IMO, buy the best you can possibly afford. A *good* Tripod is a lifetime investment. A cheap one is a waste of money. Stay away of 'consumer' types. Make sure you consider total maximum weight in buying both your sticks and head - then add 30% for the future.
Search 'tripod' in the FM Search engine - lots of good discussions!
Here's a specific recommendation: Gitzo 3540LS with a Manfrotto 405 or 410 geared head. The bubble levels in the head are very accurate. Level them out and shoot. I use this combo with all my T/S lenses - 17, 24, 35, 45, and 90. And, I added the Gitzo friction lock center column as well. I know that some say it makes the pod less stable, but I just don't see it in actual use and the utility can't be beat. Finally, I use the RRS L Plate on the camera and put one of their quick release clamps on top of the Manfrotto. The clamp is marked with graduations that you can use to keep the sensor in the same plane for stitched shots, eliminating parallax errors in the stitch. This stuff isn't cheap, but then neither was you lens.
why do i need a 18KG tripod that the head only holds 5KG?
Dec 08, 2011 at 04:18 PM
Lars Johnsson Offline • • • • • • • Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #10 · interested in a Tripod for Arichitecture
prostudio wrote:
u got me there, sorry for the stupid question
why do i need a 18KG tripod that the head only holds 5KG?
This is the model you asked for in your post. And you wrote B&H didn't had.
Weight and load specs are just a joke. How many lenses and bodies do you know that weigts 18KG. And it's not like you must use the top limits in the load rating.
gitzo have 30 other tripods with lower weight rating if you prefer that. They will of course be less stable even if you "only" use a 5kg load on them
p.1 #14 · interested in a Tripod for Arichitecture
I had the 3541LS but ended up selling it and getting a 3541XLS for the extra height. The XLS is a little bit longer and heavier, but the extra height flexibility has already come in handy numerous times.
p.1 #18 · interested in a Tripod for Arichitecture
im sorry to be a disturbe to all, but after thinking i think 700USD for only the tripod is to much of me, can u recomend me on ther models around 200-300USD?, alltough i know tripod is for years i only use it 2-3 times a month and iv seen allmost same spasification in all tripods of gitzo
* wil be used on 410 Manfrotto head
Dec 10, 2011 at 04:29 AM
Lars Johnsson Offline • • • • • • • Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #19 · interested in a Tripod for Arichitecture
prostudio wrote:
im sorry to be a disturbe to all, but after thinking i think 700USD for only the tripod is to much of me, can u recomend me on ther models around 200-300USD?, alltough i know tripod is for years i only use it 2-3 times a month and iv seen allmost same spasification in all tripods of gitzo
* wil be used on 410 Manfrotto head
If you say that all Gitzo tripods have almost the same specification, then you have not looked at those Gitzo tripods. Or at their website. They have more than 50 different tripods with every kind of specification you can imagine.
If $ 700 is too much that's another thing.
just remember everything you look to purchase hase the triangle equation involved. each corner of the triangle has one of these terms to deal with. you need to balance them to you needs. each will react to the other (otherwise known as compromise)
1- quality
2- rigidity
3- price
