Tripod Confusion. Wisdom please

[jj2908]

All

To use it for my Nick on d3500 for landscape shots and to steady a sigma 150 to 600 at motorsport and aviation events

Here comes the variable…. I’ve just acquired some 20x80 binoculars for landscape gazing. Purely voyeuristic of course ….AND…. we’re thinking of developing a YouTube channel.

All this brings me to the mouth of an Amazon rabbit hole of fluid heads and tripods.

Would a fluid head be good for using with the binoculars and questions head be better for general photography and video content shot with the d3500..

I’ve been looking at the links below…. Now I’m confused… your recommendations please

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07HHBWV3V/ref=cm_sw_e...

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B006TZE0UQ/ref=cm_sw_e...

In the case of the latter I know I’d need to connect that to another tripod.. here’s the one I have already It’s a compact. Which I’m guessing won’t do justice to the fluid head….

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00K0P022Q/ref=cm_sw_e...

[Craikeybaby]

First of all, you probably don't want a tripod for motorsport/aviation photography, they aren't ideal for tracking fast moving subjects. Some people use a monopod, but mostly handhold.

Any tripod will be fine for landscape though, including the one you already have.

[Simpo Two]

Fluid head is for video as it allows pans and tilts with smooth starts and stops.

I would always follow the brand and go for Manfrotto but there will be equally good options out there.

I find a six foot height useful.

Consider weight if travelling, also how short they fold up to if that's important.

Edited by Simpo Two on Thursday 2nd September 18:31

[Craikeybaby]

I used to be a Manfrotto fan, but these days they seem to be the only brand not using the Arca Swiss tripod plates.

[jj2908]

Thank you everyone. It’s seems that the ball head tripod should stay and a monopod should join the fold.

Thanks everyone

[DavidY]

Craikeybaby said:

I used to be a Manfrotto fan, but these days they seem to be the only brand not using the Arca Swiss tripod plates.

If the Manfrotto head part number ends in Q6 it is compatible with Arca Swiss fittings

[C n C]

Craikeybaby said:

First of all, you probably don't want a tripod for motorsport/aviation photography, they aren't ideal for tracking fast moving subjects. Some people use a monopod, but mostly handhold.

Any tripod will be fine for landscape though, including the one you already have.

Whilst I'd generally agree, I've personally found a solid tripod with a quality gimball head (I managed to pick up a used Wimberley from the Talk Photography classifieds as they are not cheap) great for tracking fast moving objects with a long/heavy lens - particularly aviation stuff. Ball heads, pan and tilt, and video heads are pretty useless for this purpose though.

As for recommendations for tripods, Redsnapper have, for a number of years, offered very high quality kit, but at good value prices. The RSF-324 legs are really solid, as is the RSH-12 ball head. Their customer service has also been excellent - after I mis-placed a part of the mount section of the tripod, and realised only a few days before I needed it for an event, Joe (who runs Redsnapper), identified the parts from a photo I sent, and immediately shipped out replacements. They were delivered only 23 hours after contacting him.

It's also worth noting that pretty much any tripod can be made more stable by hanging weight (such as your camera bag) from the bottom of the centre column - many tripods have a hook for exactly this purpose.

[Simpo Two]

jj2908 said:

Thank you everyone. It’s seems that the ball head tripod should stay and a monopod should join the fold.

Thanks everyone

The thing I don't like about ball heads is that when you slacken them off you lose all axes. I use a 3-way pan/tilt head so I can decide which axis to adjust and the other stays put.

[tog]

Simpo Two said:

The thing I don't like about ball heads is that when you slacken them off you lose all axes. I use a 3-way pan/tilt head so I can decide which axis to adjust and the other stays put.

How about a Benbo? When you slacken that off you lose all legs as well! Love mine, though use it rarely. Must have had it over 30 years now.

[Vintage Racer]

The one thing that you need for all photography, is a solid base, especially with a long lens!

I use a Gitzo 5 series, with a Lensmaster gimbal, which is not cheap, but as the saying goes "buy right, buy once". - I tried all sorts of cheaper outfits over the years and it's not until you use a 'decent' set up, that you can see the difference.

Not sure what your budget is, but a good second hand Gitzo 5 series, can be found for around £500 and the 'Lensmaster' gimbals are £175.00 new and just as good as a Wimberley (which I also have).

I certainly would not want to have a thousand pounds of worth of equipment, on a cheap tripod. - I've seen too many tripods get blown over in windy conditions!

[Simpo Two]

Vintage Racer said:

I certainly would not want to have a thousand pounds of worth of equipment, on a cheap tripod. - I've seen too many tripods get blown over in windy conditions!

I had a close one at one of my early weddings. I'd left the camera with a 70-200 f2.8 set up on a table. I just happened to see the lens suddenly drop down - and the momentum was enough to start to tripod toppling towards the floor. I covered 2-3 yards in about 0.1 second and caught it on the way down...

Newton 0, Simpo 1.

That may have been the event that prompted me to get a proper tripod.

[tangerine_sedge]

Craikeybaby said:

First of all, you probably don't want a tripod for motorsport/aviation photography, they aren't ideal for tracking fast moving subjects. Some people use a monopod, but mostly handhold.

Any tripod will be fine for landscape though, including the one you already have.

This.

I find using a monopod OK for getting shots of static subjects (i.e. aircraft taxiing, when you're on a long lens and want to use a slow shutter speed to maintain prop blur) but just got in the way when panning fast moving subjects.

[Derek Smith]

I videod my rugby club's matches for nigh on 15 years. I used normal 2-way heads for the early days and found copius amounts of oil, then grease, improved matters to a degree. But not enough. I forked out for a Velbon FHD-52Q. It made a significant difference, so much so, that even the coach noticed it. I'm 6'3" and the extra 3" made a difference for me (as you'd expect).

Well worth the money. The model's been replaced, probably many times, but if you think you might need one, you probably do.

It was around £75 around 10 years ago I think.

I've used it for videoing motor racing, but I have to pick my spot with care.

It takes a while to 'warm up' on cold days. I can fix an axis to keep it level. Recommended.

[leggly]

Craikeybaby said:

I used to be a Manfrotto fan, but these days they seem to be the only brand not using the Arca Swiss tripod plates.

I can’t see the point in the Arca Swiss mount as it isn’t quick release and it takes two hands to use. I’ll stick with Manfrotto thanks.

[Craikeybaby]

You can't get Manfrotto L brackets, but you can get quick-release Arca Swiss heads.

Since this thread came out I got a Peak Design tripod, which does live up to the hype (and has a quick-release Arca Swiss compatible head).

[Turtle Shed]

Every photographer should own a monopod for two reasons:

1 - Taking the weight of a big lens when a tripod is too inflexible for the job in hand.

2 - Shoving your camera six feet higher in the air to give yourself a different angle. Works well with wide lens, medium aperture, shutter speed and ISO set accordingly. Focus mode of your choice, self timer set to five seconds and to take a few shots at once.

[leggly]

Craikeybaby said:

You can't get Manfrotto L brackets, but you can get quick-release Arca Swiss heads.

Since this thread came out I got a Peak Design tripod, which does live up to the hype (and has a quick-release Arca Swiss compatible head).

I have no need for an L bracket. Arca Swiss isn’t a quick release system, it’s just an unnecessary faff in most situations.

[Derek Smith]

Turtle Shed said:

Every photographer should own a monopod for two reasons:

1 - Taking the weight of a big lens when a tripod is too inflexible for the job in hand.

2 - Shoving your camera six feet higher in the air to give yourself a different angle. Works well with wide lens, medium aperture, shutter speed and ISO set accordingly. Focus mode of your choice, self timer set to five seconds and to take a few shots at once.

Better still for 2 - is wi-fi connection. Solves all the problems with timing and repeat shooting. Terrific for video of course.

A clamp on the monopod at the right height, i.e. where your bracing hand will be, and all it takes is the movement of a finger. I use a Smallrig bracket to hold the support, circa £25.

I also use a CS gas belt-mounted holder for the base of the monopod (and gimbal) gives a steadying support and takes the weight when rotating or angling the monopod.

EDITED TO ADD:

Link to the CS gas belt holder. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/312217857215?hash=item4...

Very useful. Peter Jones is quality goods.

Edited by Derek Smith on Wednesday 10th August 10:53

[Tony1963]

I’ve been taking photographs since about 1970 as a skinny little kid. I prefer to travel light and with as little clutter as possible. I tried a monopod once, an expensive carbon one, didn’t like it, would rather have just the camera body, battery grip, a couple of lenses, and that’s it.

Ok, sometimes, for example when going on holiday in the car, a few more bits and bobs come along, including a tripod, but I only use a tripod for landscapes.

Horses for courses, as ever, but no way would I tell anyone that they ‘must have’ anything. That’s for them to work out.

[Simpo Two]

Tony1963 said:

I’ve been taking photographs since about 1970 as a skinny little kid. I prefer to travel light and with as little clutter as possible. I tried a monopod once, an expensive carbon one, didn’t like it, would rather have just the camera body, battery grip, a couple of lenses, and that’s it.

Ok, sometimes, for example when going on holiday in the car, a few more bits and bobs come along, including a tripod, but I only use a tripod for landscapes.

Whilst I'm happy to carry a DSLR and a spare lens or two, I find tripods an encumbrance outside the studio. In practice the task is dealt with either by good high-ISO capability, or by propping myself and camera against a suitable fixed object like a lamppost, wall, or even on the ground with a stone under the lens.

@Tony, what does your tripod add to a landscape photo that you can't do otherwise?