The great tripod & head thread!

[ThdeDude]

Maybe a bit off topic but since the last postings were about a wooden tripod, Ansel Adams wrote:

Engineers have told me that vibration is one of the difficult problems to overcome in design. It can appear with different "loading" (the weight of the supported components), or with sympathetic vibrations (resonance) that can occur in one or more elements of the design. In Book 1 I described a heavy and sturdy tripod I have that is capable of supporting an 8 x 10 camera with ease; in spite of its massiveness, if I attach my Hasselblad to it, the operation of the mirror sets up a sympathetic vibration that can affect the clarity of the image! The same camera, placed on a much lighter tripod, creates no vibration.
Ansel Adams, The Print, P.25

Are wooden tripods "better" in that regard (i.e. damping) than equivalent carbon fibre tripods?

Wonder how much still a consideration for mirrorless and shutterless cameras. Also cable releases are nowadays wireless. The only mechanical action left is aperture operation. Of course external forces, like wind and terrestrial trembles, can still introduce vibrations and resonance.

 

[P. Chong]

I wonder if anyone is using a video style tripod, like the Sachtler Flowtec 75 or 100?

 

[MGrayson]

That was just the Gods telling him “You’re Ansel Frickin' Adams. Stick with 8x10!”

 

[drunkenspyder]

If this is the wrong place for this, my apologies. But over on fleabay, a fellow has posted a complete NIB Ries kit for sale. Appears to be a very good deal. No waiting. If I hadn’t just gotten the Berlebach and still waiting on my own Ries order, I’d be all over this. (I have no relationship with the seller in that listing.)

 

[MGrayson]

If this is the wrong place for this, my apologies. But over on fleabay, a fellow has posted a complete NIB Ries kit for sale. Appears to be a very good deal. No waiting. If I hadn’t just gotten the Berlebach and still waiting on my own Ries order, I’d be all over this. (I have no relationship with the seller in that listing.)

Damn. The bags alone cost a good chunk of that.

 

[drunkenspyder]

Damn. The bags alone cost a good chunk of that.

Yeah, I think it’s a heckuva deal. If I wasn’t stuck on Jatoba wood, I’d snap it up.

 

[mrcmrc]

I need to choose a tripod for my Hasselblad X2D 100C, I was thinking about a "Gitzo tripod kit Traveler, series 2, 4 sections".

Can anyone briefly tell me the difference between the Traveler series tripods and the Mountaineer series?

Thanks for any advice.

- Marco.

 

[anwarp]

The legs Of the traveller fold over making a more compact package.
I use the 4 section series 2 traveller with my Phase One XF and cambo actus cameras.
However, I do not use the gitzo head.
I use the leofoto NN-34 ball head instead. This tucks in perfectly between the tripod legs (like the gitzo head), and also offers the additional benefit of panning above the levelled ball. This keeps the camera level while panning.

 

[dchew]

The Moutaineer is a larger tripod. It has three angle positions vs two, slightly larger tube diameters, taller (180 vs 165.5 cm) and a bigger “payload” (whatever that means) 20 vs 12 kg. The traveler is smaller and lighter
Dave

 

[mrcmrc]

The legs Of the traveller fold over making a more compact package.
I use the 4 section series 2 traveller with my Phase One XF and cambo actus cameras.
However, I do not use the gitzo head.
I use the leofoto NN-34 ball head instead. This tucks in perfectly between the tripod legs (like the gitzo head), and also offers the additional benefit of panning above the levelled ball. This keeps the camera level while panning.

Thanks! Good to know also about the Leofoto head... just to be sure, is this one: NB-34+NP-50 ? Because I don't find one with the code NN...

- m.

 

[anwarp]

Thanks! Good to know also about the Leofoto head... just to be sure, is this one: NB-34+NP-50 ? Because I don't find one with the code NN...

- m.

Sorry, that was a typo. It's the NB34. The NB50 would not be a snug fit!

I also have the gitzo head that comes as a set with the traveller 2, but I don't use for a few reasons:

1. The friction control is rubbish - too tight or too loose.
2. The friction control knob is not a captive screw and I lost while carrying the tripod over my shoulders. Fortunately I had a spare bolt that I could substitute it with, till I returned home.
3. The Leofoto provides both bottom and top pan.

 

[mrcmrc]

Sorry, that was a typo. It's the NB34. The NB50 would not be a snug fit!

I also have the gitzo head that comes as a set with the traveller 2, but I don't use for a few reasons:

1. The friction control is rubbish - too tight or too loose.
2. The friction control knob is not a captive screw and I lost while carrying the tripod over my shoulders. Fortunately I had a spare bolt that I could substitute it with, till I returned home.
3. The Leofoto provides both bottom and top pan.

Thanks again!