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Lightweight tripod head for MF



 
 
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  #1  
Old March 10th 04, 11:31 PM
Andy Phillips
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Default Lightweight tripod head for MF

Hi,

I've settled on a digital SLR and Fuji MF rangefinder as my holiday travel
kit. In the past I have taken a fairly heavy Gitzo tripod, but decided to
cut the weight by switching to a carbon fibre type. I bought the Manfrotto
440, which is very nice, but now I find need a lighter head - I put my large
168 QR ball head on it but this is so heavy that it negates the advantage of
the lightweight carbon. The only other head I have is a small Gitzo 1175
ball head, but this is probably too flimsy for the MF - and doesn't do
portrait shots on the Manfrotto.

Can anyone recommend a compromise head for the Manofrotto? I think the
recommended head is a magnesium 3D head, but I prefer balls heads. I also
would like a quick-release type.

Thanks

Andy


  #2  
Old March 10th 04, 11:58 PM
Lisa Horton
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Default Lightweight tripod head for MF



Andy Phillips wrote:

Hi,

I've settled on a digital SLR and Fuji MF rangefinder as my holiday travel
kit. In the past I have taken a fairly heavy Gitzo tripod, but decided to
cut the weight by switching to a carbon fibre type. I bought the Manfrotto
440, which is very nice, but now I find need a lighter head - I put my large
168 QR ball head on it but this is so heavy that it negates the advantage of
the lightweight carbon. The only other head I have is a small Gitzo 1175
ball head, but this is probably too flimsy for the MF - and doesn't do
portrait shots on the Manfrotto.

Can anyone recommend a compromise head for the Manofrotto? I think the
recommended head is a magnesium 3D head, but I prefer balls heads. I also
would like a quick-release type.


The Acratech Ball Head is very light and will support 25lbs very
securely. It can be had with an Arca/Swiss style QR clamp.
http://www.acratech.net

Lisa
  #3  
Old March 11th 04, 12:50 AM
Bandicoot
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Default Lightweight tripod head for MF

"Andy Phillips" wrote in message
...
Hi,

I've settled on a digital SLR and Fuji MF rangefinder as my holiday travel
kit. In the past I have taken a fairly heavy Gitzo tripod, but decided to
cut the weight by switching to a carbon fibre type. I bought the Manfrotto
440, which is very nice, but now I find need a lighter head - I put my

large
168 QR ball head on it but this is so heavy that it negates the advantage

of
the lightweight carbon. The only other head I have is a small Gitzo 1175
ball head, but this is probably too flimsy for the MF - and doesn't do
portrait shots on the Manfrotto.

Can anyone recommend a compromise head for the Manofrotto? I think the
recommended head is a magnesium 3D head, but I prefer balls heads. I also
would like a quick-release type.


The Kirk BH-3 is like a scaled down Arca monoball (more or less: it doesn't
have the progressive damping) and is what I use on a Manfrotto 444. I know
Lisa uses an Acratech on hers and I think with this tripod these are the two
leading choices.

Either is more rigid than the tripod itself, and as light as you are likely
to get for the support you need.



Peter


  #4  
Old March 11th 04, 01:17 AM
David J. Littleboy
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Default Lightweight tripod head for MF


"Bandicoot" wrote:

The Kirk BH-3 is like a scaled down Arca monoball (more or less: it

doesn't
have the progressive damping) and is what I use on a Manfrotto 444. I

know
Lisa uses an Acratech on hers and I think with this tripod these are the

two
leading choices.


Do you use your BH-3 to hold your camera flopped over on the side for
vertical shots? If so, what camera/lens and how well does it work?

(I've been thinking about the BH-3. I'm currently using a Foba Superball
M-1, and I'm not happy with it for flopping my Mamiya 645 over on it's side
for vertical shots. (The camera moves as I tighten down on the knob, very
irritating.))

David J. Littleboy

Tokyo, Japan



  #5  
Old March 11th 04, 02:34 PM
Bandicoot
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Default Lightweight tripod head for MF

"David J. Littleboy" wrote in message
...

"Bandicoot" wrote:

The Kirk BH-3 is like a scaled down Arca monoball (more or
less: it doesn't have the progressive damping) and is what I use
on a Manfrotto 444. I know Lisa uses an Acratech on hers and I
think with this tripod these are the two leading choices.


Do you use your BH-3 to hold your camera flopped over on the
side for vertical shots? If so, what camera/lens and how well does
it work?

(I've been thinking about the BH-3. I'm currently using a Foba
Superball M-1, and I'm not happy with it for flopping my Mamiya
645 over on it's side for vertical shots. (The camera moves as I
tighten down on the knob, very irritating.))


Yes, but not often. I much prefer to use an 'L'-bracket for portrait
oriented shots, so only 'flop the ball' when I'm travelling light. I use
this head mostly with 35mm gear, usually putting my MF cameras on an Arca B1
on a big Gitzo.

Having said that, the BH-3 really doesn't seem to move when I tighten the
knob. It'll hold a Pentax LX and 300mm F4 A*, for example, like this. I
like it, and it seems exactly the right size to match up to the 444.

I have used the 444/BH-3 combination with my 6x6 gear when travelling and it
has worked pretty well, certainly fine with a 180mm f2.8 (though probably
not if it was very windy.) Of course, with 6x6 I don't need to flop the
ball.

My 35mm stuff is probably similar in weight to your 645 though, so I'd
expect it to be fine. In fact, my preference for using an 'L'-bracket
rather than flopping the ball isn't really to do with the head: it has more
to do with the tripod and keeping the mass above the apex. It also just
seems easier to use that way rather than work with the ball flopped and then
need to use the panning base to adjust side-to-side, etc.


Peter


  #6  
Old March 11th 04, 03:50 PM
David J. Littleboy
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Default Lightweight tripod head for MF


"Bandicoot" wrote:
"David J. Littleboy" wrote:
"Bandicoot" wrote:


(I've been thinking about the BH-3. I'm currently using a Foba
Superball M-1, and I'm not happy with it for flopping my Mamiya
645 over on it's side for vertical shots. (The camera moves as I
tighten down on the knob, very irritating.))


Yes, but not often. I much prefer to use an 'L'-bracket for portrait
oriented shots, so only 'flop the ball' when I'm travelling light. I use
this head mostly with 35mm gear, usually putting my MF cameras on an Arca

B1
on a big Gitzo.

Having said that, the BH-3 really doesn't seem to move when I tighten the
knob. It'll hold a Pentax LX and 300mm F4 A*, for example, like this. I
like it, and it seems exactly the right size to match up to the 444.

I have used the 444/BH-3 combination with my 6x6 gear when travelling and

it
has worked pretty well, certainly fine with a 180mm f2.8 (though probably
not if it was very windy.) Of course, with 6x6 I don't need to flop the
ball.

My 35mm stuff is probably similar in weight to your 645 though, so I'd
expect it to be fine. In fact, my preference for using an 'L'-bracket
rather than flopping the ball isn't really to do with the head: it has

more
to do with the tripod and keeping the mass above the apex. It also just
seems easier to use that way rather than work with the ball flopped and

then
need to use the panning base to adjust side-to-side, etc.


Hmm. Thanks for the comments. Sounds as though I should probably get at
least the BH-1. (One of those buying the right tool first saves money in the
long run sorts of things.)

I have an L-bracket for my Mamiya but it gets in the way of hand-held
operation, and getting it on and off the camera is awkward enough that I'd
not want to futz with it in the field.

David J. Littleboy
Tokyo, Japan


  #7  
Old March 11th 04, 03:58 PM
Bandicoot
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Default Lightweight tripod head for MF

"David J. Littleboy" wrote in message
...

[SNIP]

Hmm. Thanks for the comments. Sounds as though I should probably get at
least the BH-1. (One of those buying the right tool first saves money in

the
long run sorts of things.)

I have an L-bracket for my Mamiya but it gets in the way of hand-held
operation, and getting it on and off the camera is awkward enough that I'd
not want to futz with it in the field.


My 'L'-bracket is the RRS one - very nice. But not knowing the control
layout on the Mamiya well I don't know if it would get in the way. A custom
one probably exists from either Kirk or RRS which would be designed not to,
of course.

As well as my Kirk BH-3 on a lightweight tripod I also have an Arca B1 on a
bigger 'pod. The Arca is so nice that if I was going to get a ball-head
that size anyway, I'd go for that rather than anything else. The
progressive damping on the Arca certainly improves matters when flopping the
ball.

There was a thread on the BH-1 to Arca comparison in rpe35 recently that you
might want to Google for.



Peter


  #8  
Old March 11th 04, 07:49 PM
Rod
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Default Lightweight tripod head for MF

On Thu, 11 Mar 2004 23:50:54 +0900, "David J. Littleboy"
wrote:


Hmm. Thanks for the comments. Sounds as though I should probably get at
least the BH-1. (One of those buying the right tool first saves money in the
long run sorts of things.)

For once I learned from other folks' experience on this and other
groups, rather than going ahead and making their mistakes all over
again - I bought an Arca B1 for my MF (RB & C330F) and 35mm kit with
RRS plates for each body. Definitely not lightweight and not cheap but
it stays where I put it and I'll never need to buy another head.
Rod

Weed my email address to reply
http://website.lineone.net/~rodcraddock/index.html
  #9  
Old March 12th 04, 12:08 PM
Nick Fotis
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Default Lightweight tripod head for MF

Good morning,

I have a similar problem.
My Manfrotto 055CB is too heavy with the standard head, so I'm not carrying
it in the field often (especially when walking).
I'm thinking about a lightweight ballhead to reduce the total weight
drastically, and I think about using a basic Manfrotto 486 without release
plates.

That Acratech head looks impressive on specification, but too costly for my
tastes.
I have two 35mm SLR bodies (without boosters), a 70-200/2.8, a 28-70/2.8, a
50mm/1.4 lenses and sometimes an external flash, plus a Fuji MF rangefinder.

All this equipment barely can fit inside a backpack with a bottle of water
and something to eat - and it's rather heavy...
The Fuji is so light you shouldn't have a problem even with a very light
tripod (they don't have mirror slapping), except in very windy conditions.
..
In fact, I think the 35mm gear with telephotos etc. places bigger demands on
tripods compared to the Fuji RF.

Any opinions on this?

Still thinking about it,
N.F



  #10  
Old March 12th 04, 09:46 PM
Andy Phillips
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Posts: n/a
Default Lightweight tripod head for MF

Dear all,

Thanks for your input. I was hoping for a slightly cheaper head than the
BH-3, but maybe I could monitor Ebay for a while. I too have the Pentax A*
300/4 so a sturdy ball is important. Also, I guess I could use this with my
Bronica ETRSi and Wista 5x4 field camera? Any idea of the maximum weight for
the BH-3? (although I guess it depends on how that weight is balanced - the
ETRSi with 150/4 and 2x converter is pretty front-heavy.

"Rod" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 11 Mar 2004 23:50:54 +0900, "David J. Littleboy"
wrote:


Hmm. Thanks for the comments. Sounds as though I should probably get at
least the BH-1. (One of those buying the right tool first saves money in

the
long run sorts of things.)

For once I learned from other folks' experience on this and other
groups, rather than going ahead and making their mistakes all over
again - I bought an Arca B1 for my MF (RB & C330F) and 35mm kit with
RRS plates for each body. Definitely not lightweight and not cheap but
it stays where I put it and I'll never need to buy another head.
Rod

Weed my email address to reply
http://website.lineone.net/~rodcraddock/index.html



 




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