tripod for macro.

[Kelvin cabs]

Can anyone give me advice on a macro tripod. my Velbon tripod is stirdy and great for anything above 500mm but doesn't go down low enough to take all the shots I want. I'm on a tight budget, not to expensive please.

[Lancashire Lad]

It really depends on what weight your camera/lens combination is.

If you are using a bridge camera, then it would be very hard to beat the Manfrotto Modo 785B. I regularly use the Mini Modo version (exactly the same, but with shorter section legs. But unfortunately no longer available).

It's a fantastic tripod for carrying anything up to about 1Kg. It goes very low, and can be used at full height as well.

If you are using a DSLR, you will need something more substantial. If your budget will stretch to it, the newly released Velbon Ultra Rexi seems to be the ideal. Goes down to 9.5cm (excluding head). Your existing Velbon head will definitely be able to be transferred to it. See: -
Impressive new Velbon Ultra Rexi L travel tripod

Velbon do several other (less expensive) models in the Ultra range, most of which go quite low, so some of those might be worth looking at as well.

I'm currently using a Manfrotto 055XB/405 combination, for my DSLR kit, but I used a Velbon Sherpa 600R for a couple of years, and as a reasonably priced all rounder, that was very good. Went down to about 28cm if I recall correctly.

It might be worth searching the forum too, as there have been several threads on this subject in the past.

Regards,
Mike.

[Kelvin cabs]

Thanks Lancashire lad. I have a DSLR, The Velbon looks good.

[Geoff F]

What is preventing your current tripod from getting close enough?

The Manfrotto has legs that can be well splayed then, if necessary, the centre column can be turned at 90 degrees. A bit fiddly in confined spaces I find, but it works.

My occasional lightweight easy carry Velbon Luxi L tripod had problems with the centre column touching the ground. Then I discovered that this column was constructed from two sections which screwed together. Using just the shorter top section, I can get down to around 4 ins.

Can't remember what I did with the other unscrewed part. I haven't used it since. But it was always a bit unstable when extended and used with heavy equipment.

[Kelvin cabs]

Geoff f. My tripod has a fixed central column with braces for the legs.I am a newcomer to photography so I purchased the tripod before I really knew what I wanted it for, As I sid ,Its a good stirdy tripod from about 500mm to 1600mm, But macro sometimes needs you to get down close to the ground.

[Alan Hewitt]

I have very limited experience with true macro (i.e. 1:1) photography.

I did have a spell where I was off work with an injury and I spent sometime doing still life work. I found while a sturdy tripod was of course most beneficial an equally solid tripod head is a must, especially when working in 1:1 where manual focus is a must. I also invested in a focussing rail which was very handy for fine tuning. It is also the first time I have used live view where the magnification works very well to nail the focus.

[Geoff F]

By 'fixed central column' I assume that it is capable of being raised or lowered and the legs attach to lugs which surround the centre column housing.

The limiting factor of getting any closer to the ground is the centre column touching the ground while in its retracted state.

In which case one of those Velbon tripods should prove suitable for around £100. But there are a few other alternative manufacturers for around that price.

One alternative, just for very close work, would be one of the 'mini tripods'. Velbon, and others, produce worthwhile products. The downside is, of course, that the maximum height is restricted to somewhere around 3 ft.

[Lancashire Lad]

Originally Posted by Kelvin cabs

....My tripod has a fixed central column with braces for the legs....

Originally Posted by Geoff F

By 'fixed central column' I assume that it is capable of being raised or lowered and the legs attach to lugs which surround the centre column housing. The limiting factor of getting any closer to the ground is the centre column touching the ground while in its retracted state....

Sounds like Kelvin's tripod is one of those with three separate leg braces which prevent splaying the legs out to more than about 40 degrees. - Probably intended more for video photography etc.

Kelvin - As well as considering the smaller tripods already mentioned, if you aren't particularly concerned about minimum size when folded, I would wholeheartedly recommend the Manfrotto 055XB - Buy one of those, and as soon as you take it out of the box - hacksaw the centre column completely off it!!

That's the one I use, and that's exactly what I did with mine. If your photography entails a good deal of macro, and you need to get low to the ground often, the 055XB goes down to only 7cm. (It actually comes with a second mounting plate, intended to be used with the centre column and main mounting plate removed. - But the main plate is much more substantial).

I cut the centre column off mine just below the neck ring, so it now has no centre column height adjustment at all, but even so, it can still carry the camera at a full 5 ft. /1.5 metres above floor (baseplate height on my particular head unit) when fully extended. - I can honestly say that I've never needed any more height.

I doubt whether you will find any similarly priced, substantially built, full size tripod that goes lower to the ground - and again, there should be no reason why your Velbon head wouldn't be able to be transferred to it.

With the centre column cut off, it is, in my opinion, the perfect macro oriented all-rounder - rock solid, and not too heavy to carry around for prolonged periods. Almost all of my photography is macro, and I certainly have no intentions of changing it, and will undoubtedly look for the same model again if it should ever get broken.

Regards,
Mike.

[John D]

I can recommend the Giotto MTL 9351B Tri-pod. It is a very sturdy device which can be set up in several different positions making it very adaptable for all types of photography including macro.
See the 'Giotto' website or 'Warehouse Express' website for further information.
Cost around £80 without a head.

John D

Zenfolio | John's Wild World

[nightshade]

Giotto MTL 9351B A Google search throws it up at £74!