I'm fed up with this tripod

Rich Ullsmith · Oct 31, 2007

I'm asking Santa for a new tripod this christmas. What are you guys using? It won't need to support anything more than 4X5. Just need a couple of suggestions to keep an eye out for. Old, ugly and heavy is fine. Probably be shopping on ebay. Thanks.

Monophoto · Oct 31, 2007

I've been more than happy with my Tiltall.

roteague · Oct 31, 2007

Rich Ullsmith said:
I'm asking Santa for a new tripod this christmas. What are you guys using? It won't need to support anything more than 4X5. Just need a couple of suggestions to keep an eye out for. Old, ugly and heavy is fine. Probably be shopping on ebay. Thanks.

Manfrotto 3221W is my normal tripod, I've used it for 7 years or so, and just replaced the head. I'm considering replacing it with a carbon fiber equivalent.

Phillip P. Dimor · Oct 31, 2007

Husky Quick Set. It's not super light but you can kill a man with one. Ebay, usually well under $50. Geared center column, three-way pan tilt. Some come with a long tilt-knob, some short. I've the Husky Quick Set IV, $30 shipped. It holds my speed graphic w/ 15" tele optar well, fully extended.
I'd also second the Tiltall, that was my second choice.

Jim Jones · Oct 31, 2007

Tiltall. I bought one second-hand about 35 years ago, and it's never let me (or the camera) down. I don't have any experience with the new versions made overseas.

Rich Ullsmith · Oct 31, 2007

Well, I have a Manfrotto head already I am very happy with. That will save a few bucks. I almost picked up one of those county surveying tripods at a garage sale, but it was just too heavy. Tiltall and Husky Quickset, I'll put a bug in the wife's ear.

Sparky · Oct 31, 2007

Get an older majestic - that way you get the bonus camera ejector seat thrown in for free! (anybody know what I'm talkin' about??)

but seriously- to my mind the manfrottos are superb. But only for a light medium format at maximum. Their bigger tripods I find kind of 'rickety'. I'd get a tripod suitable for the heaviest camera you have. Personally I'd choose a 300 or 400 series gitzo, used. Nothing else really comes to mind in my gitzo-centric world.

Tiltalls are awesome for lighter cameras, imo.

CGross · Oct 31, 2007

I purchased a Berlebach 3022 earlier this year that replaced a my old heavy Bogen 3051 and 3021. It is a beautiful, sturdy, light tripod that functions great. In addition to this tripod I have been very pleased with another tripod I picked up used. It is an Induro A414. Not sure how much you are willing to spend, but both tripods are very reasonably priced new and sometimes appear on the used market.

c6h6o3 · Oct 31, 2007

Rich Ullsmith said:
What are you guys using? It won't need to support anything more than 4X5.

I was fed up with mine, too. I bought a Ries J-600 and a J-250 head at the LF Convention. Horrifyingly expensive, but it was the best money I've ever spent on photo gear. No other tripod is acceptable to me now, and I can't think of any other field of endeavor where a product exists that I can say that about.

It makes a tremendous difference in the way I use the camera and in my ability to find images on the groundglass and this is something I never could have believed until I used it.

You might want to consider it. I see them on ebay all the time, but you have to make sure that you get a Ries head. Most of the ones I see are auctioned with no head at all. Hope this helps.

Joe Brugger · Nov 1, 2007

Been a lot happier with my Tiltall ('86 or so) since I replaced the center column with one from Gitzo and the head with an Acratech. It holds an F100 and a 180/2.8 + 2x steady, so it's probably good for 4x5. The head was a major improvement.

kirkfry · Nov 1, 2007

Majestic with the geared head. Never need to buy anything stronger for any camera. Just make sure your wife can carry it. K

I also have an old Leitz Tiltall that I have been happy with for 35 years. It just does not hold an Ansco 8X10.

Shawn Dougherty · Nov 1, 2007

I'm a big Ries fan when it comes to the 8x10 for sure, but with the 4x5 I really like my Berlebach 3032 with it's built in ball head. I've dropped it 10 feet onto rocks with a korona view attached and it came away with only a few scratches. Good luck!

JBrunner · Nov 1, 2007

I have a Zone VI tripod with a Majestic gear head for the beast, and it does the job. Lesser tasks go to the Manfrotto, but it wishes it were a Gitzo.

John Koehrer · Nov 2, 2007

Sparky said:
Get an older majestic - that way you get the bonus camera ejector seat thrown in for free! (anybody know what I'm talkin' about??)

Spring loaded center column/camera launcher/jawbreaker.

ben-s · Nov 2, 2007

I use a Manfrotto 055CL with a 141RC head.
It's pretty good, but I wish I'd gone for the "Pro" version, which has a tilting columt for awkward angles or copy work.
I've used it with all sorts of cameras, from tiny d!gital compacts up to a 5x4 Arca-Swiss monorail.

seoirse · Nov 3, 2007

Buy a Berlebach

I have a Berlebach 3032 in the lovely nutwood colour and it is so simple and effective to use. It is also very light but because it has only 2 leg sections it is very stable. Ball head will hold any 5x4 camera without the need for an extra head. Great!

loman · Nov 3, 2007

I love my manfrotto 075b, It easily handles my toyo 810g. I use a sinar head, which definately also helps stabilize things.

loman · Nov 3, 2007

By the way I also have a linhof 3414 coupled with a manfrotto 029 head. This combination should carry any 4x5 with ease (the manfrotto head is able to carry a load of 7 kg)

removed account4 · Nov 3, 2007

tiltall (and one of the legs unscrews as a monopod if you want that )

Removed Account · Nov 4, 2007

I bought a Manfrotto 075B, same model as Ioman, with the View Camera pan/tilt head from a fellow APUGger a few months ago. Apparently at one point he used it hold a 7x17 vertically. It can do so with my cambo SCX 4x5 monorail (about 14lbs) and is certainly far from rickety. Note with the revolving back there is no reason to do this other than that it looks cool. The tripod can seem slightly shaky when adjusting as the arms the controll the leg spread seem strangely thin for such a heavy duty tripod, but once everything is locked down it's a hard sucker to move. Plus, it can safely extend to over 7 feet and still be stable.

- Justin

roteague · Nov 4, 2007

Go for the gusto.... get a carbon fiber tripod !!!

richard ide · Nov 4, 2007

I bought a wooden Wild tripod for a theodolite for a hundred dollars. Sturdy enough to park a car on. Good for muscle toning as well. I made a tilting head from aluminum structural channel. I use it with a Cambo 4 x 5 and 8 x 10

eddie gunks · Nov 7, 2007

buy the 3051 from CGross! i just got mine on e bay. it was listed as broken. i got it, call manfrotto, and got the parts to repair it for $7! works like new. the best part is you can just hit the button and adjust the legs. you do not have to bend over or tighten any screws...it is automatic.

eddie

walter23 · Nov 7, 2007

Manfrotto 055B Pro with a sturdy 3-way head is my weapon of choice. It will even support my 8x10 conley (which is a pretty lightweight 8x10), though it's more suited to my 4x5 and smaller cameras.

I think it's called the 3221B Pro in other countries (like the USA).

What I like about it? Quick setup, high flexibility (inverted or sideways column), not too heavy, sturdy, tall enough to get things about up to my eye level (I'm 6'2).

I've put the column sideways to shoot straight down with my 4x5 and while it's a bit prone to vibration, with some care it works very well. You can hang the camera upside down between the legs as well, which is great for low-angle shots and macro of ground-level things.

They have a lightweight composite version of the same tripod, don't remember the model with certainty - "MF3" maybe.

c6h6o3 · Nov 8, 2007

Shawn Dougherty said:
I'm a big Ries fan when it comes to the 8x10 for sure, but with the 4x5 I really like my Berlebach 3032 with it's built in ball head. I've dropped it 10 feet onto rocks with a korona view attached and it came away with only a few scratches. Good luck!

Since you seem to have both, how does the Berlebach compare to the Ries in terms of workmanship and overall quality? The legs at least look to be a Ries knockoff. Can you use a Ries head with Berlebach sticks?

The price of a Berlebach is certainly more attractive than that of a Ries.

I'm fed up with this tripod

CGross

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