I have the option of purchasing a tripod in the near future. The immediate use will be with my 100-400 lens, but I am considering a 600mm (about 5.5 kg/12lbs) and a Wimberly II gimbal in the future. I will be doing some moderate hikes (typically one mile or so) with this setup. I am about 5'10" if that helps.
I was looking at the Gitzo 3541LS tripod and a good ballhead (RRS-40/55) - based mainly on travel considerations. The tripod will be used with the future larger lens also. Does anyone have experience using this tripod with the 600mm? If so, how good is it? Any other suggestions?
The reviews of this combo are confusing - some say this will work as the 3541LS is considerably stronger than the 3 section series. Others say going with a 5 series is the only option. I would like to avoid the 5 series as much as possible.
A couple of years ago I faced the same dilemma. I needed a tripod that could perform with a 500 lens and a cropped sensor camera, so I purchased a new 3540LS, a Manfrotto 393 gimbal, and an Arca-Swiss Z1 ballhead. I had used a Wimberley II and found it to be an excellent head, but out of my budget. My observations:
Tripod was what I expected in terms of quality and stiffness. Unfortunately, it did not meet my requirement of supporting a 500 mm lens. After using it for 2 months with the ballhead and gimbal, I found a that a fair number of images were soft due to tripod/camera mirror vibration. This is absolutely consistent with Gitzo's own recommendation, which calls for 300mm as a maximum focal length for this tripod. Using a 1.5x cropped sensor camera will add 50% to the effective focal length, so at 500mm I was asking the tripod to perform at more than twice its design criteria.
It has little to do with the load capacity of the tripod - which is 39 lbs. It is all about the connection between the top of the leg and the camera platform, and the leg locking mechanism, and the maximum diameter of the top leg. A larger leg will give you less vibration.
One might say that it was the ballhead or gimbal I was using. The Z1 is as good a head as you can support a camera on, and outside of a Markins M20, there is no head that performs on a par with this head. I found the Manfrotto to be functionally equivalent to the more costly Wimberley, but decidedly lacking the "coolness factor" associated with the Wimberley.
So I took a gamble and bought a Feisol CT3472. At the time I bought the Gitzo, this tripod was announced but not shipping. By June of 08 I had sold the Gitzo (at a very slight loss, they do hold their resale value very well) and pulled the trigger on the $500 Feisol.
My experience with it over the last 2 yrs has been excellent, and confirmed my suspicions that the vibrations were not due to the ballhead or the gimbal. While not as stiff as a series 5, its pretty darn close, and considerably stiffer than a series 3. It is only 2 ounces heavier than a 3541LS, comes with foam leg covers and a padded bag. When it was introduced I had my choice of a leveling base or an extendable center column, and spiked feet. I chose the leveling base and went for the aluminum feet, wanting to keep things as light as possible. If I were to do it again I would get the steel ones, since they are more durable.
Feisol is available directly from Hong Kong and can be purchased online at www.feisol.com. If you google Feisol you'll find that everyone who has written about them has only good things to say about it. At half the price of a Series 5 you still get 80% or more of the performance, and it is almost 2 lbs lighter.
When you look at their website you'll see a gimbal that looks like it should outperform everything on the market. It combines the look of a Wimberley, the stability of a "U" shaped camera support like the Manfrotto, and a platform that supports both the camera and the lens. I think the price is comparable to the Wimberley.
The only negatives I have on these legs are of minimal impact - the finish will scratch a bit in use, and the legs will rotate as you lock them. I prefer Gitzo on both counts.
I have taken many great images with this support system and I can say I have absolutely no regrets. It is an excellent alternative for someone looking to save some $$$ and not compromise on performance. My total outlay at the time was around $1100, including a universal plate for the ballhead.
My criteria for the ballhead were as follows - weight, performance with large lenses, cost. I ended up with the Z1 which was a few ounces heavier than the Markins M20, and about $100 cheaper than the RRS BH-55. From a performance point of view you cannot go wrong with any one of these - they are all excellent. I particularly like the very large sweet spot on the Z1 and the elliptical ball that will resist the camera/lens from flopping over hard. It is not as pretty as the BH-55, and also a bit taller, but otherwise very comparable. Hope this helps.
Discussion
2 repliesI was looking at the Gitzo 3541LS tripod and a good ballhead (RRS-40/55) - based mainly on travel considerations. The tripod will be used with the future larger lens also. Does anyone have experience using this tripod with the 600mm? If so, how good is it? Any other suggestions?
The reviews of this combo are confusing - some say this will work as the 3541LS is considerably stronger than the 3 section series. Others say going with a 5 series is the only option. I would like to avoid the 5 series as much as possible.
Thanks,
Tripod was what I expected in terms of quality and stiffness. Unfortunately, it did not meet my requirement of supporting a 500 mm lens. After using it for 2 months with the ballhead and gimbal, I found a that a fair number of images were soft due to tripod/camera mirror vibration. This is absolutely consistent with Gitzo's own recommendation, which calls for 300mm as a maximum focal length for this tripod. Using a 1.5x cropped sensor camera will add 50% to the effective focal length, so at 500mm I was asking the tripod to perform at more than twice its design criteria.
It has little to do with the load capacity of the tripod - which is 39 lbs. It is all about the connection between the top of the leg and the camera platform, and the leg locking mechanism, and the maximum diameter of the top leg. A larger leg will give you less vibration.
One might say that it was the ballhead or gimbal I was using. The Z1 is as good a head as you can support a camera on, and outside of a Markins M20, there is no head that performs on a par with this head. I found the Manfrotto to be functionally equivalent to the more costly Wimberley, but decidedly lacking the "coolness factor" associated with the Wimberley.
So I took a gamble and bought a Feisol CT3472. At the time I bought the Gitzo, this tripod was announced but not shipping. By June of 08 I had sold the Gitzo (at a very slight loss, they do hold their resale value very well) and pulled the trigger on the $500 Feisol.
My experience with it over the last 2 yrs has been excellent, and confirmed my suspicions that the vibrations were not due to the ballhead or the gimbal. While not as stiff as a series 5, its pretty darn close, and considerably stiffer than a series 3. It is only 2 ounces heavier than a 3541LS, comes with foam leg covers and a padded bag. When it was introduced I had my choice of a leveling base or an extendable center column, and spiked feet. I chose the leveling base and went for the aluminum feet, wanting to keep things as light as possible. If I were to do it again I would get the steel ones, since they are more durable.
Feisol is available directly from Hong Kong and can be purchased online at www.feisol.com. If you google Feisol you'll find that everyone who has written about them has only good things to say about it. At half the price of a Series 5 you still get 80% or more of the performance, and it is almost 2 lbs lighter.
When you look at their website you'll see a gimbal that looks like it should outperform everything on the market. It combines the look of a Wimberley, the stability of a "U" shaped camera support like the Manfrotto, and a platform that supports both the camera and the lens. I think the price is comparable to the Wimberley.
The only negatives I have on these legs are of minimal impact - the finish will scratch a bit in use, and the legs will rotate as you lock them. I prefer Gitzo on both counts.
I have taken many great images with this support system and I can say I have absolutely no regrets. It is an excellent alternative for someone looking to save some $$$ and not compromise on performance. My total outlay at the time was around $1100, including a universal plate for the ballhead.
My criteria for the ballhead were as follows - weight, performance with large lenses, cost. I ended up with the Z1 which was a few ounces heavier than the Markins M20, and about $100 cheaper than the RRS BH-55. From a performance point of view you cannot go wrong with any one of these - they are all excellent. I particularly like the very large sweet spot on the Z1 and the elliptical ball that will resist the camera/lens from flopping over hard. It is not as pretty as the BH-55, and also a bit taller, but otherwise very comparable. Hope this helps.