Large Format Tripod

DREW WILEY · Oct 14, 2013

Ballheads are the root of all evil in many cases, but might be OK if you have a very light 4x5 field camera with modest bellows extension, and if the silly gadget is sufficiently built in the first place. The very best tripod head for view camera use is none at all ! But you need enough platform area atop the tripod itself that wobble won't be an issue.

Len Middleton · Oct 14, 2013

Another fan of the heavy duty levelling head. Mine is a Linhof Kardan Studio head.

The single degree pivot with a locking strut is a robust design properly executed i.e. see Linhof levelling heads or Reis...

Fewer degrees of movement means all else equal, more robust for the same weight.

My thoughts and the choice I made for my 8x10 & 8x20...

analoguey · Oct 23, 2013

Hmm. Interesting. I recently bid for a Toho, I'm wondering based on this, whether I would need to get a new tripod too.

I currently an using a graphlex vintage tripod. It holds my mamiya pretty easy n stable, but feels too darn top-heavy at times. Used a friend's manfrotto 3021 and that was world's apart.

Sent from my LT26i using Tapatalk

jerrybro · Oct 23, 2013

I run a Bogen 3401 with a 3030 head for everything from a Rollei to the Toyo 45 monorail, it works great for me.

Neil Poulsen · Dec 21, 2013

Marvin said:
I found two tripods up for bid a Linhof with a Linhof ball head and a Sinar that is much larger and heavier. Just wonder what these might be worth. I am not sure what models these might be but they seem to be sturdy and all locks seem to work ok. Thinking these would be a good support for 4x5.
Marvin

Ditto.

wiltw · Dec 21, 2013

I have a Horseman monorail that weighs about 12 lbs. I have put it on top of a Bogen 3036 tripod (very sturdy), atop a Bogen 3038 ballhead. It is admittedly a handful to position the camera at the right angle, and I would prefer to use a geared head. However, it has been a very workable combination for commercial product photography.

Ronald Moravec · Dec 21, 2013

LJH said:
Ball heads with LF is a horrible combination, IMO.

Absolutely.

Use a Ries with built in top that tilts or 2 section leg Berlbach. These are the top two. No metal tripods. No ball heads or heads of any kind.

alex gard · Dec 22, 2013

cjbecker said:
For LF I just mounted straight to the tripod. For mf I use a hasslblad QR that mounted straight to the tripod. I've found if the tripod has a spinning center column it's very easy and fast to mount the camera.

I will also normally position the camera so the lens and the front leg are pointing in the same direction. It makes it easer for leveling.

I've yet to ever have a situation where I needed a head. Yes some would have been faster to setup but never needed one. I like the extra stabality, as I'm normally shooting in the seconds range.

i was doing this when I first got the sinar but then thought I was being ridiculous and got a sinar tripod head which weighs a ton and adds quite a bit of extra weight to carry and a I really don't think it adds that much difference seeing as it only tilts and swivels so if I need to do critical levelling sometimes I need to adjust the tripod legs where the head doesn't accommodate that movement nor the camera.

perhaps I will revert back to using the tripod without a head at all. the tripod originally had a pistol grip ball head but that was not very good at all and I don't think it was meant for the weight of the f2, the Hasselblad im not so sure I think it will be better to have a head

mikebarger · Dec 22, 2013

Haven't used a ball head with my zone VI 4x5, but love my geared bogen head.

kintatsu · Dec 23, 2013

I have a 30+ year old Linhof tripod and pan/tilt head. It weighs a bit, but worth the extra effort. The pan/tilt handle folds down by loosening it and rotates all over for easy use. The only issue I had was adding a 1/4 20 mounting screw, as it only has the 3/8".

My prior tripods wouldn't support my 4x5 very well, heck they wouldn't even support the RB-67 if I tilted it.

norm123 · Feb 16, 2015

LF and ballhead....hum hum

At the begining, I tried my 068 Manfrotto ballhead for my Sinar F-1. For me, it was difficult. Sure, you can reframing with rise/fall and shift but I was nervous that everything falls. Any way, I change for a Gitzo
1370M 3-ways on the same legs (Manfrotto 475B). It's perfect for me.

DREW WILEY · Feb 17, 2015

Ball heads are the root of all evil when it comes to keeping anything like a big monorail stable. It's like trying to catch a tuna on a leader of
4 lb monofilament intended for small stream trout. I prefer not to use any kind of tripod head with view cameras, but when I do, it's going to
be some kind of solid low-profile pan/tilt device. I prefer Ries wooden tripods, though I do also have a couple nice carbon fiber ones for long
hikes.

E. von Hoegh · Feb 17, 2015

Light Guru said:
I disagree I use this tripod and have had no issues using my 4x5 on it.
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/302815-REG/Berlebach_BE3032_3032_Wood_Tripod_Legs.html

Considering you have given us no useful information about the tripods for us to go off of nobody will be able to properly answer your questions.

Model numbers?
Links to the post?

A leveling ball and a ballhead like the OP is referring to are utterly different. I paid $50 for a used Marchioni Tiltall 25 or so years ago and never ever even considered another tripod for 4x5 and smaller. Ballheads for LF are indeed very bad news.

Kilgallb · Feb 18, 2015

I find the Manfrotto ball head does not work below -10C. If the camera is level it works, but if you tilt up or down the stress on the system causes it to slowly shift. The key here is if you tilt the camera the moment arm causes more force and at lower temperatures the friction on the ball head seems to reduce. Thus, the camera slowly shifts.

Large Format Tripod

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