Tripod/ballhead rec's

I'm probably going to be upgrading my tripod and head this spring and I'm in a quandry as to which way to go as there seems to be so many choices. My tripod right now has a tilt/pan head with a center column. I've used this type of head for 50 years primarily with a spotting scope while birding so I'm quite used to it. But it only travels in 2 planes so it can be difficult to level the camera without moving the tripod itself. What are some other advantages of a ballhead over the tilt/pan? One thing I want my new tripod to do is get low to the ground for flora pics and other things down there. My current one can't do this. Center column seems a hindrance and turning up side down just seems weird to me. I don't want to pay the extra bucks for carbon fiber as my current aluminum is fine weight wise. I have a Canon 60D and don't use any of the big lenses. My largest lens is a 70-200 f/4. What are some combo's I should be looking at. I want something of good quality but I don't need the very best. Thanks,

Peter

I plan on upgrading my setup with the same criteria - except for carbon fiber so I can't comment on the tripod. However, I'm really liking the Acratech Ultimate Ballhead. Definitely worth a look in my opinion. - Vince

Outlining your budget would be a big help in crafting a response to your query.

John,
Budget isn't big enough for high end stuff and I doubt I really need over the top stuff anyway. I'm guessing that $300-400 is the range I can afford. If items meet my criteria that are less, so much the better. I'll be doing landscapes, flora, some wildlife (not with big glass) and macro, if that's a help.

Peter

For shooting flora/macro I have heard that the acratech head is amazing. It's high on my list. Bret Edge uses one and recently did a review out here on this head. It is very versatile and stable!

Anne, I notice you have the RRS BH-55. I got that one last year and it sure solved a lot of problems with stability and camera slipping when tilted at all those funky angles I do with macro shots and with using heavier/larger lenses. Any chance of trading for the smaller RRS head? esp. if you're not intending to use big glass, you're already familiar with how it works. All the recommendations on the Acratech head sound good, too, though. About the tripod- a removable center column, good stability relative to the tripod's (hopefully light) weight and a minimum of knobs and gadgets has been the best for me. I ended up spending more than I had in mind at the time, but the ability to enjoy a full day in the field with a lack of frustration and missed shots more than made up for the temporarily lighter wallet and probably will save me $$$ in the long run.

Peter, you'll find that RRS and Gitzo are well-liked and for a reason, they make good stuff, just out of my budget, lol. In the not-so-ouch range, this tripod/head kit is a good choice for $285. It's very solid and the ball head makes it so easy to get the level you need. The legs can go almost flat and the center column slides up and almost out so you can lock it down horizontally. That'll allow you to point your 60D straight down touching the ground if you prefer. I used this tripod up on Colorado National Monument in 25mph gusts and it was rock steady. You can certainly spend a lot more, but for the money this thing is solid and flexible. It's aluminum however, so if that'll be too heavy there is a carbon fiber version for about twice the price. With the aluminum version, Manfrotto was kind enough to put foam grips on two of the legs so your hand doesn't freeze in the cold. Oh, and for $14 you can get extra quick-release plates. I keep one on my 5D2 body and one on the tripod ring of my 70-200mm, makes switching a breeze.

Thanks, Paul, for your suggestion. That sounds like a nice combo and the foam on the legs would be appreciated. I'll give this serious consideration. Like the price, too.

Peter

Hi Peter - I came from the same birding/spotting scope background and I can tell you that switching to a ball head was a real treat. Leveling the shot is so much easier that you rarely have to adjust the tripod legs at all.

You don't mention what tripod legs you currently have, but if they are not seriously lacking, I might consider keeping them and putting the money into a good ball head. I bought a Manfrotto ball head ($140) that was a big improvement over my pan head, but it has some shortcomings. The most obvious being that it sticks. When you turn the knob to loosen and recompose a shot, it just doesn't release. You have to 'break it free' before you can actually move the camera. So I'll continue to use it for now, but will definitely consider upgrading in the future. I guess I wish I had splurged for a better head to begin with, which is exactly what's discussed in this article that you might find interesting (http://www.bythom.com/support.htm).

I guess I'm of the mind set that it doesn't pay to 'settle' now just to save money, when you actually have a pretty good idea what you really want. Tripods without a center column will let you get lower and are more stable. If you bought a high quality ball head this year, you would not regret it. Then you could start saving for a tripod down the road. In the end, you would have a quality set up that would never need upgrading. Just my take on things...

Jeff

Hey Peter, the kit I gave you the link to is for the the 498 head with the RC4 quick release plate. I actually use that head with the RC2 plate. It's smaller and fits a DSLR very well. The RC4 may be a bit too big, but would work if you have a medium format body to plunk on there. The tripod kit with the RC2 is actually $30 cheaper, but I didn't include the link because B&H is temporarily out of stock, but then I realized that they, of all stores, get restocked the quickest. Anyway, that is the only difference between the two, the size of the deck that your cam will sit on. Don't worry, the smaller RC2 is quite solid, it holds my 5D2 with the heavy 70-200/2.8 in place without a blink. Either way, you'll know what to do.

BTW, does your older tilt-pan head have the handle on it? If so, keep that tripod, because if you decide to venture into video you'll want a head with the hand grip. You can't pan a ball head smoothly when shooting footage, especially if you are using a focal length of 35mm or more. If you'll never hit the video record button on that 60D, then please disregard this public service announcement.

I highly recommend the Acratech GV2. It is one of my favorite pieces of gear. It is easy to use and very rugged. It is also incredibly easy to clean because of the open design. I have found that it supports my 5DII and a 70-200 f/4 lens perfectly. If you are shooting towards the sky at an extreme angle, the nobs can bump into one another. Otherwise, it is a near perfect piece of equipment for my uses. I use it with an RSS L-bracket, as well. Highly recommended.

Thanks for all the input folks. Good advice. I don't have the option of just getting the ballhead now and the legs later since as far as I can tell, the tilt/head is not separatable from the center post. The legs actually are pretty good and have been very stable for the uses I've put them too. I'll keep the tripod anyway as it's really my wife's for her spotting scope and we'll need it for that. So, yes, it does have the single twist grip that sticks out to the rear. I think I'll go into the local camera shop and try a bunch of legs and heads out to get a better feel for how things work and go together. There's so many options out there its really difficult assessing everything and wade through all the advertising claims.

Peter

Scott,
You don't have an e-mail link. You can email me, however, if you use my link and we can discuss.

Peter, for the price Manfrotto makes an excellent tripod. I used one for approx. 25-30 years of rough use before I finally retired it. Had to rebuild it a couple of times in that period but they hold up very well. I don't really have a recomendation for a ball head in your price range, but if you care to spend a little more the RRS BH-40 would be a gracious plenty for what your needs are. I use it on my lightweight tripod and I've been very pleased with it.

EDIT: I just noticed - there's a Manfrotto tripod and ballhead being offered by Scott Bideau in the NPN Classified Forum. Might be worthwhile checking into it. For $160, it might be just what you're looking for.