Tripod head for 4x5 field cam- Recommendations please

[MTGseattle]

I was working in a neighborhood close to them, so I stopped in at Kenmore Camera the other day. They had a Leofoto LS-365cex as used for $299. I was intrigued and extended the legs and realized it is a couple inches taller than my Gitzo but was smaller when collapsed. This is due to the 5 section legs.

I did find that 5 sections may not be the best idea for me (I still force one tripod into all of my photography up to 8x10) since each joint created a flex point of sorts.

It may prove to be perfectly adequate in the field, but I didn't feel confident.

This is not to poopoo on @Grafmatic tripod choice, the spec sheet for the model he chose looks pretty good, and is a 4-section not 5.

In short, I think a lot of leg sections get one a compact but twitchy tripod.

 

[Vieri Bottazzini]

I was working in a neighborhood close to them, so I stopped in at Kenmore Camera the other day. They had a Leofoto LS-365cex as used for $299. I was intrigued and extended the legs and realized it is a couple inches taller than my Gitzo but was smaller when collapsed. This is due to the 5 section legs.

I did find that 5 sections may not be the best idea for me (I still force one tripod into all of my photography up to 8x10) since each joint created a flex point of sorts.

It may prove to be perfectly adequate in the field, but I didn't feel confident.

This is not to poopoo on @Grafmatic tripod choice, the spec sheet for the model he chose looks pretty good, and is a 4-section not 5.

In short, I think a lot of leg sections get one a compact but twitchy tripod.

Agreed. I used to use a FLM 38, but recently upgraded to a Gitzo Series 5, which is a beast but incredibly rigid and stable. The Center Column rates it as the best, with the rest not even being close, and I have to say that after using RRS and FLM top of the line models, this one feels in a different league. It's 198 cm tall without a center column, which is amazing for when you need to be creative with your tripod positioning (one leg downhill being the classic case), but it's not as compact when folded and it's heavier than RRS and FLM at a little over 3 kg.

Best regards,

Vieri

 

[Grafmatic]

I would have liked a three-section leg but couldn’t find one I liked at a price I liked. I had had my eye on LS324 series but Leofoto nudged me toward the LM series because of the larger platform size. That turned out to be good advice. I had the full Intrepid on it today including lens, and stability seemed good.