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  #1  
Old 11th January 2021, 01:10 PM
MichaelJ MichaelJ is offline
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Default "Beefy tripod"...

...would be a good name for a Groundhogs/ Budgie-style Hard Rock band, but I digress!

I've just bought a large-format camera on an impulse- or more of an impulse than the one that saw me acquiring an enlarger and making use of the extraordinary resources of wisdom, patience and good humour on this forum. It's an MPP Microtechnical Mk. 7, and I think it's going to be a lot of fun. I think someone here pointed out that one of the great things with large-format is there's so many things to get wrong that it makes you feel like a complete expert with anything else... The movement thing is really exciting.

It's going to need a tripod, thats probably beefier than my current one (a small and light Velbon ?Ultralux). Are there any recommendations for a reasonably priced new or second-hand tripod to look out for that you know works well with this camera?

Thanks!
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Old 11th January 2021, 02:24 PM
Richard Gould Richard Gould is offline
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I have a Manfrotto tripod, heavy to carry, but as solid as they come, I have also used a Benbo Trekker, again very solid, which I would be happy to use with LF camera, or if you want something lighter but just as solid maybe a Carbon Fibre model. OI can't tell you the model of Manfroto I have, OI have had it for a few years and the model label is gone
Richard
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  #3  
Old 11th January 2021, 02:34 PM
Terry S Terry S is offline
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I've had the Manfrotto 190B for years. It's heavy-ish to carry around but it's a very sturdy tripod for use in both the studio and out and about.

Just checking, Manfrotto have a couple of updated versions. It costs about £150 to £160 and is considered and described as a 'professional' tripod.

https://www.manfrotto.com/uk-en/coll...ts/190-series/

Terry S
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Old 11th January 2021, 02:35 PM
Collas Collas is offline
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I'm rather fond of Gitzo tripods as I have three of them - two carbon fibre and one basalt. All were bought second-hand. I use an Arca-Swiss D4 head and their QuickLink attachments so that I can swap the head between the tripods. The carbon tripods have 3 or four section legs. The basalt one has an off-set centre column that is very useful for macro work.
I also have a Try-D tripod that I bought at one of the Birmingham shows. It's very heavy and is not for use outdoors due to the weight. Again I've now fitted it with a QuickLink attachment.
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Old 11th January 2021, 04:04 PM
Richard Gould Richard Gould is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Terry S View Post
I've had the Manfrotto 190B for years. It's heavy-ish to carry around but it's a very sturdy tripod for use in both the studio and out and about.

Just checking, Manfrotto have a couple of updated versions. It costs about £150 to £160 and is considered and described as a 'professional' tripod.

https://www.manfrotto.com/uk-en/coll...ts/190-series/

Terry S
Thats the one I have, I could not remember tha model name, heavy, but very solid, I have used an old 18/8 camera on it, on the very rare times I have used LF
Richard
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Old 11th January 2021, 04:23 PM
Collas Collas is offline
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That should read Tre-D, an Italian firm.
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Old 11th January 2021, 04:52 PM
MichaelJ MichaelJ is offline
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Thanks all, I think I've found a used 190B Manfrotto for a reasonable price. This still seems like a good idea.
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  #8  
Old 11th January 2021, 05:16 PM
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Bob Bob is offline
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It's also probably going to need a more solid head. Until a year ago I used the somewhat industrial Manfrotto #168 ballhead that I have had for about 15 years with my 4x5's (tho it would probably do OK for a wooden 8x10 so may be a bit overkill for an MPP).

Currently using a Manfrotto XPRO MHXPRO (why do they insist on these long and meaningless names now - does this tell you anything more than "168" did???) on a carbon fibre 055 tripod. Plenty beefy for an MPP or heavier 4x5 (tho possibly not for a 8x10).
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Old 11th January 2021, 06:36 PM
mpirie mpirie is offline
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Tripods are something i've spent a lot of time (and money) on. I think i have around 8 or 9.

What I would suggest is to consider where you will use the tripod and what the ground conditions are likely to be before buying.

The reasons for that is that although CF are light and strong, they can be brittle. Aluminium tripods are heavy by comparison but are stronger.

My go-to tripod is a Manfrotto 075 aluminium because i can stab the legs into the boggy ground that i mostly work on. In deep snow, i have heard of CF tripod legs splaying out and splitting as the snow forces the legs open.

The other thing to consider is the need for cross-bracing. I like it because you can fix a leg at an angle.....without bracing, legs can creep open and move unexpectedly.

Mike
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Old 11th January 2021, 07:18 PM
Alan Clark Alan Clark is offline
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Mike, your ideas are obviously based on experience, but I have to say I wouldn't use an aluminium tripod, though I have in the past. If you rap the leg of an aluminium tripod with your knuckle, it rings out and vibrates like mad. Do the same with a carbon fibre tripod leg and you get a dull thud and no vibration. Carbon fibre dampens it down. Any fisherman who has speculatively waggled a carbon fibre fishing rod knows this. You get a slight waggle then the rod just stops. This quality makes carbon fibre very useful for a tripod, especially for large format use where unwanted vibrations are a real potential problem.
Mike, have you had a carbon fibre tripod break on you? I have been using mine (a Manfrotto 441) for about 25 years and it has had some pretty rough treatment in that time. It has been stuck hard down into snow, pressed down many times into boggy ground on the North York Moors, used as a walking pole to help me scramble up steep slopes, and is not showing its age anywhere near as much as I am! But I am tempting providence. It will probably fall to bits next time I take it out....

Alan
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