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  #1  
Old 23rd October 2012, 09:28 AM
DavidR DavidR is offline
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Default Any advice on tripods?

Hi

New to the forum and just starting to reuse my Bronica ETRsi with both 75 and 150mm lens and I was wondering if you have any suggestions for a good tripod at a reasonable cost. Weight is an issue but not of prime importance. I've just got a roll of film back and find that although it was shot from a tripod and some with mirror lock applied there is not the sharpness that I was looking for. My current tripod is only a small travelling Hama which is fine for my digital (am I allowed that word here?) MFT but obviously not man enough for MF.

Thanks
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  #2  
Old 23rd October 2012, 10:08 AM
DaveP DaveP is offline
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How tall are you, and which is more important, low weight or low cost?

A cheap but slighty heavy option is a second hand manfrotto 055, or lighter but smaller is the 190.

If you want tall, rigid and light and don't mind throwing a few hundred quid at it then look for a second hand gitzo 2 series, like a 1227, 1228 or 2530 or 2531.

Don't forget you'll need a decent head too, if you've not already got one.
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Old 23rd October 2012, 10:16 AM
Richard James Richard James is offline
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Tripods are like photographic bags, you never have the right sized one for the job, so end up with several different ones for different occasions. I have ended up with four different tripods for different occasions such as a very heavy Leitz for when I go anywhere in the car, a medium sized one that can be carried, but is still quite stable but too heavy to carry to far, a Bembo for tricky occasions and a small light weight one for when I go out walking and ‘think’ I may need a tripod, but not sure and do not want something heavy to lug around. So my advice would be to keep the light weight one for use when walking etc and purchase a medium sized tripod such as the Manfrotto MK394-PQ for other occasions and take it from there when you know what sort of photography you are going to pursue and how much you want to spend.
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Richard
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  #4  
Old 23rd October 2012, 10:27 AM
DavidR DavidR is offline
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Hi

Dave P - I'm short 5'6" at last count - have I a good head? no neither on my shoulders or for a tripod!

Richard - Yes its always a question of having the right gear at the right time but I dont have a great deal of space - we spend half the year travelling on a narrowboat and I am somewhat restricted as to the quantity of gear I can store!

Thanks both for quick response.
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Old 23rd October 2012, 10:31 AM
Richard Gould Richard Gould is offline
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Depending upon what I want to use it for I use either a Manfroto 055, very steady and a great platform for landscapes and still life but if I need to get close I would use my Benbo, which is very flexiable for a lot of uses, but when I use my Bronica out and about, which is uncommon these days, I mostly tended to use a Monopod, which with either 50, 75 or 200 lenses, I could easily use down to 1/8 without no problems.
Richard
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  #6  
Old 23rd October 2012, 10:32 AM
Collas Collas is offline
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The Gitzo basalt range are worth looking at. I got a "last-year's model" from Ffordes and, whilst not as light as a carbon fibre tripod, is still nicely portable. The Explorer range with the off-centre column is very useful.

I use an Acratech levelling device and a Kirk ball head. If I had the money I'd spend it on an ArcaSwiss D4.

Nick
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Old 23rd October 2012, 11:30 AM
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Phil Phil is offline
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I can really recommend older Gitzo models like the Reporters. They are very solid and can be refurbished quite easily. Yes they are heavy(ish) but very stable and the multiple position legs are fantastic.
Same with their heads too - I have a series 5 (ex-British Museum) on a different Linhof tripod which I use for my Sinar and it is still as smooth as silk despite looking like it has survived a nuclear blast!
Good vfm. Failing that the Manfrotto 055 is very good too.
Phil
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Old 23rd October 2012, 11:39 AM
alexmuir alexmuir is offline
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I also use a Manfrotto 055 and find it to be very good. I have the basic aluminium one with 3 section legs. They do a carbon version which will be lighter,and I think a 4 section leg which reduces folded length. I use their 460MG head which is also very good and light. It's also quite cheap. I saw it advertised recently at around £60 new.
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Old 23rd October 2012, 11:46 AM
les dix les dix is offline
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I have a Benbo Trekker, which enables you manouvre the camera into awkward positions e.g. for close ups but it can be frustrating to use because one lock governs all movements. Once that is undone the whole thing behaves like a set of bagpipes (exaggeration perhaps). Wherever possible I use my sturdy and more conventional, but much heavier, Slik tripod.

Les
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Old 23rd October 2012, 02:11 PM
Alan Clark Alan Clark is offline
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Carbon fibre has a big advantage over aluminium, apart from weighing less. It has a deadening effect on vibration - very useful in a tripod! I have an old carbon Manfrotto which performed much better in vibration tests than an aluminium Benbo.
The test was a simple one. I placed a wine glass full of water on top of the camera and fired the shutter at various speeds, and watched for the water to ripple.

Alan
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