Time for a tripod - advice appreciated

eoren1

So I read the sticky and did a search and have gone over the minute details of at least 12 tripods but have yet to pull the trigger...
I'm shooting with the Canon 50D and the 10-22, 17-55 and 70-200/4 IS
No plans to upgrade lenses in the near future
Tripod would be for landscapes and HDR shots. I am getting into the use of 9-18 shots - I set the aperture and then manually dial from -2 to +2 by 1/3 to 2/3 stops. Realizing a better tripod is officially in order.
Currently using a Manfrotto 718 digi - supports 5 lb; weighs 2.5 lb...
Would like to stay under 2-300

I researched CF legs from Induro (CT213/313), Manfrotto(050CX3/190CXpro3), Feisol (CT3371), Giotto (8271/8371) and Benro (C258M8/C358M8). Couldn't find any under $350. Next looked at Manfrotto's 055XproB and Induro's AT313/413. The Manfrotto is lighter by 0.5lb and seems to fit the bill a bit better. Any thoughts on these legs? Are there alternatives I should consider in the $200 range??

As for the head, while I would love the RRS-40 and L plate, that would by $530 by itself. I'm talking myself into the Manfrotto 498RC2 but am concerned that it adds 1.5 lb and have read various reviews with a few mentioning drift in portrait mode. Again welcome suggestions for a ball head.

Figured any of the above would be a major step up. Not being able to afford $1000 for the 'right' tripod now, would you have other suggestions in this range apart from what I have found?
Thanks a lot,
E

cab.in.boston

I don't know if you noticed my tripod/head on Saturday, but I literally had just gotten it a couple of days before the WWPW. So all of this is with that caveat: I've only had this setup for a week and I don't know how well it will hold up long-term. Art Scott says he's been using Giottos for decades, so I have a warm fuzzy feeling that it will last.

I did all the research you've done and decided that I could live without CF, and that Giottos legs seemed like a great bargain. It seemed that for fairly similar specs, CF maybe saved 0.5-1 pound over aluminum. Since I am not planning on hiking with this pod into the Himalayas, I figured I could handle that extra weight.

I need more height than you do to get to eye level, so I ended up with MT9371 legs. They're actually a couple inches too tall for me. However, if you step down to the next shorter legs, they lose some of their weight rating (10 kg/22 lb down to 8 kg/18 lb). I did all the math and even if I got the heaviest lens that's on my wishlist, I wouldn't be putting more than 9-10 lbs on the tripod, so either one would have worked for me. YMMV. The legs were $229 from B&H.

I guess one of the main knocks on the Giottos legs is that they don't get quite as low as some of the other, more high-end legs. But they can get to 11.5", so adding on the head and camera gets me to around 16". That's fine with me, but it's something to consider, depending on how you shoot. But I do really like how the center column comes out and can be mounted horizontally or even upside down for odd angles or macro type shots. Neat.

Like you, I'd love the RRS stuff, but I went with the Kirk BH-3. It is rated up to 15 lbs, so again I figure it will be more than I need. It's taller than RRS, but I think the quality is great. I'm very happy with it. It was $275 either directly through Kirk or at B&H. I figured that if I stepped up to the BH-1 head, at $360 I was now in RRS territory, and I might as well go that way. So I went with the smaller head, and I think it's fantastic.

I just looked up the 50D L-plate at Kirk, and it is $140. The BH-3 comes with a universal plate that you could use for a while if you wanted to stagger the spending, but of course you could only use that in landscape and use the drop notch for portrait orientation.

My whole set up was $650 shipped from B&H. As you know, one can very easily spend 2-3x that much with Gitzo 6x and RRS heads. So I thought it was reasonable, and since receiving it, I don't think I'd be that much happier if I had spent that much more. It's solid, easy to use, and while I was a little tired after the WWPW, it's really not uncomfortable to carry around.

I'd be happy to get together and let you take a look at it, if you're so inclined.

Nikonic1

I'm pretty fond of my Induro setup. Light, strong, stable as a rock. Good prices too and many varieties to suit your needs.

eoren1

Thanks for the great post Cab! And for not calling me short!!
And thanks Matt for mentioning the Induro's.

Did some more 'shopping' and found the Induro AT213 which comes in at 4.1 lb and $143. Goes down to 6.7". Maxes at 56.7" without the column. I'm wondering if that is tall enough for my 5'8". I would rather not extend the column for most of my shots. With the Kirk BH-3 at 4" and the Manfrotto 498RC2 at 5", I think that will just about work...

The Giotto MT9261 comes in around the same price but weighs 4.8lb and does not lower nearly as much.

Other option is the Benro A297EX which matches well with the Giotto...

I'm headed to Hunt's later today to see if they have any in stock and to play a bit.

As for the head, I had thought of the Kirk BH-3 a while back when I was last shopping around. It does save over $100 off the RRS but it is twice the price of the Manfrotto 498RC2. Wondering if anyone has used the Manfrotto heads...

I'll add more as I learn more.

Thanks again,
E

cab.in.boston

eoren1 wrote: »

Thanks for the great post Cab! And for not calling me short!!

Yeah, I wasn't calling you short, I was calling me tall.

Did some more 'shopping' and found the Induro AT213 which comes in at 4.1 lb and $143. Goes down to 6.7". Maxes at 56.7" without the column. I'm wondering if that is tall enough for my 5'8".

If you're 5'8", then your eyes are probably at about 5'4". Your 50D will be about 3.5-4" from base to VF. Given 4" for the head; 56.7" + 3.5" + 4" = 64.2", so that should be just about right.

One thing I learned is that because my legs are just a tad too tall, I had to put a mark on them that equates to eye level. That makes setup time take just a bit longer, as I can't simply send the legs to full extension and get the last inch or two with the center column. But it works fine, no biggie.

I would rather not extend the column for most of my shots. With the Kirk BH-3 at 4" and the Manfrotto 498RC2 at 5", I think that will just about work...

The Giotto MT9261 comes in around the same price but weighs 4.8lb and does not lower nearly as much.

One thing about the Giottos with the removable/adjustable center column, is that you can actually invert the column and mount the camera underneath the legs. Adjust that properly, and you could put your camera right at ground level for some different perspective. You'd need to work the camera upside down and rotate in post, but you could get right down on the ground. Just a suggestion.

Other option is the Benro A297EX which matches well with the Giotto...

I'm headed to Hunt's later today to see if they have any in stock and to play a bit.

As for the head, I had thought of the Kirk BH-3 a while back when I was last shopping around. It does save over $100 off the RRS but it is twice the price of the Manfrotto 498RC2. Wondering if anyone has used the Manfrotto heads...

I'll add more as I learn more.

Thanks again,
E

I'm sure the Manfrotto is fine, but when I was shopping, I decided to stick with the arca-swiss compatible gear. Besides the awesomeness of the L-plate, it just leaves the options more open for the future. I already know I want to add a long plate/pano rail, and it just makes it super easy to switch things around. When/if I get some heavier lenses, I will get QR plates for them, and I can see how the whole system will operate together. I don't have it yet, but I may eventually get an L-plate for my D90, just in case I want to do some multi-body shooting. For now I can use the universal QR plate that came with the BH-3. That way you don't have to constantly change out a proprietary QR plate system back and forth. But I certainly understand the cost issue. I try and do the "buy it once" method instead of incrementally buying things I think will work and then upgrading later. That's why Thom Hogan's tripod article resonated so well with me.

Have fun at Hunt's. That place is great. Really makes me wonder what a real trip to B&H would be like.

eoren1

Back from Hunt's...
They only had the Manfrotto's and a slightly smaller Giotto's to play with.
The Manfrotto 055 was too tall for me and too heavy imo
The Manfrotto 190 was a decent height but felt a bit wobbly
The Giotto MT9251 was nice. The one I would likely want (9261) is one pound heavier though...

So now I have two shopping carts and am trying to decide before pulling the trigger:
Induro AT213 with Induro BHD2 ballhead (arca-swiss style) - $342
Feisol CT3401 with Kirk BH-3 ballhead - $484

I'm leaning (strongly) toward the second option. Figured the last tripod I bought for $100 lasted me 10 years. This set should last at least 40...

Anyone want to talk me out of that second option???
E

Need2Ski

Tripod shopping is tough, especially when trying to stick to a budget. You often hear choose two of three, light, cheap, and sturdy. CF legs are pricey as are good ball heads. The Manfrotto legs and head certainly get good reviews from most users. I do hear complaints about the Manfrotto ball heads and quick release systems. Most folks are happy with them but some complain that when doing fine macro work with precise framing there's enough slippage when tightening the ball and or slop in the QR system that framing changes. These kinds of things might hardly be noticed if shooting landscapes and HDR but when very precise framing is required it might be an issue. That said, I don't know of any ball heads that are better at anything close to the price. One strategy might be to try to buy a decent used aluminum set of legs and a good ball head? I've read goo user reviews of Vanguard heads but otherwise know nothing about them. I completely broke my budget and bought a Feisol CT-3441T and Photo Clam PC-40NS ball head. So far I'm really impressed. It's overkill for my equipment but the ball is very smooth and I don't find any droop at all. I wanted something that would be fairly tall but as I've been using it I rarely raise it very high. I find I'm much more likely to shoot at lower levels. I did when I hand held too. For many landscapes or macros it's often better to shoot from lower perspectives. And full length people pictures usually look better with a camera position somewhere around waist level. Height could certainly be an advantage in some situations but after using this tripod a while it wouldn't be as important a consideration as it was when I purchased. I think something like a set of used Manfrotto aluminum legs with a one of the Photo Clam heads would give you a pretty nice working unit that would stay relatively close to your budget.

Dan7312

I can't talk you out of it, but I can second your selection of the Kirk BH-3.

eoren1 wrote: »

Feisol CT3401 with Kirk BH-3 ballhead - $484

I'm leaning (strongly) toward the second option. Figured the last tripod I bought for $100 lasted me 10 years. This set should last at least 40...

Anyone want to talk me out of that second option???
E

eoren1

Thanks for the added comments.
We have one more ballhead making a late entry here...the Photoclam! Never heard of it before but it gets very, very strong reviews at the Fred Miranda forum.
I'm planning on getting my Feisol from reallybigcameras.com who sell this ballhead as well. They have various sized ballheads from 33mm ($179) to 36mm ($189) and 40mm ($219). I'm now thinking that the Feisol 3401 for $219 or Rapid version for $284 and the 36mm head would make for a really good combo and stay in the low $400 range.

cab.in.boston

eoren1 wrote: »

The Giotto MT9251 was nice. The one I would likely want (9261) is one pound heavier though...

Remember, extra mass below the camera helps stability.

So now I have two shopping carts and am trying to decide before pulling the trigger:
Induro AT213 with Induro BHD2 ballhead (arca-swiss style) - $342
Feisol CT3401 with Kirk BH-3 ballhead - $484

I'm leaning (strongly) toward the second option. Figured the last tripod I bought for $100 lasted me 10 years. This set should last at least 40...

Anyone want to talk me out of that second option???
E

Nope, I think you'll be happy with it. I looked (quite a lot) at the Feisol legs, after reading Scott Quier's writeup of his tripod. They just weren't tall enough for me, or that is to say the ones that were tall enough got priced way out beyond the Giottos.

Go for it, you won't regret it! I stopped on the way home and did a few quick shots, and I just love having a nice tripod, it really makes a difference.

eoren1

So after a LOT of deliberation, I decided to order the Feisol CT-3401 with the Photo Clam PC-36-NS ballhead! I'll post a full review when it arrives.
E

cab.in.boston

eoren1 wrote: »

So after a LOT of deliberation, I decided to order the Feisol CT-3401 with the Photo Clam PC-36-NS ballhead! I'll post a full review when it arrives.
E

Sweet! I'm sure you'll be happy.

I just looked up that head, and it looks almost exactly the same as the Kirk. Specs say it's slightly smaller, but the load capacity is way higher! Now you have to get yourself a 600mm f/4 or something like that to take advantage of that capacity.

Awais Yaqub

I have Feisol 3401 with center column and Cullman 30nm magnasite ball head

Here are my thoughts

Hight: When used with center column camera VF touches my forehead i am around 6 feet. But when i want ground level shooting i have to remove long center column which is impossible in field so i am looking for short center column hopefully it will bring camera VF on my eye level and allow me to shoot from low ground level too. Check out specification with and without CC

Stability and weight: very good stability no extra movements when working, light weight and folds down to reasonable size to carry around comfortability

Max load: As rated it can take 9 kg, i attached around 10kg of exercise dumbbells to hook and it was no issue for this tripod, if you apply more force on legs they start slipping into each other (when extended)

Max load camera gear: my friend borrowed my TP + BH combo to use with 7D+400mm f4 non is and it had no issue. I frequently use my camera setup 7D+ 17-40+ 580ex2 and experienced no issue apart from portrait format shooting due to cheap release system of Ball head.


Cullmann magnasite 30nm Ballhead
This is extremely nice ballhead and costs only 107$ light weight, release system which comes with it is not good for heavy load (7D+17-40), i recommend add better quick release system like manfrotto (25$), otherwise in portrait format camera keeps tilting down until it is really tight. All other mechanisms on this BH are smooth and strong.

Note on twist locks
These are really good when used and precise but if not clean or if they get moister and sand in it proper cleaning by dismantling tripod is required otherwise legs will keep slipping into each other when extended. I heard this is problem with all twist locks regardless of manufacturers, some companies (benro) do offer choice of clip lock and twist locks but not Feisol.

Overall i am really happy with this combo which was not heavy on pockets but light on shoulders which offers great stability and portability. Portability was my major concern otherwise Feisol 3471 also looks great.

If you plan to buy Feisol here is link to shop ran by really helpful person
http://www.reallybigcameras.com/

Recently feisol shipped me some replacement rubber parts free of cost. Feisol came with nice carrying bag and it can hold my ball head and tripod.

Just let me know if you have any other question.

Awais Yaqub

eoren1 wrote: »

So after a LOT of deliberation, I decided to order the Feisol CT-3401 with the Photo Clam PC-36-NS ballhead! I'll post a full review when it arrives.
E

That should be great....

eoren1

Thanks Awais. I ended up ordering from Kerry at reallybigcameras.com. He answered all emails promptly (even those sent at midnight!) and the item shipped within one hour of paypal funds being transferred. He seems to be very knowledgeable as well.

liflander

After going through a similar process as you, I recently went with the Induro c313 and Kirk bh-3. Very happy with the results. The c313 is at a particularly steep discount right now on Amazon. Not sure if a new model is going to replace it soon....
Cheers,
Mark

eoren1

Hey Mark,
I noticed that about the Induro's on Amazon. i believe the A and C versions are the previous models. The new ones are AT and CT.
E

Need2Ski

I think you'll really like it. I really like mine and I found Kerry very helpful and easy to deal with. Tripod and head arrived sooner than I expected it. The web site doesn't look as professional as one might hope but I never read a negative comment about Really Big Camera's when I was shopping. I've had cheap tripods in the past and haven't used them much because they're such a pain. It's hard to invest in something that, at least for me, didn't seem like a very sexy accessory. But I find I use this a lot more because it's so much easier to work with. Enjoy!

eoren1

Thanks for the advice everyone. Got my complete tripod yesterday and just posted a full review with pix:
http://www.dgrin.com/showthread.php?p=1431749#post1431749
E

TopCat

Nikonic1 wrote: »

I'm pretty fond of my Induro setup. Light, strong, stable as a rock. Good prices too and many varieties to suit your needs.

Agreed! Fond of mine as well.