A more sturdy tripod

[Matt Hunt]

Afternoon.

I think that it is time to buy a more sturdy tripod and I am thinking that the Manfrotto 190EXPROB (try saying that drunk) is the one, not least because I can shift the central column around for macro work.

Before I deploy my wallet, does anybody have any better ideas please? I was thinking about a Giotto tripod but they seem slightly heavier and I seem to be unable to take the tripod for short walks only

Also, ball head or pan/tilt? Since I would use if for landscape, macro, airshows and wildlife I am thinking a ball head is better?

Thanks

Matt

[eeyore]

sounds like a plan to me - I have a 190DB and its a cracking bit of kit - Ive never found a fully ball head to be necessary though - I use a 222 joystick head for 99% of my tripod work. You could go for a fluid pan and tilt instead but this would be extremly expensive.

On the tripod front you might also want to consider the uniloc and benbo offerings , but i have never got on with them (imo trying to put one up quickly without looking is like fighting with a greased octopus in a coal cellar at midnight - not thast i make a habit of such strange pursuits )

[Jim Ford]

This shows the 'lightweight' vesion of a Uniloc:

Uni-Loc System 1700 Tripod

Note: The Uniloc series doesn't suffer from 'benbo creep'!

Jim

[Lancashire Lad]

My only suggestion would be to ensure that whatever you get can splay the legs to give "ground level" positioning.

I would say that easily 75% of my macro shooting is at low level, and the ability to get solid support at those heights is essential.

I'm not a fan of reversible centre columns, because you just end up with an upside down camera where it's difficult to get at the controls.

As the 190XPROB does have the low level facility, it looks like you've got things covered.

I personally think that the longer arm of a pan tilt is easier to control than ball head, but you might be better trying some out at the shop before buying, to see what fits your style.

Regards
Mike.

[Jim Ford]

Originally Posted by Lancashire Lad

I'm not a fan of reversible centre columns, because you just end up with an upside down camera where it's difficult to get at the controls.

This is something that the Benbo/Uniloc type tripods don't suffer from.

Jim

[muscardinus]

I have a Manfrotto 190EXPROB and agree that it's a great piece of kit. Perhaps not as strong as a Benbo when it comes to swinging the head over for low-level macro work, but then not as heavy or cumbersome either.

My only quibble is with the adapter thing you screw into the bottom of your scope, camera or whatever to fix it to the tripod head. It's a fiddle and not that secure. I find that sometimes my scope starts drifting sideways so I have to keep tightening it.

[DrNickBurton]

Check out the Mafrotto 055PROBX, it's big and heavy, and solid as a rock. It also has the pivoting column like the 190. If you envisage carrying about in the field, Manfrotto have also just released a carbon fibre version, although I expect it would be quite pricey.

[pressld2]

I have the 055XPROB with the 804RC2 pan & tilt head and am very happy with the kit. It did take me a bit of getting used to when using the centre column in the horizontal position but I'm ok with it now.

Originally Posted by DrNickBurton

Manfrotto have also just released a carbon fibre version, although I expect it would be quite pricey.

You expect correctly - £250 for the cheapest version (without a head) in the catalogue I'm looking at, although you could probably find it cheaper than that on-line.

Carbon fibre tripods worry me. Sure they're lighter to lug around but to me lighter equals less stable, especially in windy conditions. I've posted that suggestion several times in previous threads and no one has yet come back and told me I'm talking rubbish...

Dave P.

[wildlifesnapper]

Dave - you're talking rubbish

I've got a Gitzo carbon fibre and it's very steady , more steady than a benbo MK2 and they're made out of steel girders

neil

[pressld2]

Originally Posted by wildlifesnapper

Dave - you're talking rubbish

LOL! I've been waiting for that Neil! I suspected I was because I know a lot of professional landscape photographers use them and pros are not given to using kit that isn't up to the job.

Dave P.