Tripod advice

[robski]

Originally Posted by crazee horse

your all gonna slate me ............ i was shocked as to the weight of the 190 and the 055

Wimp - LOL you should see the gear I carry on my 3 mile walk.

But Leif does have a point.

Enjoy any tripod is better than none.

[Rob Chace]

One important thing to consider when looking at tripod/head combos is the max load. I used to use a Manfrotto 055 leg set with a 128rc head for supporting my Nikon D2x & Sigma 500mm f4.5 (often with teleconverters attached). The weight of this gear is around 5kg. The 055 legs are rated with a max load of 7kg wheras the head is around 4kg. The best bit of advice i came across when selecting a tripod/head combo is to find the max weight of your camera/lens, double it & then select legs/head with a max load in that range. I have since gone the whole hog & bought a Gitzo 1548 with Kirk BH1 ball head & Wimberley Sidekick. This combo will easily cope with anything i can mount on it & the results speak for themselves. If i do eventually manage to get a Nikon 600mm, (lottery providing!) then i know that i wont have to change the legs! Seriously though, my advice is to spend as much as you can on a tripod & remember the max load.
Regards Rob.

[carman]

I have used a Slik Master Classic for years. The pan/tilt head is a great design It has a rotating table for panorama use. Its rock steady. I keep looking at modern tripods from other makers, Carbon fibre etc. With the head and all the bits and pieces the weight difference is minimal. It will carry anything you can put in you bag.