My leg fell off...

[Paulstw]

I was out after work walking about the hills with my suit on as usual in the hills of Fintry looking for the Loup of Fintry waterfall. I did find it, and it was spectacular. Photos to follow, however, I lifted my tripod and one of the legs fell right out. It was clamped in, however, all these little white bits of plastic fell along with it. Clearly broken I soldiered on.

Looks like I'm in the hunt for a new tripod now. That one (SLIK PRO 700DX) was a little too heavy at 320kg, anyway so it's a blessing.

Things I know I now need in a tripod.

• Light for climbing hills roughly 500-1000m high
• very sturdy
• Something that can take some knocks as it's in the boot of the car all the time rolling about.

I don't want much of course lol. I was looking at the Manfrotto 055XPROB because it's quite commonly used and only 2.4kg but that might still be too heavy I dunno. I am just not sure what head I need. I just want a solid base for my 5DIII and 24-105. Something that's easy to use in portrait and landscape too without needing to twist the pan and tilt levels until my wrists bleed lol

Any help would be much appreciate before I waste anymore money lol

Ta, Paul

[Cyberman]

Re: My leg fell off...

I have the new version of the Manfrotto 190 with a ball head. Works great with my 5DIII, holds it very stable.
But it's weight of just over 2Kg may be too high, unless you can afford the carbon fibre option.
The low possible height and horizontal column have come in very handy though, both indoors and out, Being tall I also find the full height of the Manfrotto to be good. Build quality also seems good, and it's survived the boot of my car and travelling round London so far.

I also have the Manfrotto BeFree, much lighter and more portable. But I prefer my 190 now as it's much more flexible.

I'd be wary of anything too light as it may be less stable, you need the right compromise of weight and stability.

[jimsphotography]

Re: My leg fell off...

Hi Paul,
My advice is:
1) avoid any tripod with a centre column like the plague
2) carbon fibre is light but more important it damps vibration better than any other material
3) twist locks are more easy and quicker to use than flip or clip locks on the legs - you can open and close all the twist locks on one leg with a half twist of one hand in one go
4) if you are into landscape photography then go for a tripod that can go down very low (hence no centre column)
I use a Gitzo Systematic series 4 - the best without any doubt are Really Right Stuff from the USA ( they have some great explanatory videos on youtube) but you may need to win the lottery first. It's not until you try to take a photo in really dramatic weather do you begin to appreciate how a good sturdy and solid tripod (like the Gitzo gear ) helps you to get the shot where others fail. I have absolutely rock steady shots taken in a full blast blizzard in Iceland where the wind was so strong I couldn't stand up but had to kneel to take the shots - the Gitzo stayed absolutely solid when it's legs were spread nice and wide - amazing !
I expect you already know that you pay for what you get - cheap tripod are ok if you use them only occasionally in mild weather etc but the more expensive ones last for ever.
Hope this helps
James

[Dave_S]

Re: My leg fell off...

Of course, Carbon Fibre is the way to go, but you'll probably need to take out a mortgage to pay for it (lol).

I have the Slik Pro 500DX, but I wouldn't consider carting that around with me, so you did well to move around with the 700DX.

What you go for, really depends upon how much you want to spend.

For travel purposes (hand luggage, or suitcase), I have the Cullman Nanomax 200T, small and lightweight, but I wouldn't describe it as rugged.

Dave

[Nathaniel]

Re: My leg fell off...

Don't forget to get a carry case for your tripod so that it doesn't roll about in the boot of your car. Can be bought quite cheaply on ebay.

[Cyberman]

Re: My leg fell off...

1) avoid any tripod with a centre column like the plague

4) if you are into landscape photography then go for a tripod that can go down very low (hence no centre column)

Just to say I find the centre column on my Manfrotto, very useful.

For macro and studio work it can a great way to achieve the desired angle and position due to its vertical or horizontal capabilities. Camera positions are possible that would be impossible with other tripods.
It's proved to be very stable in horizontal mode.

For landscape it can be set horizontal so does not prevent you going low, and the ball head I have means I don't have an issue when doing this.

All depends what type of work you want to do I guess.

[jimsphotography]

Re: My leg fell off...

Cyberman,
I totally agree with you - it depends on the work you do.
I was just thinking that Paul lives and also tends to photograph in Scotland - as we know the weather there can be extreme at times & hence very photogenic. If you want photograph landscapes in extreme weather then success often comes from lugging a very sturdy tripod along with you.
Below is a link to a photograph I took this January.

http://500px.com/photo/65851527/ice-caving-south-iceland-by-james-boardman-woodend

This image was a 5 second exposure (due to very little light) of an ice cold river carving its way beneath a glacier - the glacier is moving (as they do) & there are regular earth tremors each day due to the active volcano just up the valley - you can't get this sort of shot with a flimsy tripod.
James

[Paulstw]

Re: My leg fell off...

Great shots Jim. They say a great tripod makes life easier and shots sharper. The SLIK one I have moves too easily for the weight of it. It's a nightmare at times. I'll investigate the Gitzo's. I know they are expensive, however, buy cheap buy twice.

[jimsphotography]

Re: My leg fell off...

Hi Paul,
I agree with you on that - I once owned a cheaper tripod with flip clips on the legs - at very cold temperatures ( well below - 25C) one clip fractured and the others froze on closed leaving me with a long walk through drifting snow with the 2 legs still extended & the other just dropping in and out !
If you are going to photograph the likes of the Cairngorms in the depth of winter give the rotation type locks a series consideration.
Cheers
James

[Paulstw]

Re: My leg fell off...

It's a lot of cash for the Gitzo's. Anything between £500-£1000. My Mrs will throw in the towel if I spend anymore money on camera gear lol.

[Dave_S]

Re: My leg fell off...

I don't tell my wife (lol).

Dave

[jimsphotography]

Re: My leg fell off...

Hi Paul,
Originally I started off by putting all my earnings from photography back into getting the gear I needed. OnceI I had the stuff I needed to succeed I then put it into going places to get the shots I wanted - after that I just enjoyed the money like any other income. Of course the tax man wants his pound of flesh but at least the equipment and travel expenses are tax deductible. I would suggest you need to decide if you eventually want to go pro or just earn the occasional bit from your work. Looking at your images posted on here I think you could make the conversion in the near future if you were so inclined.
James

[Cyberman]

Re: My leg fell off...

Here is the link to the Manfrotto website and specifically the new 190 series.

http://www.manfrotto.co.uk/190-series

You can release all leg catches one handed, it's adjustable for uneven terrain and is very solid.
There is a carbon fibre option but it's a high cost for a small saving, having said that I'd have got it if could have afforded it at the time. Bit I am pleased with the aluminium version I bought.

With decent ball head you could get one for £200-£250, depending on whether you go for 3 or 4 section legs.
Not cheap I confess but it's a good solid tripod.
Weight is an issue I guess, but not sure how light you will get and still have a solid rugged tripod.

Probably worth visiting a retailer that sticks Manfrotto, Gitzo and Benro (and others) and seeing which ones suit you best.
For example my friend has a good tripod, but I really hate the twist locks on it as I find them fiddly.

[jimsphotography]

Re: My leg fell off...

Cyberman has a good point there - I got mine from Clifton Camera Shop as they were willing to get half dozen or more tripods out for my wife to play with - she chose the most sturdy one but also light enough for her to carry ( I carry the camera and lenses - she always carries the tripod. - we always work as a team)
James

[Muscat]

Re: My leg fell off...

I have and use when travelling the Manfrotto MT190CXPro4, a 4 section carbon tripod with a ball head, I find the benefit of the 4 section leg is the compact size, light weight with carbon and very strong it holds my 5Diii and lenses with no real problem as it is rated at 7kg load capacity. The carbon is not cheap but I think if you can afford it a good choice if you are travelling or lugging it up mountains.

When end I started out I was advised to get a tripod that would hold at least twice the weight of the camera and lens I would be using to reduce movement.