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 2018 · 500mm Tripod/Accessories Recommendation

  
 
TANG0F0XTR0T
Offline
• •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · 500mm Tripod/Accessories Recommendation


I'm about to be the proud owner of a Nikon 500mm f/4 E FL lens. I have a D810 and D4s. I need a setup to allow me to shoot on a tripod standing or in a seat. I'm about 5'11".

I already have a Gitzo 2545T which is small and lightweight but I don't think it is intended for this lens setup. I think it can do it but I don't know that I want to as it was intended for use with a lighter setup (70-200 and 24-70).

Need a recommendation for a tripod, foot, and Gimbal/Wimberly setup. Lenscoat as well?



Jan 17, 2018 at 01:51 PM
Abuttolph
Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: On
p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · 500mm Tripod/Accessories Recommendation


I have a Gitzo Series 5 GT5532LS tripod (am selling it on the B&S thread as I sold my big lens) and I have to say that it is one heck of a solid tripod. Very well built, super stable. Although I did not put mine through a lot of use, I did not find any faults with it at all. There are also other terrific and solid tripods out there, but if all of Gitzo's Series 5 are as good as the one that I have, I think that you would be very happy with the performance of one in that line.




Jan 17, 2018 at 05:47 PM
tntcorp
Offline
• • • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · 500mm Tripod/Accessories Recommendation


+1 for the gitzo 5 series. it can handle the heaviest of lens.

a gitzo 3 series should be adequate. for gimbal, i would suggest a normal mount in lieu of a side mount. there are brand names and there are 2nd tier name such as benro which offers carbon fiber gimbal for much lesser price of the brand name oems.

of course you can always go brand names all the ways.

no experiences on lenscoat, but you can always buy the materials and adhesive to make your own at cheaper prices.



Jan 17, 2018 at 06:37 PM
TANG0F0XTR0T
Offline
• •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · 500mm Tripod/Accessories Recommendation


Anyone know of any alternatives to the Wimberly gimbals? Anything out there good enough, maybe lighter?


Jan 18, 2018 at 07:56 AM
decoop
Offline

Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · 500mm Tripod/Accessories Recommendation


Amazon has a great listing of gimbal heads (not suggesting you buy there) but it will give you an idea of what's available. Prices from $50 to $600 for the standard heads, not the side mount heads. Tip - don't ignore the rigs under $100, some good units there.


Jan 18, 2018 at 09:06 AM
RoyC
Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · 500mm Tripod/Accessories Recommendation


As to the tripod, I suggest a 4 series Gitzo or a 3 series RRS, at a minimum, in order to get the rigidity that you will want with that lens. I suspect you will be adding a TC1.4III at some point and your needs will be for a 700mm lens.Weight support is not the issue, it is stability against vibration for the wind you want. As to length of tripod, get one that extends 6 inches or more above your head. When you take into account the added height of the head you will be able to use it on uneven terrain.

I have a 5 series (4 section) Gitzo that I have retired and replaced with a TVC43 RRS (3 Section). The RRS is noticeably lighter than the Gitzo and more stable.

For a gimbal I recommend the Wimberley WH-200. It is not the lightest but it is very stable. Mine has seen 8 years of travel and fairly heavy usage with zero issues. If you are thinking about adding flash for the telephoto, the Wimberley F9 flash bracket works great. Additionally, there is a screw type plate that comes with the Wimberley that I just hate. Takes to long to mount a lens and you really may not be using the lens plate/foot safety stops when adjusting the lens position. I replaced it with a RRS PG-CC Cradle Clamp which is a quick release lever clamp that has an adjustment position which stops the lens from falling out and is very fast to setup.

B&H carries Lenscoat products for both the lens and Wimberley gimbal. I have them on my 800mm and 400mm glass and use the cover for the gimbal.



Jan 18, 2018 at 10:13 AM
rick2906
Offline
• • • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · 500mm Tripod/Accessories Recommendation


1-Tripod: gitzo serie 5

2-Gimball: KatanaJr from promediagear is lighther then the wimberley wh-200 but I did notice some shifting when tightening the knobs but nothing too bad. I replace the katanajr and wimberley wh-200 with the rrs pg-02 craddle, a deffinite improvement. With the rrs craddle it is much faster to mount/unmount the lense and to balance it.
The katanajr has way smoother bearings vs the wimberley, making panning easier imo. Wimberley feels a little more robust and no shifting when tightening the knobs. here's the thead about my experience with the katana :https://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/1523242

3- Really right stuff long lense support help reducing vibration even if you use good long lense technique

4-I put lenscoat on my lense,tc tripods and gimball head. It protect your gear and if you are shooting in cold weather, it saves your hands. Lenscoat don't make protection for katanajr


Edited on Jan 18, 2018 at 11:04 AM · View previous versions



Jan 18, 2018 at 10:44 AM
mpoole
Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · 500mm Tripod/Accessories Recommendation


Don't forget the Jobu line of gimbals.
http://www.jobu-design.com/Gimbals_c_1.html

Good design, great customer support and you can buy direct with weaker Cdn dollars.



Jan 18, 2018 at 10:53 AM
rick2906
Offline
• • • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · 500mm Tripod/Accessories Recommendation


Promediagear are the only one with a Gimball head design for big telephoto while being light at the same time.


Jan 18, 2018 at 11:05 AM
Roland W
Offline
• • • •
Upload & Sell: On
p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · 500mm Tripod/Accessories Recommendation


The tripod you need for your new lens depends a bit on how you will be using it. With a good gimbal head, and using the lens balanced and not locked down, as in tracking subjects, or steady on a subject but not needing to lock down, the tripod is only providing vertical support, and your shutter speed combined with the lens VR image stabilization is doing the main part to get your images sharp. For this vertical support only use, a smaller tripod works fine, and at the same time weighs less and costs a bit less. A Really Right Stuff series 2 or a Gitzo series 3 will easily work for shooting without locking down, which can potentially be most or all of what you shoot. The VR on the lens will help a lot for the times when you need somewhat longer shutter speeds with your 500, like as slow as 1/60, as long as you are supported with a gimbal.

If you really need to lock down the gimbal head for long exposures, then a larger tripod is needed. The Really Right Stuff series 3 would be reasonable, and if you really want a super rigid set up, then a Gitzo series 5 or a Really Right Stuff series 4 would give you that. But those are heavy to carry around, and truly expensive. Note that I own RRS series 2, 3, and 4 tripods, and my longest lens is a 600 f/4, so I have experience with all covered.

For a gimbal head, I use the current version of a Wimberley, and use the platform version that has the lens mount on to the platform from the top. I do not like side mount version for larger lenses, all though they are fine for smaller lenses. There are a lot of choices now for gimbals from other suppliers, but back when I got my gimbal, Wimberley was the main provider of good gimbals.



Jan 18, 2018 at 01:13 PM
TANG0F0XTR0T
Offline
• •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #11 · p.1 #11 · 500mm Tripod/Accessories Recommendation


mpoole wrote:
Don't forget the Jobu line of gimbals.
http://www.jobu-design.com/Gimbals_c_1.html

Good design, great customer support and you can buy direct with weaker Cdn dollars.


---------------------------------------------

rick2906 wrote:
Promediagear are the only one with a Gimball head design for big telephoto while being light at the same time.


---------------------------------------------
Thanks for this information. I'm in the UK so can't get all brands here or I may have to pay significant shipping and possible VAT if customs inspects the shipment. I'm looking into them though and may choose one as I like the looks of the Promedia.





Roland W wrote:
The tripod you need for your new lens depends a bit on how you will be using it. With a good gimbal head, and using the lens balanced and not locked down, as in tracking subjects, or steady on a subject but not needing to lock down, the tripod is only providing vertical support, and your shutter speed combined with the lens VR image stabilization is doing the main part to get your images sharp. For this vertical support only use, a smaller tripod works fine, and at the same time weighs less and costs a bit less. A
...Show more


Regarding the type of shooting, you are probably right, I won't be locking this down. It can be handheld but I want the option to use a tripod and track with ease. For the most part this setup would be made for constant movement.



Jan 18, 2018 at 02:07 PM
arbitrage
Offline
• • • • • • •
Upload & Sell: On
p.1 #12 · p.1 #12 · 500mm Tripod/Accessories Recommendation


Roland W wrote:
The tripod you need for your new lens depends a bit on how you will be using it. With a good gimbal head, and using the lens balanced and not locked down, as in tracking subjects, or steady on a subject but not needing to lock down, the tripod is only providing vertical support, and your shutter speed combined with the lens VR image stabilization is doing the main part to get your images sharp. For this vertical support only use, a smaller tripod works fine, and at the same time weighs less and costs a bit less. A
...Show more

Great advice and just about what I was going to type about use case makes all the difference. For gimbal tracking animals or birds or sports a Series 2 RRS is all you need. I use a Series 3 RRS for my 600/4 and find it overkill. That all changes if you want to totally lock down and shoot long exposures or video.

I was going to recommend Jobu gimbal but I see it may be difficult for you to get one in UK. I've used the HD-3 and now the lighter HD-4 and they are perfect for 600/4 on 1DX. However, my friend uses the even smaller and lighter Jobu Jr 3 for his 600/4 and 1DX and it seems to work fine also. Our 600s are the newer ones so much lighter than previous generation but then your 500FL is much lighter still.

Jobu European dealers: http://www.jobu-design.com/Europe_ep_47.html
There doesn't seem to be a UK one but there is France.

The HD-4 Jobu is lighter than even the Katana Jr. The Jobu Jr. is lighter still.



Jan 19, 2018 at 08:48 PM
tiggy
Offline
• •
Upload & Sell: On
p.1 #13 · p.1 #13 · 500mm Tripod/Accessories Recommendation


I have owned a couple $100 versions, and they did OK, but I finally bit the bullet and got the Really Right Stuff one. You can find them used for 800-900. The main reason I felt I needed to upgrade was that it didn't take long for both to get a little loose and wobbly when the knobs were tightened up. The lens wouldn't move in either axis, but the entire head would wobble on the tripod very slightly. Enough so that it contributed to longer periods of vibration. I haven't used a Wimberly myself, but the RRS version appears to be at least as good, and also can be used as a panorama head. Breaks down smaller by coming apart into three pieces.


Jan 20, 2018 at 12:15 AM
trenchmonkey
Offline
• • • • • • •
Upload & Sell: On
p.1 #14 · p.1 #14 · 500mm Tripod/Accessories Recommendation


Got my 500/gripped D500 on a Jobu Jr 3 when not handholding.
It's a rock with either my Berlebach or Benro legs.







Jan 20, 2018 at 08:59 AM
jcolwell
Online
• • • • • • •
Upload & Sell: On
p.1 #15 · p.1 #15 · 500mm Tripod/Accessories Recommendation


TANG0F0XTR0T wrote:
I'm about to be the proud owner of a Nikon 500mm f/4 E FL lens. I have a D810 and D4s. I need a setup to allow me to shoot on a tripod standing or in a seat. I'm about 5'11".

I already have a Gitzo 2545T which is small and lightweight but I don't think it is intended for this lens setup. I think it can do it but I don't know that I want to as it was intended for use with a lighter setup (70-200 and 24-70).

Need a recommendation for a tripod, foot, and Gimbal/Wimberly setup. Lenscoat
...Show more

Here's some old threads that you might find interesting.

Long lens accessories: our favourites https://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/1183081
Hand-holding Canon super-teles, version 1 https://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/1157199
Tips, techniques and accessories for handholding a 500mm... https://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/1197703



Jan 20, 2018 at 03:47 PM
TANG0F0XTR0T
Offline
• •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #16 · p.1 #16 · 500mm Tripod/Accessories Recommendation


Many thanks for the commments and links folks.


Jan 20, 2018 at 05:00 PM
elkhornsun
Offline
• • • • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #17 · p.1 #17 · 500mm Tripod/Accessories Recommendation


I had no problems with the 11 lb. 600mm f/4 on a Feisol CT-3472 tripod or on a RRS TVC-34L. Putting a 500mm f/4E that weighs less than 7 lbs. would work on most tripods.Something I have encountered with some legs is that there is flexing around the axis of the legs and so the load rating for the tripod is quite misleading when planning to support a long lens and a camera.

A gimbal works best and there are many to choose from that will work with your lens. My favorite is the one from Custom Brackets that has a lever that rotates into position to keep the lens from flopping down when a camera is removed to insert or remove a teleconverter. Gitzo has a new fluid gimbal head that would be useful if shooting videos with the lens.

Highly recommend buying from a company like B&H that makes it easy to return items for full credit should they not perform as needed.



Jan 20, 2018 at 10:05 PM
rico
Offline
• • • • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #18 · p.1 #18 · 500mm Tripod/Accessories Recommendation


I deploy a similarly weighty Nikkor supertele to OP, but require a lockdown capability. My setup is a Gitzo Series 4 and Wimberly full gimbal. Once the load is balanced, the WH-200 is luxuriously effective at sweeping the sky as well as locking into position. I also use a long Wimberley lens plate: these have a screw-stop to prevent the lens from sliding to the ground—a real hazard!


Jan 21, 2018 at 03:04 PM
TANG0F0XTR0T
Offline
• •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #19 · p.1 #19 · 500mm Tripod/Accessories Recommendation


For the enquiring minds, I purchased a Gitzo GT5543LS and Wimberley Gimbal. I should be set now for the 500mm and for the next 20 years for the 600mm-800mm I might pick up in the future.


Jan 24, 2018 at 05:11 PM
rico
Offline
• • • • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #20 · p.1 #20 · 500mm Tripod/Accessories Recommendation


That's a combo you'll enjoy from the word "go". The Wimberley adds headroom, so to speak, making full extension of the LS unnecessary and resulting in even more rigid support.


Jan 24, 2018 at 08:43 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.