Home · Register · Join Upload & Sell

Moderated by: Fred Miranda
Username  

  New fredmiranda.com Mobile Site
  New Feature: SMS Notification alert
  New Feature: Buy & Sell Watchlist
  

FM Forums | General Gear-talk | Join Upload & Sell

  

Archive 2014 · How can i check the stability of my tripod?

  
 
Evangelos Makris
Offline
• •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · How can i check the stability of my tripod?


Hello,

i have bought and use a Manfrotto 293 Alum tripod with RC2 ball head for lanscape shots
and astrophotography.
Its safety payload is said to be 4kg and my heaviest setup is a Canon 6d with 24-105L and a filter which are under 2kg.

I've seen many photographers getting a tripod with a payload of 8kg to hold similar setups as mine and i was wondering why.
I have not encountered any problems up to now, but i am wondering if there is a safe way to check its stability.

Kind regards,
Evangelos



Jun 10, 2014 at 02:29 AM
jcolwell
Offline
• • • • • • •
Upload & Sell: On
p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · How can i check the stability of my tripod?


Evangelos Makris wrote:
...I've seen many photographers getting a tripod with a payload of 8kg to hold similar setups as mine and i was wondering why....


Maybe they have heavier stuff, too.

Evangelos Makris wrote:
...I have not encountered any problems up to now, but i am wondering if there is a safe way to check its stability.


Sure, just tie something heavy to the centre of the tripod and let it hang down. OTOH, I wouldn't bother.

P.S. "RC2" is the name of the clamp and plate system, not the head.



Jun 10, 2014 at 07:32 AM
mine1
Offline

Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · How can i check the stability of my tripod?


strap a laser pin to the top of your camera and point the hole thing at a wall and see if the dot moves.


Jun 10, 2014 at 09:46 AM
EB-1
Offline
• • • • • • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · How can i check the stability of my tripod?


Evangelos Makris wrote:
Hello,

i have bought and use a Manfrotto 293 Alum tripod with RC2 ball head for lanscape shots
and astrophotography.
Its safety payload is said to be 4kg and my heaviest setup is a Canon 6d with 24-105L and a filter which are under 2kg.

I've seen many photographers getting a tripod with a payload of 8kg to hold similar setups as mine and i was wondering why.
I have not encountered any problems up to now, but i am wondering if there is a safe way to check its stability.

Kind regards,
Evangelos


Taking controlled photos will determine the stability, but testing will not make it any more stable. If you are concerned about the strength, then it is likely well over the specified amount. Just don't extend the center column. Back in the day I put a ridiculous load on a 3001 with no ill effects.

EBH

EBH



Jun 11, 2014 at 08:56 PM
wuxiekeji
Offline
• •
Upload & Sell: On
p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · How can i check the stability of my tripod?


Meh, I put 14 kg on my Manfrotto tripod rated for 4 kg. The rating is for stability not strength.
If the tripod is all metal then I think the strength rating is much higher.

Shoot a few pictures in your typical conditions and see if you see any evidence of instability. If not then you're good.



Jun 12, 2014 at 06:55 PM
wuxiekeji
Offline
• •
Upload & Sell: On
p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · How can i check the stability of my tripod?


Meh, I put 14 kg on my Manfrotto tripod rated for 4 kg. The rating is for stability not strength.
If the tripod is all metal then I think the strength rating is much higher.

Shoot a few pictures in your typical conditions and see if you see any evidence of instability. If not then you're good. Also agree with not extending the centre column if you go past the spec.



Jun 12, 2014 at 07:02 PM
Monito
Offline
• • • • • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · How can i check the stability of my tripod?


mine1 wrote:
strap a laser pin to the top of your camera and point the hole thing at a wall and see if the dot moves.


There is a much simpler and more to the point and more informative way.

Photograph a point light source or point reflection at a variety of shutterspeeds with mirror lockup and without it. You just need a strongly contrasting point light source that will cover a few pixels but not many. If it only covers a single pixel (hard to arrange) then it will be hard to measure the smear when the rig shakes. It could be a laser pointed at a wall if the laser is attached to a very stable surface with no movement (like a kitchen counter top). This way you separate the stability of the light from the instability of the tripod and camera shutter & mirror motion. You can use a tiny cutout in a card or manila folder or dark paper placed in front of a lamp or electronic flash or sunlit window.

This way you can actually quantify the effect of the instability and how bad it is, rather than merely saying "the dot moved". You can even account for the degree of enlargement that you use when you print normally and when you print big (which requires better technique).

Strapping something to the camera adds another hard to control variable: the stability of the strapping or taping or rope tie.

Furthermore, taking a photo (you don't say explicitly to take a photo, just "see"). If you actually take a photo then you are confounding two effects: the movement of the laser and the movement of the sensor.

With the approach I recommend you can even measure your stability at hand holding the camera.



Jun 12, 2014 at 07:33 PM
EB-1
Offline
• • • • • • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · How can i check the stability of my tripod?


Or one could use the Lester Bogen method, if you know what I mean.

EBH



Jun 12, 2014 at 08:42 PM
wuxiekeji
Offline
• •
Upload & Sell: On
p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · How can i check the stability of my tripod?


Monito wrote:
Photograph a point light source or point reflection at a variety of shutterspeeds with mirror lockup and without it. You just need a strongly contrasting point light source that will cover a few pixels but not many.


I say just go out and shoot, and see if you like the pictures you're getting. Shooting a contrasting point in a controlled environment will not account for problems out in the field such as stability under wind, ground vibrations, etc. if those are an issue for your photography, so the only way you'll really know is to try taking some real pictures under your typical conditions and look at them closely.



Jun 13, 2014 at 08:27 AM
Evangelos Makris
Offline
• •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · How can i check the stability of my tripod?


I concluded that i do not like the manfrotto head with its quick release plate,
as it seems that it does not hold the camera well.

I think the legs are just fine for what i am doing.
So i am in the process of finding a better ball head.

Thanks to all for your comments and suggestions.



Jun 14, 2014 at 04:02 PM
rw11
Offline
• • • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #11 · p.1 #11 · How can i check the stability of my tripod?


The Markins is well regarded.


Jun 15, 2014 at 02:41 PM
runamuck
Offline
• • • • • •
[X]
p.1 #12 · p.1 #12 · How can i check the stability of my tripod?


Swing at it with a baseball bat:
If it falls over it's not stable
If it breaks \the tripod is flimsy
If the bat breaks, the tripod is strong and stable.



Jun 16, 2014 at 10:47 PM





FM Forums | General Gear-talk | Join Upload & Sell

    
 

You are not logged in. Login or Register

Username       Or Reset password



This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.