Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2006/02/17

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Subject: [Leica] Portable tripods Suggestions - Bogen Manfrotto prefered
From: scott at adrenaline.com (Scott McLoughlin)
Date: Fri Feb 17 14:58:47 2006
References: <43F2C953.2070808@adrenaline.com> <p06230901c0196db6819a@[10.4.1.157]> <43F5E36C.40204@adrenaline.com> <p06230900c01bff12f759@[10.4.1.157]>

Thanks!  That looks like a really good option. I might be
getting up to NYC in the next few weeks where I'll be
able to drop into B&H and get my grubby little hands on
them and check them out.

Thanks again!

Scott

Henning Wulff wrote:

> At 9:53 AM -0500 2/17/06, Scott McLoughlin wrote:
>
>> There's a cool new Gitzo portable CF tripod where the center column
>> sort of "flips over" somehow to eliminate the folded extra length
>> added by the tripod head. But IIRC, it's > $600.
>>
>> But for various personal reasons, I've just got to keep my spendy 
>> habbits
>> in check for a while :-)  or is that :-(
>
>
>
> It's called the 'Traveller' series, and that's the G1158T I mentioned, 
> and the price is why I mentioned the G1197 Basalt :-). The latter 
> seems very good value to me, and would be the one I would get now if I 
> hadn't bought the CF tripods earlier.
>
>> Just need something small and light that will allow me to shoot some
>> slow films without bright daylight.  I've got a nice pair of M6TTL's,
>> a RRS Arca Swiss style plate, a nice sturdy Linhof cable release, a set
>> of Leica lenses (current 28/50/90) that that surpass my abilities to 
>> make
>> full use of them, and a good chunk of Delta 100 in the freezer and 
>> access
>> to some of the slower Efke emulsions.
>>
>> Now I've just got to put it all together with a portable tripod, and do
>> so with some exercise of home economics.
>>
>> Someone pointed out a Chinese (gasp!) CF tripod that seems like a Gitzo
>> clone - the Feisol CT-3301N.  Even lighter than some of the Bogen models
>> I've considered, something around $250 for the legs, and Googling 
>> around,
>> owners seem to like theirs.
>>
>> I'll keep researching and shopping for a while.
>>
>> Scott
>>
>> Henning Wulff wrote:
>>
>>>
>>> I've had a number of Manfrotto tripods as well as Gitzo, and in my 
>>> opinion the Gitzos are worth every penny. They have proven 
>>> themselves to be much more durable, and off more real stability for 
>>> considerably less weight. I currently use two Gitzo CF tripods (as 
>>> well as some aluminum  ones): a 1028 and a 1228. The 1028, which 
>>> weighs about 750gms, is completely sufficient for Leica M useage as 
>>> long as there is no wind. It's about 138cm high when extended, which 
>>> is a bit short but generally fine for travel.
>>>
>>> If I got one tripod now for travel, etc. and money wasn't an issue, 
>>> I would get a G1158T, which goes up to 149cm and folds down to about 
>>> 41cm, and weighs just under 1kg. It's good for any M with any lens. 
>>> If I wanted to save some money, I would get the G1197 Basalt, which 
>>> is considerably cheaper and weighs 1.2kg and doesn't fold to quite 
>>> as compact a bundle. I would take this over either the MF3 or MF4 
>>> Bogen/Manfrotto tripods any day, and the price is in the same range.
>>>
>>> Note that carbon fiber or basalt tripods absorb vibrations a lot 
>>> more than aluminum tripods, so if the load capacity is adequate (and 
>>> it usually is) then you can often go down one size and get the same 
>>> performance.
>>>
>>> For medium/small tripods I've found Cullman ballheads to give the 
>>> best performance/weight ration, and the two that I use on the carbon 
>>> Gitzo's are extremely smooth. Something like the 904 Cullman (230gm) 
>>> is completely adequate for the 1 series Gitzo tripods. You can add a 
>>> small Bogen/Manfrotto quick release such as the 3299 system which is 
>>> completely adequate. I use the 394 adapter and 3271 plates because 
>>> they match other heads I use, but the 3271 plates are a bit large, 
>>> so I used a Dremel tool to remove unnecessary parts and whittle it 
>>> down to Leica M size.
>>
>

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In reply to: Message from scott at adrenaline.com (Scott McLoughlin) ([Leica] Portable tripods Suggestions - Bogen Manfrotto prefered)
Message from henningw at archiphoto.com (Henning Wulff) ([Leica] Portable tripods Suggestions - Bogen Manfrotto prefered)
Message from scott at adrenaline.com (Scott McLoughlin) ([Leica] Portable tripods Suggestions - Bogen Manfrotto prefered)
Message from henningw at archiphoto.com (Henning Wulff) ([Leica] Portable tripods Suggestions - Bogen Manfrotto prefered)