Tripod Recommendations
A few weeks ago, my good friend Mike Clark sent me an email asking a few questions about tripods and ball heads. He was looking to buy and wanted to know what I thought of some of the ones that he was looking at. He wasn't looking at bottom-tier equipment by any means, but I didn't just nod in agreement with his choices. Instead, I chimed in with my own experience and gave him my current gear list to help him make a decision with.
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I have to admit that I had just a touch of hesitation giving my recommendations to Mike. After all, what I was recommending is a bit on the pricey side. But, I've found out the hard way that going cheap on a tripod isn't a good way to save money, at least not if you're going to be using it quite frequently. If you're just looking to use a tripod once or twice a year, stop here and get whatever you want. But, if you're going to use a tripod frequently, then read on.
My first tripod was a piece of junk. I think it was some lightweight aluminum model originally designed for a video camera and made by Slik. It didn't give great results, but it was marginally better than hand-holding, though only just a bit. It also had a problem with its clamps breaking at inopportune times. It was total crap.
My second tripod was a sturdy heavy-duty Manfrotto made out of steel. It was stable as can be. If I were only using a tripod a few times a year, I'd still be using this one and I'd probably be happy with it. But, using it frequently brought out its faults. First of all, it was quite heavy. When I took it with me on trips, I only used it near the car as it was too heavy to hike very far with. Also, it wasn't unusual for the leg clamps to bite back resulting in lovely blood blisters. Finally, after using it a while, the clamps started breaking at inconvenient times as well. After replacing the clamp hardware a few times, I ended up looking for something new.
After buying a few different tripods, all of which were unsatisfactory for one reason or another, I ended up going to the top of the list and getting a couple of Gitzos. One is the G1058, a small travel tripod that will easily fit into my luggage when I fly and is light enough to take to the bottom of the Grand Canyon. The other, pictured above, is the G1257. This is a medium sized tripod that's beefy enough to carry the 300mm f/2.8 lens and is the perfect height once you put a ball head on top of it. Both are made out of carbon fiber, which means that they are light enough to carry on the trail and strong enough to provide solid support.
Both are also extremely durable. They've been out to Burning Man, down into the Grand Canyon, and one has even made the trek out to the Sahara desert on Pınar's recent trip to Africa. Despite active use, and being tossed about quite a bit, they're in great condition. I fully expect that I'll still be using them in 5 or even 10 years. Maybe even longer than that.
Gitzo has recently renumbered their collection, so here are the modern equivalents:
- The GT2530 (Amazon, B&H)is the latest version of my medium sized tripod. It'll hold most any lens that you're likely to have in your collection unless you are lucky enough to have a 400mm f/2.8 monster. If that's the case, you'll need to look at something a bit beefier.
- The Gitzo GT0530 (Amazon, B&H) is the latest version of my small super-portable tripod. This one is most useful for backpacking and you will be limited to the size of lenses that you can put on it. However, if you're not shooting with heavy and long f/2.8 lenses, it does the trick and goes places no other tripod can go. Note that this is the 3-section leg version of the small tripod. My current one is a 4-section leg model which is a bit more compact, but if I were to buy it again, I'd probably get the 3-section legs.
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The only downside to these tripods is their cost. They are an order of magnitude more expensive than my first Slik and quite a bit more than their counterparts. The little one is just under $400 most places and the big one is around $550. If you're looking for a tripod to use once in a while, these probably don't fit the bill. But, if you're going to use them heavily, they'll go the distance and will be a good investment over time.
As to their expense, tripods are definitely one product area where the availability of quality inexpensive manufacturing in China hasn't made much of a difference in pricing. The cheap stuff is cheaply made and the expensive stuff is still made in Europe and priced like a sports car. It sucks, but that's the way it is.
So, what do I put on top of my tripod? I use an Acratech V2 Ballhead on top of my G1257 and an Acratech Ultimate Ballhead on top of my G1058. I'm a big fan of the Acratech ballheads and they've really treated me well. There are some other really good ballheads out there, including those made by Kirk and Really Right Stuff. You can't go wrong with any of these brands.
Bottom line if you're going to use a tripod frequently, pony up and get a great one. Gitzos happen to be the ones I use and recommend, but I'm sure that there are some other decent models out there and folks are more than welcome to leave their recommendations in the comments. In any case, invest in quality stuff. Don't suffer with something that isn't up to par for a few years, only to end up spending the money later.
16 Comments
I've had a pretty similar experience. I also started out with a rattly tripod "made for digital", that hardly gave any stability at all. The heavy duty model I got next now pretty much sits in the closet waiting for some studio-ish use (read: it might never see the light of day again, as I remember the blood blisters oh so well).
In the end, I went down the Path Of Gitzo. I got a GM3550 monopod (Amazon), which is a 5-section monopod since I wanted a compact one yet needed a nice overall height. This one extends to 192cm, which is quite remarkable given that it collapses down to 54cm.
For tripod use, I got the Systematic GT3540LS (Amazon), which is basically just a pair of legs with a plate to mount the head on. This setup is much more sturdy compared with the center column variants (you can get a center column (Amazon) for the Systematics series as an optional accessory, which I did for the situation where the extra bit of height is important), especially for the longer, heavier lenses such as the 500 f/4.
Both are made of the infamous Gitzo 6x carbon fiber and have the awesome G-Lock knobs for easy expanding/collapsing.
Regarding head choice, I went with the Arca-Swiss Z1 (Amazon), which has the same quick-release plate mechanism as your Acratech ones do. Working with the bigger glass, I'm using a Wimberley Head II (Website), which is a gimbal head. This one completely eliminates the need for an additional head. But there's also the Wimberley Sidekick, which is attached to an existing ball-head.
I'm also using the Wimberley plates for the longer L-glass as well as the camera quick release plates from Wimberley. Those are permanently attached to the cameras and lenses, so there's no need for tools in the field to unmount/remount the plates in a different combination. Changing configurations is a matter of seconds.
All in all, I'm really happy with these products. The only thing I'm lacking is a really light and small travel tripod, so I might be looking at the GT0530 now. Thanks for the suggestion!
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This article sort of sums up how to buy a tripod!
http://www.bythom.com/support.htm
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Great advise Duncan. My first tripod and still the only one I need is the Bogen-Manfrotto 3021BPRO. It's got a little weight to it but I can still carry it around if I need to, but I'm a big dood too. I really like this tripod because it's solid as a rock and can reach way over my head in the rare cases I need it to. I can also get it down to a couple inches from the ground. I should take a look at some carbon-fiber though and compare the weight and stability.
I use a Bogen-Manfrotto 322RC2 Horizontal Grip Action Ball Head with RC2 Rapid Connect Plate and I hate it. It's sticky, meaning when I need to pan the camera a little it jumps and I have to work to get it into position. I also had a failure when I tried to shoot the last eclipse in that the wind was blowing pretty good and the ball head just wasn't sturdy enough. It was like the ball head was having a seizure.
I do appreciate the ball head advice. Have you ever used the really right stuff ball heads?
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I'm the kind of guy who bought a first tripod then turned to Gitzo. I have done so just recently so I can't say yet how much it's been a change, although I know there's been one.
I first had a nice Manfrotto steel thing. A standard 190DB, with a 3-D head. A good choice I recomend for the budget conscious : it won't move, it won't let you down. But you won't take it everywhere with you. I changed the 3-D Head which was too slow or a floating 438 head, very easy to manipulate to set straight, and solid too.
The major issue I've had is weight. It weighs a little over 4 Kg, without the camera, and my back has been a major issue in the past year, with two warnings (one which led me to hospital). I'm now considering extra weight for everything as something very dangerous. With the extra weigth, it is also harder to move it, open it etc.
I've decided to go for a Gitzo too, a small GT0540. To explain how vital it is for me, I have to say that I mostly shoot VR panoramas these days, and a tripod is of course essential all the time. But I also move a lot, as I only shoot three pictures per node. So I need something that's at the same time light and very steady. That's what surprised me when I first used it : how steady it is.I figured that it would be a little bit soft.
I have only had one day with it, but I'm already very happy about it. I only use my panoramic head, so I cannot recommend another head. But using a carbon fiber tripod is definitely an advice I'd give to someone who becomes serious about photography.
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Thanks Duncan - these look like great recommendations.
Does anyone know of any UK resellers for those Acratech ballheads?
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Patrick (scoop): Indeed, the Wimberley rocks. It's on my list for sure and I was really wanting one the other day. And the plates are a whole subject to themselves that I should write more about. But we definitely agree--Arca Swiss style all the way.
Richard: That's a great article and is the same message I was trying to get across here.
Greg (20seven): I've played with a few RRS heads and borrowed one for a few hours once. They're good stuff.
Cyril: The 0-series are indeed surprisingly steady given how small they are, especially if you can get away with out opening them all the way up.
Seuj: You're welcome. I don't know of a UK distributor. Hopefully, somebody will chime in.
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Looks like they ship straight to the UK with reasonable delivery rates, so no worries. Thanks, Duncan!
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Hi Duncan,
Thanks for your recommendations.
I´m interested in purchasing a good value tripod and I´m been doing some research: have you ever heard of Benro? They are very "similar" to Gitzo but on a budget price.
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Bruno: I've not used a Benro. From the website, it looks like they've got potential. I'd be curious to hear if anybody has used them. And, I'll keep my eyes out for them and if I see them I'll check them out.
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Great advice.
I started out with Gitzo over 30 years ago and have never seen a reason to change. I have four now plus a rather interesting UK-made 'replica' from the 1940s that uses the same design principles (which came first I wonder?).
My latest is one of the Gitzo basalt models, which works a treat.
Acratech you can find quite easily in the UK. Warehouse Express has them in stock.
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I too went the same route as you, except I skipped the "heavy steel" stage. My first tripod was fine. I only ever put a digital Rebel on it, after all.
Now I have the Gitzo 2530EX (I like the adjustable column for macro type shots). I put a Really Right Stuff BH-55 LR (lever release) ball head on top. Yay.
My Monopod is a Gitzo GM-5540 6X with a Bogen 3232 swivel monopod head and a RRS B2-Pro Clamp. My 5D has an L bracket, a regular plate, and my two longer lenses - the 70-200/2.8 IS and the 300/2.8 both have plates.
This combo will hold a 400/2.8 just fine, too, if you take an extra second to balance it. At 400mm, most people aren't shooting long shots anyway - it's usually sports or birds, and a fast shutter speed to match.
I haven't tried a ton of other units, but I can't imagine being much happier with the setup I've got now. And all for only $2k! :-P And here I thought golf and hockey were expensive hobbies...
P.S. I second the article by Thom.
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I can't speak for the tripods themselves, but I bought one of the Benro carbon-fiber monopods (sold in the US under the Induro brand -- www.induro.com). I bought the MC25, which is a five-section monopod. It cost about $120 US about a year ago.
I've used it pretty extensively for shooting kidsports and theatre. Overall I've been pretty happy with it. I haven't spent enough time with the Gitzo equivalent to compare directly, but it seemed pretty comparable. It folds down fairly small and is lightweight.
I've used it both with a cheap ballhead and directly attached to the camera or lens foot. As long as you don't have it fully racked out it's stable.
If I had to do it again I'd buy the four-section, as the five is a little bendy when you've got all the sections extended.
My experience has been good enough that I'll consider the Benro/Induro tripod when I go that route. I suspect that in the end, it's not a Gitzo but depending on your use it'll do. Some of the folks on Luminous Landscape have reviewed the Benros, FWIW.
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Ahh! Good to know that Benro equipment is sold in the US as Induro. I've seen them in my local camera store and have played with two of them a bit. To my hands, they felt better than Manfrotto/Bogens, but I didn't like them as well as my Gitzos. They have the right kind of locks, etc. Given the small sample size, and the fact that they were store samples and that I know the feel of my Gitzos by heart, I wouldn't call my observation conclusive by any means.
I'll make sure to scope them out more closely the next time I run across them. For another opinion, Michael Reichmann reviewed an Induro tripod on one of his Antarctic trips. Check it out at: http://www.luminous-landscape.com/reviews/accessories/indiro413.shtml
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Roy: thanks for pointing me towards Warehouse Express.
My obvious downfall was using Google product search rather than Google web search. Who knew? :)
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Pınar
Totally offtopic, but what's with the weird "i"?
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Pınar's name is Turkish and her language uses a dotless-i as a character. No weirder than é or ø in many Northern European alphabets.
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