Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2020/06/18
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]I used a Gitzo 3 series with a RRS BH55 and a Wimberly Sidekick for many years because that would comfortably support my Nikon D4 with the 200-400mm lens, the heaviest combo I had. As lenses got lighter, and High ISO output got better, I found I was hardly using this at all, mainly because it was too heavy to carry around. A couple of years ago I started doing research, and finally settled on the Sirui N2205x with the lightweight Arcatech GP-SS ball head. The combo can take 11 kg, more than enough to support my longest lenses. The Arcatech is very flexible - it can be used as a normal ball head, a gimbal head and a panoramic head by attaching it in different ways to the tripod, giving maximum flexibility, with a weight of only 0.4 kg. The Sirui legs are also top notch, with fit and finish almost as good as my Gitzo for a fraction of the price. I am very clear in my mind that anyone looking for heavy duty tripod legs that are not going to be used on a very regular basis should look past Gitzo and RRS - there are manufacturers out there today that give the same functionality and over 90% of the quality at a fraction of the price. I still have the Gitzo+RRS combo, but it just gathers dust nowadays. Having acquired it, and used it for a long time, I am just hanging on to it - just in case I require that load carrying capacity in the future... Cheers Jayanand On Thu, Jun 18, 2020 at 10:36 PM Richard Clompus via LUG < lug at leica-users.org> wrote: > Frank, nice analysis. I also came to the same conclusion and use the Arca > Swiss Monoball PO with the SunwayFoto DDY60P0 quick release. It took me > two orders of the Sunway QR to get the diameter right so it fits exactly on > top of the monoball. > > I have one of the Gitzo traveler tripods but recently switched to the new > Peak Design carbon tripods. The legs are triangular in shape which allows > the tripod to be more compact. The legs seem thinner than Gitzo but are > very stable with 4 min exposures with an M10. > > Thanks for sharing. > > Be well, > Richard > > Richard Clompus > California > > > On Jun 14, 2020, at 2:25 PM, Frank Filippone via LUG < > lug at leica-users.org> wrote: > > > > If you think my lens tests are nerdy, this one is way nerdy. But it has > information that others can use to help purchase a light weight tripod. > > > > I know that many think that a tripod is anathema to Leica use, but maybe > there is someone who uses a tripod with their Leica,. or maybe has another > camera setup that uses a tripod.... in any event..... > > > > As we get older, or because we have a bad back, or just because, we want > to lighten up our tripod, we need to get a lighter tripod. I have done > some research into what makes a tripod heavy... > > > > Where are you taking this tripod? Backpacking? Day shooting a few > meters/miles from the car? Next to the car? Travel, which means carrying > it aboard a plane in a suitcase where length, folded up is THE most > important spec... it has to fit? Pick something you are willing to carry > for weight.... the further the distance to your shooting location, the > lighter the tripod may be... ( or you are a 20-something, and weight does > not matter!) > > > > First off, do away with the steel frame legs. Ditto the Aluminum legs. > Ditto the wooden legs. Get Carbon Fiber. yes, it is more expensive, but > not that much more. It is THE lightest of the available materials. > > > > Next: What diameter legs do you need? Want? This is a personal choice, > since most legs will hold up an enormous weight, compared the the weight of > any rational or other camera. Start considering with leg diameters in the > one inch range. Go up or down from there to meet your expectation. > remember that more diameter = more material = more weight. I tried out > several legsets and found one that seemed to meet my expectations.... > > > > Next, what height is right for you? Are you 6'4 " tall? 5' 5" (I am)? > The base of the column must be comfortable for your height, your camera > mounted on top, and your subject material... ( Shooting flowers, a low > level activity, does not usually require as much height as a landscape > shooting style, which requires more height. Other reasons too... like do > you use the LCD on the back of your camera for framing? A view camera? > That requires more height....Do you use a Rolleiflex TLR? that is a waist > level camera - lower height). Do you want or need a column that goes up and > down? Reversed ( upside down for real close to the ground shooting) In > any event a VERY personal choice. > > > > I have a Carbon Fiber tripod that I have used the last few years. it is > a bit too wobbly, so I decided to pursue a new tripod with better > features. I had a Zomei 888C. $129, 3.3 pounds with supplied Ball head. > > > > For me, the Gitzo GT2540L was about the best choice. 3.3 pounds without > head. There is a lighter series, the 1540 series. the 1540 is a bit > lighter (2 pounds w/o head), not as tall as I wanted, and not quite as rock > solid. > > > > I wanted the extra height. > > > > After all that, all you got so far is a set of legs.... you still need > to put a tripod head on top..... which is the biggest problem to date..... > they all seem to be made from Steel, or are chunky and heavy aluminum. > Magnesium or Titanium is lighter. Potentially. > > > > Tripod heads were, a few years ago, all 3 way heads with 3 separate > "stalks" that controlled the axes... front/back tilt, up/down tilt, left > /right rotation. Heavy. Very controllable. Awkward to carry. Cheap. > > > > Then some genius designed the Ball head. A bit less "accurate" but > significantly lighter, smaller, and cheaper to build. Most of those on the > market were/are designed to have the left/right rotation at the bottom of > the head, nearest the legs. the chief problem with this is that you level > the camera above the rotation axis. Which means when you want to rotate > for a panorama for instance, the camera is not level through the image > range and you go about fiddling forever to get the legs set right so that > the rotation is always level in the camera plane. My older ball head > favorite was a Arca B1. The combination with my old legs weighed 6.5 > pounds. > > > > Arca Swiss B1, a really good head, weighs 28 ounces. The Markins Q3i > Emille weighs 13 ounces, with quick release. Probably the best value, > light weight, precision choice ($300) for a traditional Ball head. > > > > RRS charges $380 for the BH40 with screw type quick release. Weight is > 16 ounces. Heavier than the Markins. Specs seem to the the same. > > > > If cost is really no issue, you could get a Markins ball head that is > made from Titanium. ( $1300). Good movements. HEAVIER than the aluminum > Q10 at 19 ounces. Not svelte. But you got bragging rights. > > > > But the problem with them all is that when you level the tripod using > the head to do the leveling, the plane of the head is NOT parallel to the > earth. Panoramas will require constant re-leveling as you pan. > > > > Then the geniuses at Arca Swiss fixed this ( at least I think they > invented the idea, but not important) ... they put the rotation parts ABOVE > the leveling parts... You set the legs down any which way. You level the > camera on top using the ball feature, and, because the rotation axis is > ABOVE this point, you can rotate anywhere and the horizon is always > level... pure genius. These are the P0 and P1 ball heads from Arca. > Weight is 11 ounces. > > > > There is 1 problem.. Arca wants you to use their Slidefix proprietary > mounting plates. Not so many are offered, and those that are, at prices at > 10x what they should. They sell a version without a QR, it is model 801211. > > So I went looking for a good Arca quick release.. something that would > fit on top of the head ( 60mm) and round. The solution is the . ( Amazon, > $39) Fits and looks like it was made by Arca. > > Why pick this combination? Because it is THE lightest prscision ball > head and quick release you can buy. It weighs, together, 154 ounces. 426 > grams. By comparison, the Arca B1 head weighs 27ounces, and has a > traditional ball head design. > > > > Well, not really, ARCA offers a geared head called the Cube ( and > another that is a bit less big). These heads do the same thing by geared > movements... they cost, for the head only, well in excess of $1,000.00. > > > > > > Remember that all this started when I went looking to cut weight from my > tripod... This is the best solution I have found.... Total weight of MY > combination of legs, head and quick release is 67 ounces, about 4 pounds 3 > oz. > > > > -- > > Frank Filippone BMWRed735i at gmail.com > > > > _______________________________________________ > > Leica Users Group. > > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information > > > _______________________________________________ > Leica Users Group. > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information >