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Let's talk about tripods

Something like this makes the ideal table tripod, or something you can throw into a backpack when you don't plan on using a tripod but might need one. Only 12" when folded. Inexpensive and even comes with a head if you want to use it rather than replace with your own and spikes for soft ground.
Amazon product ASIN B07PK9Q627
 
Qwerty said:
Something like this makes the ideal table tripod, or something you can throw into a backpack when you don't plan on using a tripod but might need one. Only 12" when folded. Inexpensive and even comes with a head if you want to use it rather than replace with your own and spikes for soft ground.
Amazon product ASIN B07PK9Q627
Click to expand...
Looks like your link failed!
 
Take a look at the Slik Pro 700DX, it's sturdy, reasonably heavy (and quite stable) and doesn't cost too much.
And for sturdy, I mean really though...
 
Well, I kept the Leofoto LN 284ct. It’s a nice tripod and will meet my needs well. I did a little review of it over on DPRForum if anyone is interested.

Leofoto LN-284ct tripod

This is my new photographic acquisition: It's my first "proper tripod". Being a skinflint, I have always had cheap tripods. The last was a "National Geographic" aluminium one, which actually for the price I paid (£25) was really excellent...
dprforum.com
 
Qwerty said:
Link is working on my end, may be blocked by a network filter on your end?
Click to expand...

There is an anti spam feature in this forum software. Links are only possible, if you have done already several postings first without links. Afer x-amount of posting, this restriction is lifted automatically by the software.
 
dirk said:
There is an anti spam feature in this forum software. Links are only possible, if you have done already several postings first without links. Afer x-amount of posting, this restriction is lifted automatically by the software.
Click to expand...
Ah - discovered it now. I'm using Ghostery on my laptop and it's blocking the link. I guess it thinks it's an ad.
 
Many moons ago, I made a career out of selling tripods (anyone remember Aico International?).

There is no one-size-fits-all. Slik had around 25-30 models at one point all of which were a compromise of one sort or another of weight vs stability. A bigger heavier aluminium/magnesium tripod and head is ALWAYS going to be more stable than a lightweight carbon-fibre whizz-bang version. It's simple physics. Bigger/heavier = lower centre of gravity for a tripod of similar height and leg splay.

For value, used Manfrotto is hard to beat. For a 6' photographer the 055C is an excellent all round workhorse tripod with adjustable leg spread and split centre column. The 190. smaller, lighter and with an articulating centre column. I have both. Cost around £50 each on ebay.

Table top - I have a Minolta TR-1 (well, actually 2)- a Leitz table tripod with Minolta badge - ebay £25-£75 depending upon the mood of the seller. Rock steady on a flat surface..

I have a gigantic Manfrotto video tripod (public auction, £25 - presumably no bidders wanted to carry it home) with built in leveller. I added a 5/8" half spigot/stud to the top, attached a wall-plate with 5/8" socket to a sheet of 1/2" ply - I now have a variable height three legged shooting table with built in leveller and interchangeable platforms.

For weight saving, I have a carbon fibre Slik tripod. Four section legs, looks pretty, easy to carry, marks up easily. The Manfrotto 055/190 are more stable, more robust and more versatile at a fraction of the cost.

Heads. Benro 3 way pan-tilt. Nice head - arms are a bit short for manipulating a heavy camera, Arca Swiss compatible with safety lock feature.

Manfrotto magnesium ball head - my sturdiest ball head. With a boss adapter (ebay about £5-£10), the inconvenient Xpro platform can be replaced with an Arca platform of some sort.

Slik ball head - pretty, nicely made, light, another compromise - the Manfrotto ball head is more stable at twice the cost and three times the weight. Benro ball head with a rotating Arca platform for panos which is quite novel (I also have their rotating pano Arca plate/similar feature). Ball heads often have a panning base feature - but that's only useful if your tripod is absolutely level.

Best advice I can offer is put your gear into a bag and head off to the biggest photographic shop in your vicinity and spend a few hours in their shop going through everything they've got on display. Check the effectiveness of the leg locks, centre column drag and with the tripod firmly grounded, give the main hub a bit of a twist. You would be surprised just how little attention is given to the joints holding the legs on vs the leg extension locks on some models. Check that flip-clamp leg locks can be tightened - they will lose their effectiveness over time.

Failing that, monitor the ebay auctions. Tripods can be a pain to ship - sellers often put 'collection only' which attracts far fewer bidders and has a negative affect on the price achieved.

I particularly favour Manfrotto tripods when buying used - older Manfrottos (055 series #C on, 190 series, huge 075 series), can be completely stripped and serviced by the home user - nothing is riveted. Manfrotto spare parts are available for much of their range (old and new) in the event that something is broken.

Cheap modern Manfrottos with red plastic parts and ribbed tubular legs should be regarded as disposable.

When I get a spare hour I'll append the above with part numbers.
 
RichardC said:
Many moons ago, I made a career out of selling tripods (anyone remember Aico International?).

There is no one-size-fits-all. Slik had around 25-30 models at one point all of which were a compromise of one sort or another of weight vs stability. A bigger heavier aluminium/magnesium tripod and head is ALWAYS going to be more stable than a lightweight carbon-fibre whizz-bang version. It's simple physics. Bigger/heavier = lower centre of gravity for a tripod of similar height and leg splay.

For value, used Manfrotto is hard to beat. For a 6' photographer the 055C is an excellent all round workhorse tripod with adjustable leg spread and split centre column. The 190. smaller, lighter and with an articulating centre column. I have both. Cost around £50 each on ebay.

Table top - I have a Minolta TR-1 (well, actually 2)- a Leitz table tripod with Minolta badge - ebay £25-£75 depending upon the mood of the seller. Rock steady on a flat surface..

I have a gigantic Manfrotto video tripod (public auction, £25 - presumably no bidders wanted to carry it home) with built in leveller. I added a 5/8" half spigot/stud to the top, attached a wall-plate with 5/8" socket to a sheet of 1/2" ply - I now have a variable height three legged shooting table with built in leveller and interchangeable platforms.

For weight saving, I have a carbon fibre Slik tripod. Four section legs, looks pretty, easy to carry, marks up easily. The Manfrotto 055/190 are more stable, more robust and more versatile at a fraction of the cost.

Heads. Benro 3 way pan-tilt. Nice head - arms are a bit short for manipulating a heavy camera, Arca Swiss compatible with safety lock feature.

Manfrotto magnesium ball head - my sturdiest ball head. With a boss adapter (ebay about £5-£10), the inconvenient Xpro platform can be replaced with an Arca platform of some sort.

Slik ball head - pretty, nicely made, light, another compromise - the Manfrotto ball head is more stable at twice the cost and three times the weight. Benro ball head with a rotating Arca platform for panos which is quite novel (I also have their rotating pano Arca plate/similar feature). Ball heads often have a panning base feature - but that's only useful if your tripod is absolutely level.

Best advice I can offer is put your gear into a bag and head off to the biggest photographic shop in your vicinity and spend a few hours in their shop going through everything they've got on display. Check the effectiveness of the leg locks, centre column drag and with the tripod firmly grounded, give the main hub a bit of a twist. You would be surprised just how little attention is given to the joints holding the legs on vs the leg extension locks on some models. Check that flip-clamp leg locks can be tightened - they will lose their effectiveness over time.

Failing that, monitor the ebay auctions. Tripods can be a pain to ship - sellers often put 'collection only' which attracts far fewer bidders and has a negative affect on the price achieved.

I particularly favour Manfrotto tripods when buying used - older Manfrottos (055 series #C on, 190 series, huge 075 series), can be completely stripped and serviced by the home user - nothing is riveted. Manfrotto spare parts are available for much of their range (old and new) in the event that something is broken.

Cheap modern Manfrottos with red plastic parts and ribbed tubular legs should be regarded as disposable.

When I get a spare hour I'll append the above with part numbers.
Click to expand...
That’s all super useful Richard.

As regards aluminium vs carbon fibre (better described as carbon fibre reinforced plastic), I think for comparable manufacturing quality and size of tubes, carbon fibre is stiffer and provides better damping than aluminium, even if it is lighter. Of course, extra weight will always help on stability so everything is a compromise. This is an interesting article on alu vs carbon fibre.

thecentercolumn.com

Carbon Fiber vs. Aluminum Tripods

Today, tripods are made predominantly from two materials, carbon fiber and aluminum. Those looking to invest in a set of tripod legs will often have to choose between the two. This could have bee…
thecentercolumn.com thecentercolumn.com
 
In reply to Paul (can't quote because it contains a URL....)

Good article.

It had not really occurred to me that ".......not all carbon fiber is created equal." I should follow my own advice and go and do a real life comparison :)

My main issues have always been overall stability and to an extent the ability to be able to adjust the splay. I confess that I haven't really given damping properties much thought since I went mirrorless. It was of course an issue with the Bronicas (mirror lock-up generally solved things) and Nikon SLRs/DSLRs (mirror lock-up generally solved things). Thesedays I have to watch out for my electronic release blowing around and banging the legs - and remembering to switch off IBIS.

I recently got the opportunity to try out three Benro carbon-fibre models (Rhino 24C, Rhino 14C, GoPlus Travel FGP18C) and the Slik Pro-CF734 as part of a trade. Benros were all around the same retail price-point of £190-£250. The Slik is rather more expensive but I can't say it's any better than say the Rhino 24C. It did come with a set of spikey feet though.

I kept the Slik for the simple reason that the Benro models were cheaper and therefore easier to sell on.

I would not feel confident using any of them on a windy day with the S1R on the top, however the Slik at least has a hook upon which to hang your bag or a weight. The aluminium 055 would be my first choice in a gale - legs spread out further than the default. I would worry less about sand and water too.

Have to confess, I haven't handled the Manfrotto 055 Carbon Fibre legs. Having analysed the linked article, I'm hoping I'm not going to contract tripod GAS again.
 
RichardC said:
Having analysed the linked article, I'm hoping I'm not going to contract tripod GAS again.
Click to expand...
Yes, it's about the only resource I found that took a reasonably rigorous approach to tripod assessment. But I know what you mean about tripod GAS - it seems I now have three (well, four if you include the little Gorillapod). I'm stopping at that!

I must say, I do like this Leofoto CF one I have now. I used for the first time yesterday in anger - some bluebell shots in the local woods. It's super well made and a joy to use.
 
pdk42 said:
Yes, it's about the only resource I found that took a reasonably rigorous approach to tripod assessment. But I know what you mean about tripod GAS - it seems I now have three (well, four if you include the little Gorillapod). I'm stopping at that!

I must say, I do like this Leofoto CF one I have now. I used for the first time yesterday in anger - some bluebell shots in the local woods. It's super well made and a joy to use.
Click to expand...
Hmmm. The Leofoto G2 head caught my attention the other day. And so it starts.
 
My favourite tripod is around 50 years old made in England By Kennett Engineering Ltd, Built like a tank and copied from the Bren Gun Tripod. Lugged that around for many years. Still used at home, use a Manfrotto 55Pro when ever I manage to get out. Heads too many but a SLIK Gimbal most used.
Met Heather Angel and she used the Kennet, I thought good that is the one for me. I think it had a Model name of Benbo at the time.
 
If it's the same company, it looks like Kennett Engineering is still in existence - now making precision CNC-milled parts for aviation:

kennetengineering.com

Home - Kennet Aviation

With Over 3 Decades of Experience Kennet Aviation is an established name in the realm of warbird restoration and maintenance. […]
kennetengineering.com kennetengineering.com
 
pdk42 said:
If it's the same company, it looks like Kennett Engineering is still in existence - now making precision CNC-milled parts for aviation:

kennetengineering.com

Home - Kennet Aviation

With Over 3 Decades of Experience Kennet Aviation is an established name in the realm of warbird restoration and maintenance. […]
kennetengineering.com kennetengineering.com
Click to expand...
Of that I was not aware. Might check that, see what sort of reply I may get. Thanks for the info Paul. Could be they now make an updated and lighter one. I could be interested if the price was right. Has many good points, can stand in water as legs are upside down. So up to first joint leak proof. But if you have never used one it is like grappling with an Octopus. Though easy and quick once one has used it a few times. (Or used a Bren Gun)..
 
Feisol are mentioned above as being from either USA or China. As a point of fact, they are based in Taichung, Taiwan.

My priority for a tripod is stability, build quality, but in a light weight that I will actually carry when I need it. Of course one must compromise between the factors. I am very happy with a Feisol CT-3442 with CB-40D ball, which I bought a decade ago. Total mass is about 1.6kg but it can bear 10kg, more than I will ever need.

Prior to that I had Manfrotto and some other popular brand, both of which fell apart in fairly short order.

Today I might be looking at a FLM CP30-S4 II, though it's not as tall, heavier, and doesn't support an optional centre column.

But I do doubt I will need another tripod this lifetime.
 
I use the excellent (and expensive) carbon fiber Peak Design Travel Tripod (TT-CB-5-150-CF-1). It has a very innovative head unit. Highly recommended.
 
Kentel said:
Of that I was not aware. Might check that, see what sort of reply I may get. Thanks for the info Paul. Could be they now make an updated and lighter one. I could be interested if the price was right. Has many good points, can stand in water as legs are upside down. So up to first joint leak proof. But if you have never used one it is like grappling with an Octopus. Though easy and quick once one has used it a few times. (Or used a Bren Gun)..
Click to expand...
I assume that if they're doing CNC machining for aviation that they wouldn't get out of bed for less than £1000.
 
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