread!

  9. #69

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    Re: Berlebach tripods - advice?

    Quote Originally Posted by Michael Filler View Post
    Just take about a 4" (100mm) piece of thin sheet of metal (in aluminum about 1/16" (1.5mm), put a 7/16" (11mm) hole in the middle and sandwich it between the top of the tripod head and the Sinar rail mount. Screws develop full strength at two threads of engagement, so you only need about 1/8" (3mm) of engagement using the standard 3/8-16 screw. You could probably get away with the top of a soup can. All you really need to do is bridge the gaps.
    Yes, that would help to get the camera mounted on most heads. But it might still be less ridgid than desired, depending on the size and stablity of the used tripod head, and the stiffness of the metal disc. I don't know what kind of soup cans you have, I don't think the top of a tin will do. 1-2mm of steel should do.

    Quote Originally Posted by Drew Bedo View Post
    I have a Burlli with a leveling center post. I use it to hold up an 8x10 Kodak 2D. The camera is mounted directly to the center post as the movement it provides is usually enough for what I do. Working without the massive ball head I've got eliminates around 2 pounds of weight.
    My leveler does a maximum of 15° and a diameter of 75mm. I could mount the camera on it, but I have already exceeded that when pointing up at a building. Still, I'd save the extra height of the head and get even more stability.

    They also offer another leveler with more movement and even less need for an actual head. But, again, too small to mount the Sinar on it. Using Michaels method could work here, unless it restricts the usable angle of the leveler.

    My first trial, and real use of the camera and the tripod was inside some nearby castle ruins. I stood on a grassy slope, the legs adjusted accordingly. There was some wind, occasionally gusty. When exposing I waited for a brief lull. But I was impressed by how stable the camera stood in those light gusts. It felt nice having good supporting equipment and concentrate on the important parts of operating the camera.

  10. #70

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    Re: Berlebach tripods - advice?

    You have a lightweight Shen Hao and want to screw a heavy tripod under it? Why actually? Berlebach tripods are nice and inexpensive, of course. But they are only stable when they are heavy and when they have no more than 2 leg segments. With 3 leg segments damping is no longer "very good", but "good", to cite Berlebach, and they become much heavier, the more segments made of solid wood are employed. This is why the folded length of Berlebachs is longer than the one of other tripods. So if you want to reach a certain height and if you need three leg segments, the tripod quickly becomes heavy although it loses stiffness and and damping capabilities.

    - Of course, there are some academic studies, https://www.berlebach.de/anleitungen/51.pdf (1992), https://www.berlebach.de/anleitungen/49.pdf (2006), but look at the comparison between the 8022 and the 8023, there you will find my observations confirmed, as well as https://www.berlebach.de/anleitungen/31.pdf (2009), where they compared wood and aluminium, but not carbon fiber - why should they: a saxonian university and a saxonian manufacturer, in Saxonia ... I'm sure Shenzen University would also write such reports, for Chinese manufacturers.

    I find Berlebach tripods usable when working with a waist level viewfinder on a medium format SLR, e.g. a Hasselblad. Perhaps. I wouldn't use it in the mud or swamp. I would be afraid that the wood would swell. I had the Berlebach Report 8023, but sold it again. It was nice but it stayed unused. Because Berlebach tripods are so fancy, they will have a very good resale value. Wolff made some wooden tripods, too, they were even more affordable than Berlebachs.

    I am currently trying out a tripod with only 3 leg segments, the very simple but idiot-proof Leofoto Ranger Carbon Tripod LS-323C. https://leofoto.com/products_detail.php?id=238 Together with the geared Leofoto G2 panoramic head with +-15° 2D tilt, it's a very pleasing combination. Lightweight, stable, exact, and affordable, too. Saves me a lot of time and effort. Just look at how slim this tripod is, compared to the much bulkier Berlebach, https://www.fk-secondhand.com/wp/wp-...rt_8023_01.jpg The Berlebach weighs 3kg and holds 10kg, the Leofoto weighs 1.4kg and holds 20kg (officially, surely exaggerated). I am quite satisfied by Leofoto: I took a Technika with an Apo-Ronar 9/360 and FP4+@32, together about 5kg, and the images became sharp.

    Have a look at thecentercolumn.com ...

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