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Author Topic: The (Serious) Tripod Thread  (Read 384267 times)

kers

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Re: The (Serious) Tripod Thread
« Reply #20 on: October 05, 2017, 06:12:24 am »

I have about 5 tripods from 10 cm to 12 m.
Mostly Velbon and Manfrotto... they all do their thing.
I think Manfrotto make not that refined equipment, but it works.
Unlike many i like to have a  centercolumn that i can raise - never had any problems with unsharp images.
No, never used them in the water but i am sure they are not waterproof and if they would take water i would let them dry.
( if they are waterproof i am afraid they will float or at least partly lose their downforce)
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Pieter Kers
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mbaginy

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Re: The (Serious) Tripod Thread
« Reply #21 on: October 05, 2017, 06:13:16 am »

Another thought concerning the need for water-immersion tripod. How about a surveyor's tripod?
Berlebach produce excellent wooden tripods -  probably very similar to surveyor style tripods.  While I've never used a Berlebach, two friends own some and they're quite pleased.
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NancyP

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Re: The (Serious) Tripod Thread
« Reply #22 on: October 05, 2017, 02:37:37 pm »

I don't know how I would feel about immersing a Berlebach (haven't seen one) or Ries (I have seen one of these beauties).  :'(   I suppose that one could consider sealing the wood with urethane, or whatever the canoe and ship builders use for fancy wood.
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rdonson

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Re: The (Serious) Tripod Thread
« Reply #23 on: October 05, 2017, 02:38:57 pm »

Background: 

I moved from Canon DSLRs to Fuji X-T1 and X-T2 about 2 years.  The size and weight difference was significant for me.  My longest/heaviest lens is the Fujinon XF 100-400.  This change informed my choice of tripods and ball head.

I now use a Sirui N-3204X Carbon Fiber N Series 4 Section Tripod Legs 69.7" Height.  I'm 6'4" tall so that factored into my choice as well.

I considered all the popular carbon fiber tripods in vogue and thought about Gitzo and RRS deeply as friends own those and love them.  In the end I felt the Sirui offered great quality and support after purchase for a very reasonable price.  I've had the tripod since June 2015 and I have no regrets.  It has served me well.

There are many high quality carbon fiber tripods available these days.  This was simply the way I went.
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Regards,
Ron

JaapD

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Re: The (Serious) Tripod Thread
« Reply #24 on: October 05, 2017, 03:04:28 pm »

have used Gitzo tripods in the past …. until I used them in the wet, shortly afterwards resulting in swollen bushes. I needed to order a replacement kit to get this solved. After this problems remained and I became really unhappy with my Gitzo.

Over the last 15 years or so I use a Berlebach tripod with a ArcaSwiss B1 Monoball, in the cold, the wet, the wind, everything and it never ever has let me down. There are many good things about this tripod, two of them being the combination of stiffness and damping of the wood and the fact that the clamping of the legs is fully on the outside, easy to clean if necessary, no internal bushes that can swell and not dry up. My next tripod? Surely it will going to be a Berlebach again. I like the series with a large diameter ball integrated in the tripod. With this you’re able to tilt the plate over +/- 30 degrees. With this I just may not need to apply the ball head anymore…

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the_luminous_french

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Re: The (Serious) Tripod Thread
« Reply #25 on: October 05, 2017, 03:37:37 pm »

i've used almost all type of head... after finding my beloved Arca D4, it suits perfectly my needs for architectural and museum photography... but, now i need a video head as well... and i'd like to avoid manfrotto... too much trouble with their metrics heads in the past !
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NancyP

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Re: The (Serious) Tripod Thread
« Reply #26 on: October 05, 2017, 07:43:42 pm »

Your Berlebach tripod doesn't run into trouble if you immerse it in water? That would be a very nice feature, if it were waterproof.
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Rand47

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Re: The (Serious) Tripod Thread
« Reply #27 on: October 06, 2017, 01:06:59 am »

Quote
So as innocuous as Mr. Joe's comments are/were . . .

Innocuous:
adjective

1.  not harmful or injurious; harmless: an innocuous home remedy.
2.  not likely to irritate or offend; inoffensive; an innocuous remark.

Thank you for clarifying your position.  I didn’t think you intended to be vengeful, condemning, and judgmental. 

Rand
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Rand Scott Adams

Kirk_C

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Re: The (Serious) Tripod Thread
« Reply #28 on: October 07, 2017, 09:24:23 pm »

Manfrotto are more expensive and fell better than Gitzo?

Manfrotto bought Gitzo years ago and while they follow the original Gitzo aesthetics to maintain the brand image both brands are designed by the same design team and both are manufactured primarily in China.
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nazdravanul

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Re: The (Serious) Tripod Thread
« Reply #29 on: October 08, 2017, 03:27:54 am »

Manfrotto bought Gitzo years ago and while they follow the original Gitzo aesthetics to maintain the brand image both brands are designed by the same design team and both are manufactured primarily in China.

While it's true that Gitzo is the premium brand of Manfrotto, since the acquisition, a few years back - the China manufacture is not true. Only lower end Manfrotto stuff is manufactured in China, but most of the higher-end line-up (including all Gitzo stuff) is manufactured in Italy (or UK, or even Israel, if it's bags). I know someone who works at the factory :)
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ErikKaffehr

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Re: The (Serious) Tripod Thread
« Reply #30 on: October 08, 2017, 04:02:39 am »

Hi,

I use two tripods mainly, an RRS TVC-33-S and a Gitzo GT3541LS. The Gitzo worked fine for all time I have used it.On the RRS the leg joints went loose the first day, due to inproperly applied Locktite at the factory. I fixed that, and did not need to re-tighten before five years have passed.

Both tripods are nice. I have a leveling base on the RRS and it comes in the way of shooting low, so for flowers and things I use the Gitzo.

Best regards
Erik
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Erik Kaffehr
 

francois

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Re: The (Serious) Tripod Thread
« Reply #31 on: October 08, 2017, 07:15:20 am »

I'm using a couple of Gitzo CF tripods. They've been through everything: -30°c with snow and ice, Death Valley, sand, water, mud, etc and they are still working fine. I also have a Manfrotto CF tripod and this one also work perfectly. Every once in a while, I disassemble and clean them.
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Francois

BrownBear

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Re: The (Serious) Tripod Thread
« Reply #32 on: October 08, 2017, 11:53:34 am »

Every once in a while, I disassemble and clean them.

That's key when tripods live a busy outdoor life. Amazing the amount of dust that works its way back into the crevices of joints and ultimately interferes. We have studio tripods that haven't needed cleaning in 20 years, but the ones we take into the field need annual treatment at the very least.
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JaapD

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Re: The (Serious) Tripod Thread
« Reply #33 on: October 12, 2017, 12:27:44 pm »

Your Berlebach tripod doesn't run into trouble if you immerse it in water? That would be a very nice feature, if it were waterproof.

No trouble at all. The clamping mechanism continues to work in the wet without resulting in slippage, tightening up or something (unlike my Gitzo!). Also no wear and tear over the many years that the tripod has been used intensively.

A wooden tripod like the Berlebach may look a bit old fashioned but for me there is only one thing that counts and that is that it gets the job done. I've chosen for the black finish, to make it a bit less 'classic', but that's just me.
« Last Edit: October 12, 2017, 12:34:44 pm by JaapD »
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bo_johnsson

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Re: The (Serious) Tripod Thread
« Reply #34 on: October 14, 2017, 06:53:20 pm »

I have a RRS TVC-34L (big and heavy!) for around-home use, with a quick release system for the so I can change between the big RRS ball head and a Wimberley II gimbal head
I also have a RRS TQL-14 for light travel, this is very sturdy for it's weight and compact size.
Both are very easy to work with, superhigh quality. I love and really recommend them. Pricy stuff but you will keep them for life.
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