wooden tripods some questions

MurrayMinchin · Jun 5, 2006

game said:
There must be something wrong with wood?

There are only two things that have gone wrong with my Zone VI tripod in over 20 years of hard use.

It came with black plastic knobs for tightening the legs that I replaced with metal wing nuts. The legs would swell so much in the rain that I couldn't loosen them by hand, and they broke when I resorted to bashing them with rocks. I've since refinished the wooden legs as well so they don't absorb so much rain anymore.

The thick plywood support for the head of the tripod on top of the legs also got replaced. All those years of rain forest use, then six months tied to the deck of a sea kayak caused it to delaminate. I replaced it with a sturdy piece of sheet aluminum.

Those are the only things that have ever gone wrong with mine.

Murray

P.S. Make that three. The small screws that hold the spiked feet fell out, so I put in bigger ones...the wood in the spikes was starting to rot.

wilsonneal · Jun 5, 2006

So if you buy a surveyor's tripod, what are some of the ways to attach a camera to the legset? The ones I've seen seem to have a hollow bolt with a 5/8" O.D.

Also, most often I am tilting down with my 8x10. Has anyone come up with an alternative to the Reis-style head that would allow tilt and attaches to a surveryor's legset?
Neal

Dave Parker · Jun 5, 2006

I just modified mine and put a 3/8 bolt in the platform, only took a few minutes, I also have an adapter to go from 3/8 to 1/4 when I need to use it that I got from bogen several years ago for around $10

R.

resummerfield · Jun 5, 2006

naturephoto1 said:
Though the Carbon Fiber Gitzo tripods are elegant, the new 6X tripod feet are removable and replaceable with screw in spikes. The spikes may not be as long as those on my Ries H100, but they may prove practical.

Yes, the screw-in or add-on spikes do work, but not nearly as well as the spikes on the Surveyor's tripod. My spikes are at least 6-inches long with a foot plate to sink them in. It is a little heavier, but I don't go outside without it.

wilsonneal said:
So if you buy a surveyor's tripod, what are some of the ways to attach a camera to the legset? The ones I've seen seem to have a hollow bolt with a 5/8" O.D.Neal

I removed the 5/8 bolt and bracket, and made a hardwood plug to fill the approx 2-inch opening. Then a common 3/8 bolt and washer to hold the B2. I generally pack the Ball head separately, and install it in the field, to prevent any damage in transit.

bob01721 · Jun 5, 2006

Roxi331 said:
"... I just modified mine and put a 3/8 bolt in the platform, only took a few minutes..."

Same here. Mine's wood with fiberglass tubes and aluminum spikes. Has an old Bogen head mounted on it.

That bad boy is unbelievably sturdy!

User Removed · Jun 5, 2006

I have simply never used a nicer tripod than my RIES MODEL-A. I've used various metal tripods over the years, but when I moved up to 8x10 and larger, none of those tripods worked well with the camera.

The Ries Model-A is, in my oppion, the nicest tripod for large and ultra large format photography on the market.

The weight is 13lbs, however...figuring the rest of my camera gear weights between 30-40lbs, weight is no longer an issue. I think its stupid to put a huge monster camera on a weak little 2lbs tripod. It just look goofy as well.

Ryan McIntosh
www.RyanMcIntosh.net

John Koehrer · Jun 5, 2006

wilsonneal said:
So if you buy a surveyor's tripod, what are some of the ways to attach a camera to the legset? The ones I've seen seem to have a hollow bolt with a 5/8" O.D.

Also, most often I am tilting down with my 8x10. Has anyone come up with an alternative to the Reis-style head that would allow tilt and attaches to a surveryor's legset?
Neal

I modified a surveyors 'pod by inserting the proper size bolt to fill the hole, cut it off & drilled & tapped it for 3/8".
Some old camera mounting plates were available for tilt, I just got one made by Graflex. Cost $15. It's maple & pretty simple. I've been thinking about amking a coouple of 'em up to see if there's a market. They would probably have to sell around $50-60 to make it worhwhile.

reellis67 · Jun 5, 2006

Changeling1 said:
What could be uglier than a beautiful wooden camera on a metal tripod? I think I'm gonna. . . . hurl!

I totaly agree.

- Randy

game · Jun 5, 2006

I think I prefer all metal....

roteague · Jun 5, 2006

Since I have to travel by air everywhere I go, weight and size are my primary consideration. I've used an aluminum Bogen tripod for years, and I am getting ready to replace it with either a Bogen or Gitzo Carbon Fiber this summer. I like the looks of the wood tripods, but they just don't work for me.

Donald Miller · Jun 5, 2006

wilsonneal said:
So if you buy a surveyor's tripod, what are some of the ways to attach a camera to the legset? The ones I've seen seem to have a hollow bolt with a 5/8" O.D.

Also, most often I am tilting down with my 8x10. Has anyone come up with an alternative to the Reis-style head that would allow tilt and attaches to a surveryor's legset?
Neal

Have an adapter made or purchase from Majestic...attach a Majestic geared head. I shot 12X20 off mine...

Donald Miller · Jun 5, 2006

Changeling1 said:
What could be uglier than a beautiful wooden camera on a metal tripod? I think I'm gonna. . . . hurl!

I agree...it is almost like sticking a Steinway in a brothel or trying to establish a brothel in the concert hall..

roteague · Jun 5, 2006

Changeling1 said:
What could be uglier than a beautiful wooden camera on a metal tripod? I think I'm gonna. . . . hurl!

A camera is a tool, nothing more. I could care less whether the tripod is wood or metal, apart from considerations of weight and size.

Jim Jones · Jun 5, 2006

wilsonneal said:
. . . Also, most often I am tilting down with my 8x10. Has anyone come up with an alternative to the Reis-style head that would allow tilt and attaches to a surveryor's legset?
Neal

A type of tilting head that was popular long ago can be improvised from scrap plywood and hardware store items. A section of piano hinge and two modified lid supports make it rigid and strong. The tripod socket screw is held captive by a stop nut retained between two fender washers epoxied or screwed to the tilting plywood. The upper washer is inletted to provide a level surface to support the camera. The lid supports are clamped by wingnuts on threaded rods that are epoxied into tapped holes in the bottom plywood. Two T-nuts are inletted into the bottom plywood for balancing options. The screws on which the lid supports pivot must be a snug fit. This version tilts 90 degrees. If less tilt will ever be required, the lid supports can be mounted further from the hinge, and reversed so they don't protrude.

Shelly Grimson · Jun 5, 2006

I use a leitz tiltall and an old shiansky metal tripods for 35 and 2 1/4. The cold metal problem is solved at no cost with a bit of duct tape and some thin foam wrapped conveniently on one leg near the head. For the 5x7 deardorff special I use an aluminum medium size Linhoff that has it's legs clothed in plastic. It has not been the best solution, but hasn't cost me anything yet to repair after 20 years. I put a really heavy ball head on it to give it some heft. The only problem is that of hight. I will get one that allows me to get alot higher next time. I think I lose a lot of opportunity by always having to be limited to eye level. A friend pulls around a neat thing with two wheels carrying a large box of his gear. He can stand on it and get a few feet higher and has the tripod to accomodate.

dphphoto · Jun 6, 2006

Charles Webb said:
A beautiful Deardorff stuck on any thing but a wood tripod looks very tacky to me.

I've used my Deardorff on a Gitzo for the past 25 years or so. But my 70-something-year-old NFS Deardorff isn't quite beautiful anymore, and by now the Gitzo's looking a little beat up, too.
You've gotta' remember: both Meyerowitz and Avedon went a long way with Deardorffs on Gitzos. Dean

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