[Leica] Tripods.... how to lighten up..... ( way too nerdy for most, , , read at your own risk)

[Frank Filippone]

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 
SunwayFoto DDY60P0.  ( 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