Canon 500mm lens support

[Sam_swfc123]

Hello Everyone.

I need your help with you giving me some advice about a Tripod and Head.
I hopefully soon in the future be getting the Canon 500mm f4 IS lens.

I want to know what tripod and head i can use.
One ideas was a Giottos MTL9271B tripod (10kg max load) and a Manfrotto 393 head?

I will also have a canon eos 1d body on the end of the lens

Would this work?

Regards,
Sam Winslow

[Boddie]

Cant offer any advice but...

You lucky sod

[momji1971]

Hi Sam,

393 head will do the trick. From a recent thread a few of us use them to great effect on here.

Can't comment on that particular tripod. If you can stretch to it, try to get the best pod you can. Doesn't have to be carbon so long as you have strong shoulders but try for one rated well over your expected weight limit.

Think mine is rated at 25kg. Found out to my cost as when I spread the legs out on another pod one of the leg catches snapped! So went for the best I could.

If you get the best you can now, you'll save £££££'s later rather than realising it's not up to the job.

regards.
Stu.

[PMG]

We use Velbon Sherpa Pro 530's - mine I;ve had two or three years, Ian's I bought a couple of months ago from limited new stock on the web which at the time seemed to be just two brand new left in the country - one in Bournemouth and the other in London! Velbon have stopped making this particular model and I don't know why. Its sturdy carbon fibre with twist fitting leg extensions which don't get caught in grass or brambles like the clip fittings do.

The weight question posed had me checking back and took awhile to unearth that that its only 4kg when fully extended ..... oops We both have Kirk King Cobra heads - add that to the weight of the 500 and esp the 600 and the camera and we are seriously over the limit - so I don;t recommend you scouring the web for a Sherpa 530!!

However, we rarely use the tripod at such an extention - I very rarely uncoil the lowest thinnest legs - usually using it very low, legs not extended at all but I pull the central column up instead for a couple of inches of height - or its used with only two parts of the legs extended. Weight of equipment for me is crucial so a heavier tripod is out of the question and I'll take my chances with the Velbon!

The King Cobra I can recommend - it offers all round movement for the 500/600 allowing panning and flight photography easily.

As Stu says buy the best you can now it will save in future and make sure it can take the weight of the kit!!! Good luck!

[GTH]

I use a redsnapper with a Kood ball head and find it works well

[Stephen Raff]

Another vote for the 393, I used this with great effect with the 500mm and 600mm.

I had a CF set of Gitzo legs which model escapes me (no discontinued I think) maybe 1375?? any how this combination worked very well.

Stephen

[Jonsfotos]

The 393 head is a great head and i am in total agreement with the comments already stated.One drawback though, is that i would not attempt to carry the camera/lens combination attached to the head/tripod when moving to another location,it`s awkward to carry and it will just swing about. The tripod i use is the Gitzo GT 3530LS .This one easily handles my Nikon D700 coupled with the 500 AFS F4 Lens. I used to use the older Manfrotto 055CL Tripod but i noticed a fair amount of flexing and movement in the legs when the lens was mounted.The 500 AFS is a beast, big and heavy. The Canon i am sure, is lighter so the Gitzo and 393 head would be a perfect combination.Expensive yes, but as Stu mentioned earlier, get the best you can get.After spending on a very expensive lens, don`t scrimp on the support.

Jon

[BillyPilgrim]

I have the Canon 500mm and I use the 393 with a Velbon Sherpa Pro CF-730 tripod. I'm very satisfied with both the head and tripod.

I sling the whole lot over my right shoulder to carry it around and it balances very well. So much so that I can let it balance hands-free for much of the time.

[johnf3f]

Originally Posted by Jonsfotos

The 393 head is a great head and i am in total agreement with the comments already stated.One drawback though, is that i would not attempt to carry the camera/lens combination attached to the head/tripod when moving to another location,it`s awkward to carry and it will just swing about. The tripod i use is the Gitzo GT 3530LS .This one easily handles my Nikon D700 coupled with the 500 AFS F4 Lens. I used to use the older Manfrotto 055CL Tripod but i noticed a fair amount of flexing and movement in the legs when the lens was mounted.The 500 AFS is a beast, big and heavy. The Canon i am sure, is lighter so the Gitzo and 393 head would be a perfect combination.Expensive yes, but as Stu mentioned earlier, get the best you can get.After spending on a very expensive lens, don`t scrimp on the support.

Jon

I also use the Gitzo 3530ls for my 600 and it's excellent, the 5541 is even better but more expensive and heavier. I always used to be a bit anti Gitzo believing that they were expensive toys for people to show off with! Well when I had a 400 f2.8 I compared it on my existing tripod (which seemed to work fine) to the Gitzo 3530ls. Suffice to say I bought the 3530ls, a 2531 mountaineer and a 3320bs (not all at once!). In other words I have eaten a lot of humble pie! They are simply far better - don't skimp - you have a superb lens that cost a lot and a pro camera, they deserve the best and will reward you with some stunning images.
I bought my Gitzo's from Walters in Merthyr Tydfil and got VERY competeive prices, though I have bought a lot of kit from them!
As to the Manfrotto 393, I had one and liked it. For the money there is no competition, however I was offered a Wimberley 2 at a silly price and it's much more precise and controlable.
The 393 will do the job well but I suggest Gitzo for your support.
As an aside I also use a Gitzo carbon monopod GM2541. I never intended using it for anything big but it does my 600 + 1d just fine!