Another request for help - Tripods/Heads.

Witch

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:help: I'm trying to put together my christmas list. This is the proper, serious one, rather than the one that goes......1dMk2N, 17-40L, etc...! I want to put down a tripod and head, which means that I've actually got to get down to the business of working out which will be the best for me. I currently have a relatively cheap "all in one" style tripod but it has serious limitations in the positions in which the camera can be locked and I'm starting to find working with it rather frustrating. I'm discovering that I'm using a tripod more and more also - mainly for night work, but also on occasion for landscapes, and this is something I'll be doing more of when we go on holiday next year.

Whatever I get needs to be a sensible weight - I walk reasonable distances carrying the thing and don't want to end up with something so heavy I end up feeling tempted to dump it in an alley! My hope is that my other half will buy me either the legs or the head for Christmas - realistically speaking he will have a budget of up to £90 for the legs, or up to £50 for the head I would think. I've done some calculations - I reckon the heaviest combination I'm likely to end up with on the thing in the future might be a 1dmk2n (one day!) or it's upgraded equivalent, plus 70-200mm f2.8 + (potentially for seal watching in Scotland) both TC's. At the moment it'll be the 30D/grip of course but I'm looking to buy now something which will see me through years of action.

I'm looking at the following as options:

Manfrotto 190 PRO Tripod - pros of this would be that centre column which I believe you can re-fit at right angles - I fancy that idea and it strikes me as being useful for Macros shots?
Manfrotto 190CL Tripod - same weight as the one above - is it missing any features I'm likely to find useful do you think?

Any other legs I should be considering?

As far as heads go I'm a bit out of my depth - I believe that not all legs in a make are compatible with all the heads? Would I be best of going for a ballhead or a 3-way?

Again - the following have caught my eye:

Manfrotto 484RC2
Manfrotto 486RC2
Both being ball heads - I'm at a loss for what of the other type I could look at though.

I'm also intending getting a monopod - just something basic to get me out of trouble when the light's dropped and I've not got a tripod with me so I'm loking for something super-small and light. Has anyone had any particularly horrific experiences with the Velbon Ultra Stick 50 Monopod or know of any reason why it wouldn't suit my purposes?

I'm well out of my depth here guys so any help would be appreciated. :shrug:
 
Witch - I'm certainly no expert but, having taken advice on here, scoured the net, checked RobertP's head (if you know what i mean) I plumped for the 190 pro and 488rc2 head.

My first time with a ball head (used to have a slik88m 3 way) and I've found it works very well and is very easy to use. Much less complex than my old 3 way and more 'instant'.

I too was attracted by the right angle aspect but I've not tried it yet so can't comment on ease of use.

The tripod itself is good and solid and fairly easy to lug about. It has a real good feel to its construction.

I bought mine from T4 cameras

And it was the cheapest I've found...hope this helps!


ORDER DETAILS
-----------------------------------------------------------------
8024221280142 - MANFROTTO 190PRO PRO (CHROME)
Net: £66.38
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MN488RC2 - MANFROTTO 488RC2 MIDI BALL HEAD WITH RC2
Net: £45.11
-----------------------------------------------------------------
TOTAL NET: £111.49
TOTAL DELIVERY: £9.00
TOTAL VAT: £19.51
TOTAL: £140.00
 
Witch, I had the 190cl with a 390rc head .. and if you happned to have read my other thread you will see that this is the one where the head sheared off. I am now looking at the 055PROB with an 804RC" head. So will be interested to hear which you go for.
I would avoid the 190CL but I may just have had bad luck ...
 
I'm watching with interest. This is top of my xmas list too and I could not have phrased it any better.
 
I'm not going to offer any advice on a particular model. What I will say is that a good tripod is the area where people try to cut corners, until they learn the hard way that it's one of the most important bits of gear you'll ever buy. I was no different... I've had a fair few. The best lenses in the world wont help you on a rickety pod, and if it's a heavy beast it'll never get taken anywhere anyway. There's no such thing as the perfect tripod, you really need to give careful consideration to the weight of it, and in that regard you need to be realistic about the weights it may be asked to bear, as there's an obvious limit to the lightness V weight equation. A pod that's perfect for you now and which may have cost a fair old packet would soon be on fleabay if in the future you bought a lens which was a bit too much for it.

So look for lightness and strength. Carbon fibre is excellent, but expensive. Look for a tripod which can be adjusted right down to ground level for low level shots and macro work, and a rotating centre column, which helps you to get low and get into awkward places.

Make sure that you can erect it high enough to be at a comfortable height when standing for long periods. There's nothing worse than continually stooping to look through the viewfinder, it's very tiring and no fun at all.

Then when you've got a tripod sorted and chosen, you need to give just as much careful consideration to the head. :)
 
I have the 055, which is a longer version of the 190. You may find the 190 isnt tall enough.

Mine is the MF version (magnesium-fibre, i.e. carbon fibre) which costs lot more, but is lighter. This is useful for carrying it about.

The 484 and 486 heads look like the one to go for. I owuld get the bigger 486 if I were you. As CT says, dont skimp...

Make sure you get one of the quick release systems - e.g. the RC2.

I have the 322RC2. The quick release is great. The head is really good landscape and similar. However, you have to squeeze the grip in order to get it to move. This means using another hand. If you have a long lens that you are moving about, and want a hand on the shutter/grip you kind of need three hands!
 
I went for the cheap and cheerful.... see this thread

so if it turns out to be cr** then I can chuck it in the bin and have another go.
 
Joe T said:
I have the 055, which is a longer version of the 190. You may find the 190 isnt tall enough.
Click to expand...

I've only just spotted this line Joe - gotta smile - having met me, you KNOW there's not a lot of chance of me not finding it tall enough! :D

Oldigt - the one I already have is a "cheap and cheerful" not unlike the one in that thread - and I've found that I've got quite frustrated with the lack of flexibility in the head. It kind of locks off where it wants to, not where I want it to! Having said that, these sort of tripods are brilliant for a first one to see if you get on with working with them and carrying them about. No point in spending £100 - ish on one to then find out that it never leaves the boot of the car 'cos you can't be bothered! :lol:
 
Hi Witch.

I have a Dynatran AT-CF994 From ebay USA.

I got it delivered for about £120 including taxes & import duty.

It is carbon fibre & comes with a ball head, bag, tools and a quick release plate.

I have found it to be great value. It has some great reviews on the net with some people prefering them to Manfrotto's.

http://cgi.ebay.com/PRO-CARBON-FIBE...2QQihZ007QQcategoryZ30094QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem.

Only problem is that they are very popular and took me about two weeks to win one for what I was willing to pay.
 
They do look good I must admit. I think I'm probably stuck on the idea of the Manfrotto 190PRO legs now - I've seen a lot of good comments on the web on those. The Head's still a mystery at the moment. I'm still unsure of whether I'd find a ball=-head or a three way better for what I do...... :thinking:
 
Still looking but think I have come to a decision:

488RC2 £74.99
055 PRO Legs, just can't stetch to the £249 055MF3

After doing a stack of research it seem ball heads come out way on top, the 055 legs do well. But the mag legs are the ebst, just can't quite strtch all that way right now.

Hoping this is a good compromise ...

Witch - Any decisions?
 
I would just echo what CT has said, take your time choosing, try as many diffrent ones as you can, there may be something you dont like about your chosen one if not tried out first.
Also tripods without a centre column are more stable (and more expensive).

I cannot comment on Manfrotto as I use Gitzo and Really Right Stuff.
 
Chewyuk - check out T4 cameras - I paid £53 incl VAt for the 488rc2
 
A good quality ball head is the way to go. A three way head is great for a 'plonk it down' platform for weddings etc, but for a lot of photography those three adjustment handles are an absolute pain. With macro in particular you can end up going round in circles adjusting the handles in turn trying to line up a tiny subject, and it's tedious and frustrating

With a ball head you loosen one knob and you have instant adjustment of all three axis - tighten up - job done. :thumbs:
 
I've got an old ally Gitzo Reporter which I'll be selling once I retrieve it from the clutches of the mad Mrs-Ex.
 
Dark Star said:
Chewyuk - check out T4 cameras - I paid £53 incl VAt for the 488rc2
Click to expand...

I would do, but this is the last piece of my camera hassle to sort, so I have £100 owing to me from Jessops by way of a replacement pod. Might be worthwhile just goign for the legs at Jessops and head through t4 cams ?

Much obliged to you Sir.
 
You're very welcome - I'd forgotten your saga - the best of luck in that!!!
 
I just bought a 190MF4 for my rucksack but although a Manfrotto it is too flimsy to have as a main tripod.

I have the 055 and LOVE the fact it is so tall. It is heavy however as it is ALU and over 12 years old (still perfect nick though).

I bought the 322RC2 head this year after going in to buy a ball-head. I now LOVE it.

Lot of money but all well spent. Go to a good dealer with you camera and try something out. Only buy when convinced you have the right thing.

I am now finding out about techniques with digital that really need a sturdy tripod and glad I made the early investment. Good luck and let us know what you finally decide.

Gary
 
I've already had a good look at the 190PRO and liked what I saw, which I guess is a start. Having said that - Arkady - have you any idea of a weight on the one you'll be flogging?

CT - you recommend a ball head - my one concern though is how easy will I find pano shots with this? The one beauty of my current tripod is that it's dead easy to just rotate the head for the next shot, and so on. With a ball-head can I lock it so I ONLY get side to side movement when I adjust? I want to do a few more panos when we go away next year.

Cheers for all your input on this guys - and nice to see I'm not the only one needing information on the subject! :thumbs:
 
Witch said:
Cheers for all your input on this guys - and nice to see I'm not the only one needing information on the subject! :thumbs:
Click to expand...

Indeed not. I'm still watching/reading this thread with great interest.
 
Witch said:
CT - you recommend a ball head - my one concern though is how easy will I find pano shots with this? The one beauty of my current tripod is that it's dead easy to just rotate the head for the next shot, and so on. With a ball-head can I lock it so I ONLY get side to side movement when I adjust? I want to do a few more panos when we go away next year.
Click to expand...

There are ball heads which have independent movement for the panning axis. They're not cheap - IanC_UK has just bought one.

OK... the following is right outside the scope of your original question, but I do feel obliged to cover all the angles for you. You really need to try and future proof your purchase to cover what lenses you might acquire in the future. If at any stage you intend to get really heavy, long lenses, then you'll definitely need a gimbal type head to properly balance the weight of the lens and to handle it safely on the tripod.

There's two ways to acquire a gimbal head...
1. Buy a gimbal head from one of a few which are available on the market.

2. Buy a suitable ball head now with an Arca style plate. Arca style plates are widely used by different manufacturers to provide compatibility between various mounting systems. If you decide at some future stage to invest in a long lens then with a suitable Arca ball head you simply rotate the ball to 90 degs. You can then fit a Wimberley 'Sidekick' into the Arca plate by just sliding it in vertically, to obtain a fully functioning gimbal head.

Sorry if it sounds a bit complicated, but it's an expensive game buying this stuff, and you don't want to be doing too much chopping and changing if you can make the right choices in the first place.
 
I think it's the Kirk BH-1 Ball head Ian has just bought. It has independent panning lock. Ian will no doubt confirm this is the right one. Ian has bought this head with a view to adding the Wimberley Sidekick at some stage to give him a full gimbal head.

Kirk BH-1

Another good source of Arca style heads and plates is Really Right Stuff.

Really Right Stuff
 
Witch said:
I've already had a good look at the 190PRO and liked what I saw, which I guess is a start. Having said that - Arkady - have you any idea of a weight on the one you'll be flogging?

CT - you recommend a ball head - my one concern though is how easy will I find pano shots with this? The one beauty of my current tripod is that it's dead easy to just rotate the head for the next shot, and so on. With a ball-head can I lock it so I ONLY get side to side movement when I adjust? I want to do a few more panos when we go away next year.

Cheers for all your input on this guys - and nice to see I'm not the only one needing information on the subject! :thumbs:
Click to expand...

I've been trhough this over the past couple of years - and initially I cut corners on the head and bought a 484 RC2. Simply not good enough for anything more than a small camera and short lens.

I found a used 488RC2 which is a seriously heavy duty head with good friction adjustment on the ball and a seperate lock for panning. Best move in a while!
 
Food for thought there for sure - sadly that's WELL outta my price range at the moment. My main aim right now is to get a set of nice solid legs that'll last me well. If I have to change heads in a couple of years then so be it I think.

I'll have to think on it a bit more. I'm a bit twitchy about the ball-head idea as it's totally different to what I've been used to BUT I can see the advantage Heck - this is getting complicated! :eek: :bonk:

Much as I want to do pano shots the other half will still have the old tripod so if worst comes to worst I'll chuck the camera back onto that and go for the ball-head for myself I think. Well, that's what I think at the moment. Might all have changed by the time I wake up tomorrow! :lol:

You have the patience of several saints, and for that I thank you!
 
You will find a short review of the Really Right Stuff Ball Head I did below

CLICKY
 
RichardtheSane said:
I've been trhough this over the past couple of years - and initially I cut corners on the head and bought a 484 RC2. Simply not good enough for anything more than a small camera and short lens.

I found a used 488RC2 which is a seriously heavy duty head with good friction adjustment on the ball and a seperate lock for panning. Best move in a while!
Click to expand...

Richard - This would have been really helpful on my thread here requesting help about buying that exact ball head to use on a monopod with my D200 & chunky f2.8 lens - having had a zero response I ordered one but hopefully the place I have ordered it from will take it back :bang:
Paul
 
RichardtheSane said:
I've been trhough this over the past couple of years - and initially I cut corners on the head and bought a 484 RC2. Simply not good enough for anything more than a small camera and short lens.

I found a used 488RC2 which is a seriously heavy duty head with good friction adjustment on the ball and a seperate lock for panning. Best move in a while!
Click to expand...

LOL - you snuck that one in when I weren't looking!!!

Hmmm...it was the 486RC2 I was looking at I think. I'll have a really good look at it and see what I reckon - whether I need to step up another notch or not.

Cheers!
 
PaulBoy said:
Richard - This would have been really helpful on my thread here requesting help about buying that exact ball head to use on a monopod with my D200 & chunky f2.8 lens - having had a zero response I ordered one but hopefully the place I have ordered it from will take it back :bang:
Paul
Click to expand...
Sorry paul :( I don't get much time on the forums at the moment and I missed your thread!

Fortunatly places are obliged to take stuff back on mail order :)

FWIW I did use this head with my 100-400L for a while and it did work - but I was never satisfied. Main reason was down to the fact you could not easily apply friction onto the ball in order to give you movement without being loose. I did use the 234 RC2 monopod head with the same combo and while this was more usabale it mounted the lens the wrong way for the RC2 connector.

On reflection, the 484 can't have been that bad because I lived with it for a while and only upgraded when I replaced the 100-400L with a lens more than twice it's weight! Now I don't use a head on my pod
 
Richard - No problem - My post, on reflection, seems abit petulant (I must have been having a bad day!) - I was obviously hoping to tap into the vast knowledge base here but never mind these things happen - I decided it was a stupid idea to buy a decent ball head and put it on a budget monopod so I have ordered a decent quality cf one :naughty:
Paul ;)
 
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