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Recommend a good tripod?
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JB –
Equally it’d be wrong to make people think they need a pano head to get any successful stitching done. I think we’ve covered both bases adequately at this point.Cheers,
PeterHumm… I was thinking about getting a new tripod head myself… having almost made my mind up I’m totally confused now :lol:
Yes John, sorry we polluted the thread with that discussion =)
Get a BH-55 =)
Cheers,
PeterTrue, but it’ll last a lifetime, and you’ll definitely see the benefit.
There’s an argument to be made against buying a middle of the road tripod and head – if you’re serious about your photography you’ll probably end up buying the really good one anyway – so getting one now is cheaper in the long run =)
Cheers,
PeterSo, its a throw up between a Slik, perhaps with a pan and tilt ball head and the Manfrotto 055XPROB with 488RC4 / RC2! Where are the prices!
petercox wrote:
A pan and tilt head is different from a ball head. You want a ball head with an independent panning control. The Manfrotto 488RC4 would be the one I’d recommend if you’re on a budget.
Peter
Peter, what would the advantage be of using a ball head over a pan & tilt, can you not get pan & tilt heads with independent panning/tilt control? I’m interested in replacing the head on my Velbon because the only thing I don’t like about it is not having independent control of the pan/tilt when it comes to making stitched panos. I was just going to replace it with another pan/tilt with seperate control of each function, but now you’ve got me interested in this 488RC4.
I see the attachment thread for the 488 is listed as 3/8″ but I can’t seem to find out what the attachment thread on my tripod legs are (Velbon Sherpa 600R). The head I currently have, supplied with the Velbon, just lists the 1/4″ mount thread, but I assume this is for the camera mount rather than the mount to the legs?
Thanks :oops:
b318isp wrote:
So, its a throw up between a Slik, perhaps with a pan and tilt ball head and the Manfrotto 055XPROB with 488RC4 / RC2! Where are the prices!
http://www.adorama.com/BG055XDBKB.html?searchinfo=055XDB
Will probably go for this myself, soon as funds allow!
Pan and tilt heads are only necessary where you need to limit your movements to one axis – which is rarely the case except in architectural photography. Often this need is mixed with a need for precise movements, and in that case a geared pan and tilt head is what you want.
For most other types of photography, landscapes included, a ball head is perfect. It allows rapid and easy positioning of the camera with just one control to lock or unlock. The better ones have an independent panning base as well, which permits you to rotate the camera about the vertical axis – mostly used for stitching panoramas (with the acknowledged deficiencies of a non-dedicated pano head as described in my exchange with JB).
As far as attachment points go – the Velbon probably has a 3/8″ thread. You could always measure the thread yourself if you’re unsure.
Cheers,
Petersuspectmonkey wrote:
petercox wrote:
A pan and tilt head is different from a ball head. You want a ball head with an independent panning control. The Manfrotto 488RC4 would be the one I’d recommend if you’re on a budget.
Peter
Peter, what would the advantage be of using a ball head over a pan & tilt, can you not get pan & tilt heads with independent panning/tilt control? I’m interested in replacing the head on my Velbon because the only thing I don’t like about it is not having independent control of the pan/tilt when it comes to making stitched panos. I was just going to replace it with another pan/tilt with seperate control of each function, but now you’ve got me interested in this 488RC4.
I see the attachment thread for the 488 is listed as 3/8″ but I can’t seem to find out what the attachment thread on my tripod legs are (Velbon Sherpa 600R). The head I currently have, supplied with the Velbon, just lists the 1/4″ mount thread, but I assume this is for the camera mount rather than the mount to the legs?
Thanks :oops:
Thanks for the reply Peter, wish I had of sought out more advice before purchasing my tripod because whilst I love the legs (ohh err) I should have done more research into the head. Might look in to a 488, although now it raises the question of whether to go for the RC2 which is a better fit on a 350D body, or the RC4 which will work with just about anything I could ever intend to use and has the spirit levels… hmm!
Regarding the thread size, I had a bad feeling that my Velbon legs weren’t 3/8″, think remember reading it somewhere. So I e-mailed the distributor Intro 2020 who in fairness got back to me really quickly… turns out the mount thread size is 1/4″ so I would need to buy an adaptor to mount a 3/8″ head. Wonder if its worth it, or if it all sounds like a recipe for an unstable tripod?
I’d say invest in a Manfrotto 055xprob as well and keep your old tripod and head for when you need something lightweight.
Peter
nfl-fan wrote:
Really Right Stuff, Really Wrong Price Peter :lol:
Couldn’t agree with you more Nfl.
I was looking for a decent ball head that would hold my hasselblad
at any angle without lens creep and found that almost every head
I tried was not up to the job.
That is, until I picked up a used Sinar Pan & Tilt Head for just £11.50 on the auction site.
I added a used Hasselblad coupling Plate (£40) and attached them to my tripod….SOLID!
Btw, the tripod is a wooden Berlebach 3032 which I bought online from Germany (€180) and is
beautifully made and so easy to use as it has a levelling hemi-spherical head to allow
small levelling adjustments to be made without the need to fiddle with the leg locks.
The whole lot cost me a lot less than a RRS-B55 on its own.
Having said that if you want a good ball head you must be prepared to shell out
and the RRS is the best ball head out there.
Here’s a few pics:
It might be just me but I think the tripod has a lean to the left. Perhaps irt has a short leg :D :lol: :DThe head also looks like one of those industrial strength pencil sharpeners. Bet it weighs a fair amount!
Seoirse wrote:
Here’s a few pics
some pictures from Seoirse????
that’s good stuff :D
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