the search for the perfect tripod for 4x5

[BradS]

When I only shot 35mm, it seems like any old tripod would due. The Vivitar 914 I bought in High School served my every need for more than twenty years.

When I started shooting 4x5....everything changed!

I now have four (!) tripods for large format...I think that I'm converging....but, now, I wonder if there isn't some wisdom in simply buying the carbon fiber Gitzo right from the start. With what I've spent on tripods so far, I think I could have paid for that gitzo by now.

Ultimately, I want something that is light weight, less than 22 inches folded, easy to set up and use, and capable of supporting a modest 4x5 kit.

 

[Slixtiesix]

Gitzo is great! I had several tripods from different brands but was never really pleased with any of them. A friend always tried to convince me to buy a Gitzo but I was reluctant because of the price. Than he allowed me to use his Gitzo 2-series carbon fiber on a few occasions and I was thrilled! Bought my own Gitzo (a GT4330LS+G1570m head) within a month. Now I´m completely satisfied. Gitzos are simply so fast and easy to operate, it´s a real joy to use them.
For 4x5" I would recommend a 3-series tripod from the systematic range. The only problem would be the lenght. Most of these are around 26" folded. One of them is 24". Just have a look on their website: http://www.gitzo.com/cms/site/gitzo/tripods/systematic?code=GT3531S

Good luck with your choice!
Benjamin

 

[36cm2]

Posted wirelessly..

You will never regret the expense on a Gitzo. I own a 1228 with a Markins top (instead of the column) and it's wonderful. Also considered a 1345, but it was a bit large for my tastes.

 

[Matus Kalisky]

Have a look at the Feisol carbon tripods (http://www.feisol.com/english/feisolen.htm). I got mine (Feisol tournament CT-3442 ) from Kerry (http://reallybigcameras.com - great help from them) together with the PhotoClamm ball head (PC-33).

I use it since nearly 2 years and have no complains about either of the two. The ball head is surprisingly smooth and stable (OK, only the panning movement could have better lock - requires more power than I like when mounting/unmounting the head from the tripod) for its size and price. I have not use the high-end ball heads from Kirk, RRS or Arca, but I do not feel the need for anything

This combination weight around 3 pounds and holds my Tachihara 4x5 steady up to lenses 400/8 (Osaka tele-design, 0.5kg weight). In fact - the sturdiness of the camera limits the stability - not the tripod (OK, Tachi is not the most stable 4x5 camera in the world). For heavier cameras you may want to go with stronger tripod and a bit bigger ball head (OK, depends what kind of subjects you shoot) - I wanted the lightest combination possible for travel.

For the Gitzo - it will indeed be better made than Feisol - cost also about 2x more, so that is the decision you have to make. I find the Feisol more than good enough (3 weeks in New Zealand, airplane ...) and the support from Kerry is first class.

I had a carbon Benro tripod (same class but heavier) before and I find the Feisol better built.

 

[lxdude]

I have the same Feisol, and it's doing great! If buying new I would have gotten a 3-section instead of a 4 section for stability concerns but I got it used with a lot of other stuff. As it turns out I have no complaints as to stability. It's very solid.

 

[Thingy]

I too worked through several tripods before buying my first aluminium Gitzo Studex back in 1979-80 (when they were still made in France) and a Rationelle head. There was no going back. I now own three CF Gitzo's: a GT1541 plus two which I use for LF work with an Acratech's excellent GV2 ballhead. For everyday work I muse a Gitzo Series 2: GT2541 and for windy places or when I need to stand upright due to back pain, I use a Series 3: GT3531. I did use a basalt series 2 tripod earlier but upgraded to the lighter CF tripods when I bought my Ebony. They really are astonishingly light when compared to the old aluminium Studex models. My Studex could support a MF Mamiya C330f and could cope with ocassional use of my old Linhof Colour Kardan but the might lighter GT3531 can cope with so much more - and weighs much less!

 

[David A. Goldfarb]

Went through lots of tripods, didn't really care for the old style Gitzo collars on the legs, but when they came out with the new style locking collars in the 6x series, I saw one and I was sold. The 5-series are stable enough for ULF or long lenses with 35mm, but at the weight of what I would previously have called a "medium weight" tripod, so when I got my GT5540LS legset, I was able to sell off various other tripods, and I have a few different heads suited to different tasks or how much weight I want to carry. Mine came with a long column that I rarely use. I often use it with the medium column for tabletop stuff or the flat plate in the field.

For a compact tripod I've been using a little Linhof Report for several years, but I think my three-year-old sat on it while it was closed, and now the legs don't move so easily (fortunately it wasn't too expensive, despite the Linhof branding), and I'm debating whether to replace it with a Gitzo Traveller or the Feisol in that size at around half the price. I'm leaning toward the Feisol, because I think I can use it with a head that I already have and like, where I'd be paying for a head that I don't need or want with the Gitzo.

 

[photobum]

I bought one of the early Gitzo carbon tripods when they first came out. The glue joints on the collars gave out right away, then the joint up on top. Part of my kit was sandpaper, alcohol wipes and JB weld epoxy. The gray JB looked like a pretty good match for the legs. Now that the tripod was fixed I found that the four section legs and collars made me nuts. It just took to long to set up.

It was replaced with a 6X, three leg section model. Very fast to use and a wider cross section on the lowest leg. I love this tripod. The old Mountaineer sits on a shelf waiting for somebody to come along that wants a short tripod. My advise, don't buy the shorter, older tripod. Get the 6X or keep what you have.

 

[Peter Schrager]

for under $130 you can buy a slik composite 500ex or something like that...I've been using mine for over two years now...triple composite metals and really lightweight
perfect for 5x7 field and down...
est, Peter

 

[SMBooth]

Just for the record, Im quite happy using a Velbron 630CF with a Arcatech ballhead with a wooden Wista field. Maybe a little more than 22inch but only weighs 2kg

 

[Matus Kalisky]

I would only add that the Feisol Tournament CT-3442) folds up small enough (including a compact ball head as the legs flip-up) to carry in you carry-on luggage. Yes - I did it and experienced no problems during any of the 9 check-ins I had to do during our flight to New Zealand and back.

 

[holmburgers]

The best tripod for the money is probably the classic Tilt-All. I have a Marchioni Tiltall that only cost me $60 and it handles my monorail 4x5" (Calumet cc-401) pretty comfortably. This is a pretty heavy monorail and I think that a field camera or more modern monorail would be just peachy-keen sitting atop this 60 year old tripod.

It might not be right for everybody as it lacks a lot of the luxurious features of more modern tripods, but for those on a budget, it's great.

 

[David A. Goldfarb]

I've had a few Tiltalls, and I agree--most bang for the buck.

 

[BradS]

I have the following:

Bogen 3021BN with 3047 three-way head. This is a the strongest, sturdiest and easiest to use tripod I have. I have used it for all things smaller than 8x10. It has even been pressed into service for some of the lighter 8x10 kits that have passed through my hands. It is just too big and heavy to carry very far from the car though.

Bogen 3001BN with 486 Midi-ball head. (or, is it the 488?) Nice, light weight and almost compact enough to perfectly meet my needs. Although most folks would say that this is not up to the task for 4x5...it certainly is for my light weight kit. I'm not fond of the ball head for 4x5 but, it works.

Berlebach 8043 Report...close to perfect but, at over six pounds and 27 inches folded, it is just too long and just a little heavy for the trail. So, this week, I bought it's little brother....

Berlebach 7043 Report. Currently in transit (I think/hope?) from Germany. I expect this to be just about right. It is 22 inches folded and weighs right around 5 pounds. Needless to say, I am very anxious for it to arrive.

 

[Adrian Twiss]

I have just bought a Feisol 3342 with photoclam PC40 ball head. Its a delightful tripod, light. compact but extends above my head when fully extended. It is also very ridgid. As a bonus it fits on the back of my Lowepro backpack, something my manfrotto would not do. The Photoclam head is light years ahead of the first ball head I bought in the 1990s. Kerry Thalmann is very helpful and his service is first class.

 

[TareqPhoto]

Gitzo rules!!!
After getting 4 Gitzo tripods [different series] i never look back to any other tripods, even my Manfrotto i use it for a while for my MF cameras because i don't have plates to use them with my Gitzo, but once i buy plates for MF or even LF then i will not see Manfrotto for decades maybe.

 

[removed account4]

i have a black tiltall i bought new
in 1988 for 75$ and use it for 4x5 and smaller,
and have never been sorry.
i lent it to a friend a few years ago
and learned the legs unscrew and
the screw-lug on the underside of the center column
unscrews and screws into the leg and becomes a
monopod. too cool !

i wish the made something like the tiltall that cold take an 8x10 ...
it is a great tripod, and if mine was lost, i would replace it in kind
no questions asked ...

 

[Athiril]

Im still on my first tripod.

It's a GoldPhoto.

I think its about 3-4 kg though all up though.

Paid $150 AUD for it from a camerahouse/retail shop including bag and head. Even the logo looks like Manfrotto's design, takes manfrotto parts too... picked up the Manfrotto #222 vertical trigger about a year ago for $20 AUD at a 2nd hand festival I use on it now.. though its not as stable as the rock solid 3 way pan head that came with the tripod.

It's stable enough to use in the water at the beach with the waves hitting it at any exposure length


Brillo for the RB67 and Speed Graphic.

 

[Poisson Du Jour]

(revised/deleted)

 

[Poisson Du Jour]

Thumbs up for GITZO; I bought the (discontinued?) GT0931 Basalt model ($500) for bushwalking. That is 1.27kg with a simple Manfrotto compact ball head with QR. Added 305gm to that weight with Manfrotto spiked feet. Very compact and exceptionally well-made tripod. The other is a Manfrotto 190CX3 carbon fibre ($490) — this is my 'major domo' for its robustness and light weight, matched to a Manfrotto 498RC2 ball head with QR. I reckon any of these Manfrotto mid-line steady-friends will easily take a large format with appropriate QR plate (wider for LF than for 35mm): my EOS 1N is 2.25kg and both tripods support that weight securely. Always take your LF kit with you when shopping for a tripod; don't leave anything to "it should be OK" as it could turn out not to be — at the worst possible moment.

 

[Wade D]

My old Majestic tripod will not only hold a 4x5 camera but the photographer as well. Not very portable but a real beast.

 

[Lars Daniel]

When you LF guys use a ballhead, is that due to weight and compactness? I imagine that it would drive me crazy not to have a 3-way head (which is what I use on medium format). Or is there some aspects of LF that I am missing?

 

[Poisson Du Jour]

Lars, ballheads are certainly compact and easier to manage than say the 3-way heads that are also common; it is a matter of how efficient / attuned you are during your work and what you prefer. Not all ball heads are necessarily light. True, I used a 3-way head for 15 years or so and it meant lots of repetitive hand movements to fine tune positions. When that tripod was stolen, I then moved up to another tripod with a trigger grip: that cut repetition of hand movements very dramatically. My second small tripod was bought with a very light compact ball head as a 'dare', if you like, and from that point I was hooked on ball heads, disposing of my trigger grip head on eBay and buying a beefier compact pan-ball head for my base tripod. That one features adjustable ball release friction (for fine-tuning the camera's horizontal-vertical axes before tightening) and pan-level: this would be undeniably useful not just for LF, but any format. Experience is a wonderful thing. I would not, now, go back to 3-way heads or even the Manfrotto 222 trigger ball-head grip (didn't actually hold the heavy camera reliably on its side).

 

[Q.G.]

When you LF guys use a ballhead, is that due to weight and compactness? I imagine that it would drive me crazy not to have a 3-way head (which is what I use on medium format). Or is there some aspects of LF that I am missing?

Ballheads drive me crazy too.

3D heads allow adjusting one axis, and one axis (at a time) only. Loosen a ballhead to nudge the camera in one direction, and you will be forced to reset its position in all directions all over again.
And when you need a bit more than just a bit of tilt, having to look for the recess in the collar that allows that, and to rotate the ball so you can actually use it the way you want (it's never aligned to your camera the way you need it) is infuriating too.

So if you'd ask me, ballheads are far from being easier to use than 3D heads. Quite the opposite.
But ballheads (even the big and heavy ones) are compact.

 

[Richard Wasserman]

Add me to the camp that dislikes ballheads–I found them to be much harder to accurately position the camera than a 3-way head. I use a Bogen/Manfrotto 804RC2, which weighs 1.7 pounds, for my 4x5 Horseman FA when I need a lightweight kit. It is made from polymer and has short handles so it is relatively compact and it sells for about $80.00. When weight is not so much of an issue I use a Bogen 410 that is a real pleasure with a heavier 4x5 camera. I'm not a backpacker though so I'm not using the smallest, lightest possible gear, just easy to use and easy on my back whenever possible.