1. Dolica TX570DS (my first tripod, before I knew much about tripods), with a Leofoto LH-30. It’s a real lightweight, but I still like it. Got it when I was using A6000/A6500.
2. Feisol Mini TT-15 Mk. 2, with a Leofoto LH-25.
3. Feisol CT-3372 Mk. 2, with a Manfrotto 405.
4. Pre-ordered the Peak Design Carbon Fiber tripod. Will see how their ball head works, and will use it with another Leofoto LH-30 if I think necessary.
An all-rounder carbon tripod, a hi-hat tripod for specialized super low perspective use, a travel tripod, some mini tripods that were impulse buys + 2 monopods with extended feet that could function as a tripod in a crunch. A dozen or so pan/tilt, gimbal, pano and ball heads that are swapped as needed. I should probably part with some of the stuff as it's never used
Having been a working pro for decades I've accumulated over a dozen but only currently use four. Gitzo CF Giant with the Sunway Gear Head is my goto for the bulk of my jobs. An Induro 414CF as a back up and when I want something more portable for work, (I plan on replacing it with a similar sized Gitzo as the Induro is just not built to the same standards). A Gitzo Series 3 Mountaineer with a Gitzo ball head for travel and a very tiny Mefoto portable which fits in my camera bag. I have 3 retired manfrotto gear heads and a few Manfrotto ball heads, one of which I still use. I also have about six Manfrotto tripods two of which I still use. Two giant 475's that have completely fallen apart and three various small ones. A small CF model the I use for my computer stand and a small aluminum one that hangs around the house that my wife uses for ebay photos. I also still have a Tiltall and Husky from the 70's that sit idle.
But with all these, I'm still looking for two more. As mentioned a medium sized Series 4 Gitzo with an RRS ball head and a small CF kit for travel that's bigger than the Leo and smaller than my Mountaineer. I was thinking of a CF Leofoto 324C with ball head.
I have two. An RRS TVC34L (currently with a levelling base installed) which wears either an RRS BH55 (sometimes with Sidekick), an Arca D4 or a modified Manfrotto 410, depending on the circumstance. No. 2 is a Gitzo 1541T with the center column removed and a matching Markins compact ballhead. The RRS gets used for everything where I’m not flying or hiking more than a mile.
phuviano wrote:
I guess I'm the only weirdo here. I only have one tripod.
There’s at least two of us weirdos
I have a Manfrotto 190XPROB that has served me well for the last 10 years, but after carrying it for three weeks around China and Europe this month, I think it is time to add a lighter travel tripod.
Too many but I've managed to whittle it down to basically just a Sachtler Flowtech 75.
Thanks to the Arca Quick Link system I can switch between heads quickly and easily, the tripod is not especially suited to travel but for my needs, I'm very satisfied.
Simon Barker wrote:
Too many but I've managed to whittle it down to basically just a Sachtler Flowtech 75.
Thanks to the Arca Quick Link system I can switch between heads quickly and easily, the tripod is not especially suited to travel but for my needs, I'm very satisfied.
Normally I'd agree, amazing heads but never liked their tripods. The Flowtech shouldn't really be associated with the rest of their product range, I really like how it works.
Simon Barker wrote:
Normally I'd agree, amazing heads but never liked their tripods. The Flowtech shouldn't really be associated with the rest of their product range, I really like how it works.
Don't get me wrong, I love the whole Flowtech idea. But you're probably the first I came across that actually is using one for photography. I have been waiting for the smaller Flowtech 65 or 55 . Their load rating is also peculiarly low for their weight class (probably cause of the flowtech tech). The Flowtech 75 is priced quite reasonably too.
Ischgl99 wrote:
There’s at least two of us weirdos
I have a Manfrotto 190XPROB that has served me well for the last 10 years, but after carrying it for three weeks around China and Europe this month, I think it is time to add a lighter travel tripod.
OK, I'll be the third then.. I have a RRS TFC-14 (Mk1) with a BH30 on top. At 5'6" tall I don't need a tall tripod.
It's a tripod so it can work for both, but as already been stated it's weight/size ratio to load capacity is quite low, especially without spreaders. If you compare to larger tripods.
The main benefit of the flowtech is the leg locks, a lot faster and easier to set up than regular section leg locks.
On the same note, there actually people who prefer a video head for stills instead of a ballhead/3-way head...
hiepphotog wrote:
Don't get me wrong, I love the whole Flowtech idea. But you're probably the first I came across that actually is using one for photography. I have been waiting for the smaller Flowtech 65 or 55 . Their load rating is also peculiarly low for their weight class (probably cause of the flowtech tech). The Flowtech 75 is priced quite reasonably too.
I was unsure of the idea too, it's expensive enough that if it wasn't to my liking I'd regret the time and money put into it and I wasn't exactly in desperate need of a new tripod (already using a couple of RRS's before getting the Arca QL) but when I found someone who'd had the idea before who was pleased with the results that gave me more confidence to proceed, seems stupid now but at the time part of me really did think it might be a bad idea because no one else was doing it and again did I really need another tripod?
In practice though it's a bit like having a tripod with the convenience of a centre column, without actually having one and its downsides, if you've ever used a Manfrotto 058 it's just like that but much easier to move around because it's so much smaller and lighter. I assume the conservative load rating is due to its locking system (each leg has a single point of failure), however I'm nowhere near and even if it's just a false impression because of the large bowl and chunky legs it feels a little more robust than say a series 3.
If I were to try and find faults I guess the feet aren't especially to my liking, it doesn't go very low, the leg sections have a lot more surface area to rub against each other and I'm undecided if the mid spreader is more trouble than it's worth but like I said before, for my needs it's a good match.
Simon Barker wrote:
Thanks to the Arca Quick Link system I can switch between heads quickly and easily, the tripod is not especially suited to travel but for my needs, I'm very satisfied.
The Arca Swiss Quick Link are awesome, I have them on all my tripods (except for my SIRUI), cameras stands and lateral arms.
Such a genius design IMHO. And the build is nothing short of amazing, the well-dampened locking action is top-notch.
For smaller tripods like my SIRUI, the Arca Swiss Quick Link is a bit big though, so for travel tripods, it's not the best fit of course. For that smaller clamps/plates like Kirk or RRS are preferable even though they are basically just a round clamp and plate.
https://paullindqvist.se/images/as_ql.jpg
Simon Barker wrote:
if you've ever used a Manfrotto 058 it's just like that but much easier to move around because it's so much smaller and lighter.
058 such a great tripod and excellent value, even though it's gone up in price in recent years. If i did not have the GT5532LS with a geared centre column i would still have kept the 058 for sure. Not very travel friendly but excellent in a studio setting or at home where you do not need to haul it around.
Simon Barker wrote:
I was unsure of the idea too, it's expensive enough that if it wasn't to my liking I'd regret the time and money put into it and I wasn't exactly in desperate need of a new tripod (already using a couple of RRS's before getting the Arca QL) but when I found someone who'd had the idea before who was pleased with the results that gave me more confidence to proceed, seems stupid now but at the time part of me really did think it might be a bad idea because no one else was doing it and again did I really need another tripod?
In practice though it's a bit like having a tripod with the convenience of a centre column, without actually having one and its downsides, if you've ever used a Manfrotto 058 it's just like that but much easier to move around because it's so much smaller and lighter. I assume the conservative load rating is due to its locking system (each leg has a single point of failure), however I'm nowhere near and even if it's just a false impression because of the large bowl and chunky legs it feels a little more robust than say a series 3.
If I were to try and find faults I guess the feet aren't especially to my liking, it doesn't go very low, the leg sections have a lot more surface area to rub against each other and I'm undecided if the mid spreader is more trouble than it's worth but like I said before, for my needs it's a good match....Show more →
I'm curious to see some pics of your Satchler setup. I imagine you need a half ball adapter to go into that bowl then your Quicklink. I really like that Quicklink idea as well. Saw it before during the announcement but never followed it up. RRS does have the regular round dovetail system but I like the breech lock idea more.
hiepphotog wrote:
I'm curious to see some pics of your Satchler setup. I imagine you need a half ball adapter to go into that bowl then your Quicklink. I really like that Quicklink idea as well. Saw it before during the announcement but never followed it up. RRS does have the regular round dovetail system but I like the breech lock idea more.
Hi Hiep,
I use the RRS QR system with my RRS TVC-24L tripod with the built in Series 2 leveling base:
I purchased this set-up before the release of the Arca Swiss system.
I have the RRS older 55mm dovetail plates below my Markins Q20i and RRS Full Gimbal Head with cradle. Below one of my Leofoto LH-30 ball heads with panoramic clamp I have one of the RRS BH-40 dovetail plates.
For my Gitzo 1257LVL tripod with built in leveling base I have added a Kirk 60mm Arca Swiss screw type clamp.
With this set-up I can easily and quickly move all 3 heads back and forth between the tripods. I also have a small Arca Swiss Swiss srew type clamp that I can mount on my small Leofoto LS-23 CF tripod to mount the one Leofoto head quickly as well.
Kirk has now come out with their new system as well:
plus you have a current well used and versatile system that as things progress can be used w/o having to change over to yet another system that in itself is potentially limiting.
sjms wrote:
plus you have a current well used and versatile system that as things progress can be used w/o having to change over to yet another system that in itself is potentially limiting.
yeah, that's one way to say it's just a round Arca Swiss clamp and plate I guess.
