Im new to the world of medium format. Likewise I'm also an advocate collector of old film cameras and such. I recently acquired both my dream camera, a Hasselblad 500C as well as previously owning a Rolleiflex mv-evs type 1. Now I'm looking for a tripod and I'm not sure which one I should get. I'm looking for fairly inexpensive seeing how hasselblad and Rolleiflex mounts both go for 30-50$ as it is. Any suggestions?
I got by for a number of years with a fairly inexpensive older Slik tripod that was second hand when I scored it. Although it could be marginal in windy conditions or with really long lenses, I used it to make many very sharp images in 35mm & medium format by applying good technique (cable release, mirror pre-fired or locked up, and/or self timer etc). Hassys and Rolleis both have a head start in the sharpness stakes because (unless you are using the longer lenses for the Hasselblad) their very smooth lens shutters generate virtually no vibration and tend not to challenge the limitations of even quite lightweight tripods.
Having said that I'd long felt a better quality tripod to support the older equipment I often use was overdue. I also have a fair stash of classic kit, much of it German, and wanted something sturdy and rigid but also not too out of character for the cameras I was going to mount onto it. You can very easily drop $1000 plus on a decent quality new tripod and head without trying hard, but my budget was around $200-odd. It's not always easy to combine top quality with low budget, but in the realm of tripods, there is an option that enables you to achieve style, quality and moderate cost that comes with one of the greatest names in photography:
Linhof.
In my case it was one of their classic Profi tripods with the 2nd version of the 3D head, posted to me in Australia from the USA for just over AUD $200. Achieving this with the exorbitant cost of delivery of a larger item from the USA was not easy, but with some patience and much watching of eBay listings, I eventually found just the combination I wanted within my budget. Buyers in either the USA or Europe have a much easier time of things. There's a large choice of used ones in either location, although German prices on the whole, tend to be a bit higher from my observations.
The classic Linhofs are not always quite as user friendly as modern supports. There often isn't a geared centre post, for example, merely a clamp bolt, so it is up to your hands to manage finer height adjustments, and unless you get a quick release system, mounting and removing a camera can be fiddly and time consuming with the captive screws sometimes used. Nevertheless, they offer superior quality, excellent rigidity, built in bubble levels, and spare parts support from the manufacturer decades after they were made (the factory still has some parts left for pre-war tripods!). And they come with that fabulous Linhof badge. The old Slik still gets dragged out from time to time, but my own Rolleiflexes, Hasselblad, and many other classic German cameras such as Exaktas and Contaflexes look a million dollars fitted to the Linhof, and it is a tripod you will never be ashamed to take anywhere...
Here are some examples of the tripod and also the type of head that I sourced that I've found from a quick check of eBay. You can do better than these prices in my experience, but they give you an indication of what I found myself. In my case, I managed to locate a tripod that also had the particular head I wanted, and if possible, I think this is often the cheapest way to get the kit you want. As you will note from some investigations of online listings, a decent Linhof 3D head will often go for the same or not much less than a good tripod with or without a head, so if you can find the right package it may be both easier and cheaper. I would also love one of their 2 metre-plus twin shank studio tripods, but I don't really need it, it's just GAS, and unless you have a sherpa to lug one about those are not really viable location kit.
Linhof Profi Tripod
Linhof 3D Head
Cheers,
Brett
