p.1 #1 · Couple tripod/ball head combos - help me choose
First, thank you to everyone who participated in my other threads about tripods and ball heads. You succeeded in confusing, er, I mean, helping me tremendously. I thought I'd ask this in a new thread so that folks wouldn't have to wade through everything to get to this question.
To recap, my body is a Canon 1D4, but I plan to add a 5D3 for landscapes when I can afford it. My heaviest/longest lenses are 70-200 f 2.8 and the 100-400. I shoot nature and wildlife and may rent a long lens sometime but I need to think in terms of what I currently own and will shoot with the most. And I really want to get into long exposures and landscapes. If you have any other questions feel free to ask.
Without further ado, here are some combos I've come up with. The cost is about twice what I wanted to pay, but I'm convinced it's the way to go, and the difference in cost among the various options is so minimal as to not be a factor.
Will all of these ball heads handle a Wimberley sidekick? Is there another combo I should consider within these brands? HUGE thank you in advance; I'm sure these posts are annoying but I need help with this decision!
p.1 #2 · Couple tripod/ball head combos - help me choose
either/or they all will do it all you want for now. its just a matter of how you use it now and how you want to use it later. I will reiterate, there is no one tripod/head setup that will do it all. but you also don't need to own 7+ of them either.
I do prefer my BH55 with the sidekick.
you might want to start of with you Gitzo AS combo if your money and functionality needs a really good balance. looks like Gitzo did a neat emulation of the RRS. its nice to see RRS has forced Gitzo to wake up.
p.1 #3 · Couple tripod/ball head combos - help me choose
Thanks sjms! Tell me why I have reservations about the AC ball head? I can't put my finger on it but based on some of the reviews on B&H, and watching You Tube videos I am more drawn to the RRS heads. There is nothing rational about it though...
p.1 #4 · Couple tripod/ball head combos - help me choose
Sharona wrote:
I can't put my finger on it but based on some of the reviews on B&H, and watching You Tube videos I am more drawn to the RRS heads. There is nothing rational about it though...
The RRS pod is about a pound lighter, too.....
Seems like you just answered your question
You really can't go wrong with the rrs pods and heads. Great service and support if needed. Quality stuff. If you got the $$$ do it
p.1 #5 · Couple tripod/ball head combos - help me choose
Kind of.... Between the two pods, are they comparable in strength, stability? Also, can you use a RRS plate with the Arca Swiss head? Now I'm just confusing myself.
p.1 #6 · Couple tripod/ball head combos - help me choose
I have RRS heads. it's in my opinion they are outstanding products. I also have a markins M10 but its in semi retirement. many years ago I had a AS B1. I stopped looking after the RRS BH55 when it came to my main load bearing head and especially for use with my sidekick. I haven't found a more capable head out there. but it isn't to everyone's taste as you can see. we all feel we have the best of the best. the 55 does require a little breaking in. that's about a month of reasonable use. I have the 40 and the 30 too. I personally would not use a sidekick on a 40. I do use it on my TQC14 travel legs. it originally came with the BH30 but that is not my favorite so it is used for various lighter work. a BH 55 on a 23? for me its a 33
legs- from a price point for quality the Gitzo wins (because of the rebate). from a quality and well thought engineering resulting in a satisfying product (and this is for me) the RRS product wins hands down.
all these products will do the job and do it well. it just how are you going to look at it, investment or purchase?
now this is my opinion. in addition it is my opinion that RRS likes to build their gear to a higher standard. they do not make everything perfect but they score higher then most and that's why they are where they are. they are the first real driver to coerce companies like Gitzo to improve their product. even AS which generally moves at an almost glacial pace has had to become more dynamic
p.1 #7 · Couple tripod/ball head combos - help me choose
Thanks, Steve. Not only a rebate, but free shipping. I think I will get this going with the Gitzo pod and the Arca Swiss head. Both can be had for free shipping, and B&H is good with returns. I can try it out in the house, see how it feels and go from there. So - which plate for the Arca Swiss? Thanks again for the help and being patient with this endless barrage of questions that really have many answers!
p.1 #8 · Couple tripod/ball head combos - help me choose
get the screw clamp from them not the lever in their case. as far as plates go that is up to you. again i'm tried and true RRS. I have been using their plates (their original products) since 1991. I don't collect them. they have the highest consistency. I find kirk to be adequate but they tend to be a bit bulkier depending on the model. they just lack refinement but they do work. there are others too.
p.1 #10 · Couple tripod/ball head combos - help me choose
If you're going to get an Arca-Swiss Z1 buy the version with a round base and remove the base and its screw. Buy this RRS lever release clamp and screw it onto the top of the Z1 ball stem. This particular clamp self-adjusts to just about any brand of plate or L-bracket.
p.1 #11 · Couple tripod/ball head combos - help me choose
Well Peter, funny you should say this, because I am back to the RS BH-55, which is what I was considering and asking about in the beginning. I went back again and read some of the B&H reviews on the AS, and, I don't know, some people love it, and others say it's moody. The lever plate seems to be better on the RRS ball head and I'm more comfortable with that than a screw clamp, so why not just buy the damn thing and be done with it, you know? Thank you for the links though, it helps me to see what you're talking about.
What I'm more confused about is the Pod; I'm trying to decipher if the RRS 2 series tripods are at the same level as the series 3 Gitzos, in terms of weight and stability, etc.
p.1 #12 · Couple tripod/ball head combos - help me choose
when RRS came out with the 3 series its capability was greater then that of the 3 series Gitzo of that time. same with the 2 series when it came out too. since then Gitzo has made "improvements" in these products and upped the spec game on them. in addition the made them bulkier and heavier too.
you will never win the spec war. not soon after you get one thing the next best thing will come out. that is simply one of the prime laws of tech marketing.
p.1 #13 · Couple tripod/ball head combos - help me choose
Sharona wrote:
Why the screw clamp? I'm concerned I won't really know for sure if it's tight enough or too tight.
if you do not stay with one branding of plate you may run into fit differences which may concern you. RRS has improved their lever clamps tolerance for fit.
my concern with the AS lever clamp in particular is its adjustability and as of the last time I came in contact with it the parts in the clamp itself not being captive (over extend and it can come apart.) adjusting their clamp for fit becomes problematic in the mentioned over or under tightening in the matter of just what is.
p.1 #18 · Couple tripod/ball head combos - help me choose
it has less capacity as stated in their specs. it is better built in my opinion then the Gitzo in terms of materials and design but no less stable when used in its specified capacity.
if I were to use either set of legs with any of my current gear (I do have some heavier duty stuff I use) or yours there would be no real world difference. RRS tends to be conservative Gitzo less so on specs. if I were to exceed the limits on either I doubt by say 10% you probably wouldn't notice at all.
on shear specmanship claims Gitzo wins in the "I say mine handles more then yours" category. but then again do you have 40+lbs of gear to top either one off with? I don't.
p.1 #19 · Couple tripod/ball head combos - help me choose
Thanks - that's the thing. I wasn't trying to compare apples and oranges. To me, 40 pounds is more than enough. I was trying to decipher, for example, if the BH-55 would be too much for the RRS 24 tripod. You want the ballhead to be appropriate for the tripod....
p.1 #20 · Couple tripod/ball head combos - help me choose
I had mine originally on a Manfrotto 055. that was before there was a TVC series. then it went on a Feisol CT3371 (early model) and finally on a TVC33. the differences were fairly wide between all of them but it worked.
I thought I'd ask this in a new thread so that folks wouldn't have to wade through everything to get to this question. 
