Post by Tonji Ramos on Jun 8, 2010 3:28:40 GMT
I have bought lots of tripods and I thought it might be helpful to some if I shared my tripod experiences.
Sylvia and I have tried lots of gear and combinations in our journey to photograph and view birds. We started with a Leica spotting scope and a Leica ps mounted on an aluminum Velbon. Thankfully we just borrowed all those items. The tripod was not robust enough for the magnification of the scope. Way too much vibration. We eventually got our own digiscoping rig but bought a no name carbon tripod. The thing broke at the center column, thank goodness I was holding my camera at the time because I was standing in the mangroves and there was a a foot of water over my feet. Lesson learned go for brand name stuff.
Then we decided to buy only the stuff with decent reviews. We got a Manfrotto 190PROB next. But it was short so it was hard to use for birds in trees. Plus it was not very stable and was heavy. But it kinda worked with our 400 f5.6 and 100-400.
We then got bigger lenses and decided to upgrade our tripods to the manfrotto 055CXPRO3 and the Manfrotto 475B. The 055 was paired with the 300 f2.8 and the 975b with the 500 f4. Both used the Manfrotto gimbal heads.
The 055( carbon) was pretty stable most of the time but had some movement in windy situations. But it was a decent compromise of lightness and stability when paired with the 300 f2.8.
The 475b is rock solid and a super stable platform for the 500mm. But at 9.4 pounds it's rather hefty.
Our birding style usually involves a lot of walking around. After one trip where we walked a few kilometers with our rigs we decided to look for lighter and more robust tripod rigs.
We eventually purchased together with JP the Feisol 3471 model. Really big diameter legs with no center column so it can spread flat on the ground. Mine still uses the Manfrotto gimbal which seems to give the best price, performance and weight combination for my needs. Sylvia now uses a Markins ballhead with her Feisol. She really likes the Markins because of the light weight, small size and ease of use.
The Feisol is around the same price as the Manfrotto 055 carbon. It has the same leg diameter as the very nice Gitzo GT5541LS tripod of Paolo. Paolo and I weighed the Feisol and the Gitzo (6.3 pounds and $900) and the Feisol was almost one pound lighter plus it's 1/3 the price. The Gitzo has a nice pivoting mechanism and a complicated mounting plate with a lock so that's probably the source of the additional weight. Plus the Gitzo looks like it can last a lifetime, I am sure this is what would justify the price difference. I just found the price of the Feisol easier to swallow since we would be subjecting it to the extreme environments we encounter in our pursuit of birds. The streams, mountain paths, mud and other less than sterile places might make me think twice before setting down a very nice Gitzo.
We have had the Feisol for 6 months (my estimate) and countless trips. The short size plus the fact that it comes with a bag is a plus for traveling, both in the air and in a car. It's light and sturdy. So far no bits have fallen off. There is a newer model called the Rapid which promises even better function at a slightly higher price. But I have not tried it.
If I had to do it all over again I would buy the Feisol 3471 to pair with the 400 f5.6, 100-400, 300 f2.8 and the 500mm f4. The price is the same as the Manfrotto 055 carbon and it's more stable which should give me sharper pics.
I can't give any advice for the bigger rigs like the 400 f2.8, 600 f4, or the 800 5.6. But I would probably go with the Gitzo 5541LS for those models because it's really built for the extreme weights of those lenses. Plus the pivot mechanism of the legs is a very strong design.
Sylvia and I have tried lots of gear and combinations in our journey to photograph and view birds. We started with a Leica spotting scope and a Leica ps mounted on an aluminum Velbon. Thankfully we just borrowed all those items. The tripod was not robust enough for the magnification of the scope. Way too much vibration. We eventually got our own digiscoping rig but bought a no name carbon tripod. The thing broke at the center column, thank goodness I was holding my camera at the time because I was standing in the mangroves and there was a a foot of water over my feet. Lesson learned go for brand name stuff.
Then we decided to buy only the stuff with decent reviews. We got a Manfrotto 190PROB next. But it was short so it was hard to use for birds in trees. Plus it was not very stable and was heavy. But it kinda worked with our 400 f5.6 and 100-400.
We then got bigger lenses and decided to upgrade our tripods to the manfrotto 055CXPRO3 and the Manfrotto 475B. The 055 was paired with the 300 f2.8 and the 975b with the 500 f4. Both used the Manfrotto gimbal heads.
The 055( carbon) was pretty stable most of the time but had some movement in windy situations. But it was a decent compromise of lightness and stability when paired with the 300 f2.8.
The 475b is rock solid and a super stable platform for the 500mm. But at 9.4 pounds it's rather hefty.
Our birding style usually involves a lot of walking around. After one trip where we walked a few kilometers with our rigs we decided to look for lighter and more robust tripod rigs.
We eventually purchased together with JP the Feisol 3471 model. Really big diameter legs with no center column so it can spread flat on the ground. Mine still uses the Manfrotto gimbal which seems to give the best price, performance and weight combination for my needs. Sylvia now uses a Markins ballhead with her Feisol. She really likes the Markins because of the light weight, small size and ease of use.
The Feisol is around the same price as the Manfrotto 055 carbon. It has the same leg diameter as the very nice Gitzo GT5541LS tripod of Paolo. Paolo and I weighed the Feisol and the Gitzo (6.3 pounds and $900) and the Feisol was almost one pound lighter plus it's 1/3 the price. The Gitzo has a nice pivoting mechanism and a complicated mounting plate with a lock so that's probably the source of the additional weight. Plus the Gitzo looks like it can last a lifetime, I am sure this is what would justify the price difference. I just found the price of the Feisol easier to swallow since we would be subjecting it to the extreme environments we encounter in our pursuit of birds. The streams, mountain paths, mud and other less than sterile places might make me think twice before setting down a very nice Gitzo.
We have had the Feisol for 6 months (my estimate) and countless trips. The short size plus the fact that it comes with a bag is a plus for traveling, both in the air and in a car. It's light and sturdy. So far no bits have fallen off. There is a newer model called the Rapid which promises even better function at a slightly higher price. But I have not tried it.
If I had to do it all over again I would buy the Feisol 3471 to pair with the 400 f5.6, 100-400, 300 f2.8 and the 500mm f4. The price is the same as the Manfrotto 055 carbon and it's more stable which should give me sharper pics.
I can't give any advice for the bigger rigs like the 400 f2.8, 600 f4, or the 800 5.6. But I would probably go with the Gitzo 5541LS for those models because it's really built for the extreme weights of those lenses. Plus the pivot mechanism of the legs is a very strong design.
