Tell me what tripod I need guys...

[Future Blues]

I live in Japan, in the middle of the countryside, so while I'd like to go to a big photo store and try out all my options, I'm pretty much limited to either picking up a Velbon something at my local (tiny) camera store, or shopping for something online without actually seeing it in person.

Now, I've read most of the sticky threads on this forum, but I still don't have the slightest clue about what I need.

I guess my first question is... how do you even know a given head will fit on the pair of legs you're thinking of getting? Are all tripod head/leg combinations standardized or something?

Anyway-- let me tell you want I want to do with my rig and hopefully, someone with a little more experience out there can help me figure out what I need to invest in.

I just upgraded to a 5Dmk2 from a 20D. I have 3 lenses right now, a siggy 15mm fish, a siggy 50mm f/1.4, and a 70-200f/4L. I have no major plans to invest in any really heavy telephoto glass in the near future. Although, I suppose that might change if I found found I liked shooting on my tripod. Dunno. Anyway... I want to be able to set my rig up (which often includes a 580EX II) and do video work (panning), landscapes and long exposures, and portraits. I'd also like to think about some macro work (which has been all but impossible without a tripod) and am currently considering investing in a macro lens. I'm buying this for a hobbiest, so I don't think I need the fastest/most efficient/etc. lock-in, deckplate, whatever system. Do I?

Based on my criteria, threadsense says I want something with a 3-way head that will last me a year or two of medium use. (Although someone mentioned a ballhead w/ panning apparatus that sounded awesome in one of the sticky threads. I'm not sure they mentioned the name though. :/)Part of what makes all this difficult to research is the fact that I"m using kakaku.com to compare prices and a lot of tripods labeled for the Japanese market have slightly different names and/or model numbers. The local shop here is pretty much all velbon and the Charmagne? tripods they have on display here seem pretty stable, but it's hard to find any information on velbon reliability online since everybody is buying manfrotto, gitzo, and the like (seems to me).

I got into this thinking, "Oh, I'll spend about $200... Get something nice and stable but not too fancy..." But after reading a bunch of these articles I'm pretty much convinced that I"m going to be looking at a pricetag closer to $500 if I want a reliable tripod rig. I want something strong and light-- rather than cheap and light or cheap and strong. And I'm willing to buy heads and legs seperately if that's what it takes to get a good setup.

Long and short: limited options at my local shop (all velbon), moon-language model numbers (yes, I speak Japanese; no problems there)-- looking for a tripod for some video use (thus panning), portraits; low-light and landscape; and possibly macro. I don't own any crazy heavy lenses, but I really really don't want to skip on my support.

What should I buy?

[snails]

055xB and a 488RC2 is probably the most popular setup here. If that's too heavy for you the 055 design comes in an "MF" flavor, Manfrotto's carbon fiber designation.

[Jon]

Tripods (and monopods) virtually all use either a 1/4" 20 pitch or a 3/8" 16 pitch thread to secure the head. If your tripod uses one and the head uses the other there are adapters; going from a 1/4" 20 tripod to a 3/8" 16 head is the easiest since the adapters are well under $5. I'll toss 4-5 into a gear order just to have them around. 1/4-20 pitch is what your camera accepts; make sure the head you get also has that as the camera fastening. Which it uses to connect to the tripod is less important because of the adapters.

The ball head you heard about was 99% likely to be the Manfrotto 488RC2, which has a 3/8-16 thread for attaching to the tripod and a 1/4"-20 thread on the (very common) RC2 release plate. It'll be excellent for still photography; unless you want to pan purely horizontally though, you may want a separate head for the video camera if you're going to be using it that way much. You can use one head for both purposes, but one or the other will suffer. Don't fall for the 322RC2 as an "all -in-one" solution - it looks like it'll do ball head and pan/tilt both well, but if you try to use it for video where you're tracking a moving subject, you'll get very sore forearms after a while. Manfrotto used to make a 390RC2 head; they've revamped their product line and I'm not sure what the nearest equivalent would be; maybe the 700RC2 or the 128RC2.

Put either of those on a set of 190XProB or 055XProB legs from Manfrotto and you'll be good to go.

[Future Blues]

Tripods (and monopods) virtually all use either a 1/4" 20 pitch or a 3/8" 16 pitch thread to secure the head. If your tripod uses one and the head uses the other there are adapters; going from a 1/4" 20 tripod to a 3/8" 16 head is the easiest since the adapters are well under $5. I'll toss 4-5 into a gear order just to have them around. 1/4-20 pitch is what your camera accepts; make sure the head you get also has that as the camera fastening. Which it uses to connect to the tripod is less important because of the adapters.

The ball head you heard about was 99% likely to be the Manfrotto 488RC2, which has a 3/8-16 thread for attaching to the tripod and a 1/4"-20 thread on the (very common) RC2 release plate. It'll be excellent for still photography; unless you want to pan purely horizontally though, you may want a separate head for the video camera if you're going to be using it that way much. You can use one head for both purposes, but one or the other will suffer. Don't fall for the 322RC2 as an "all -in-one" solution - it looks like it'll do ball head and pan/tilt both well, but if you try to use it for video where you're tracking a moving subject, you'll get very sore forearms after a while. Manfrotto used to make a 390RC2 head; they've revamped their product line and I'm not sure what the nearest equivalent would be; maybe the 700RC2 or the 128RC2.

Put either of those on a set of 190XProB or 055XProB legs from Manfrotto and you'll be good to go.

Would the 322RC2 work for light to medium video use? I don't plan on recording full feature-length films, but I would like a head that allowed me to do video when I wanted to.

Any specific recommendations for a pan/tilt head otherwise?

I've all but settled on a set of 190CXPRO3 legs as the best combination of weight, price and strength for my equipment/budget.

[yokotas13]

where in japan ar eyou? maybe i can help you find somethihng

[Future Blues]

I'm in Shimane-ken, Masuda-shi. Out in the countryside in the 2nd least populated place in Japan. ;)

[SkipD]

Would the 322RC2 work for light to medium video use? I don't plan on recording full feature-length films, but I would like a head that allowed me to do video when I wanted to.

Any specific recommendations for a pan/tilt head otherwise?I suggest that you totally forget the grip-action heads like the 322.

For video, something like the Manfrotto 128RC (http://www.bogenimaging.us/Jahia/site/bius/pid/6780?kindOfProductCollectionRequest=productDetail&productCode=128RC&productDescription=Micro%20Fluid%20Head%20W/RC2%20Rapid%20Connector%20Plate%20200Pl-14(3157N)&curBrandId=MAN&market=MKT1&product_from_search=true) would be an excellent choice. I use its predecessor - the 3130 - in the studio. The only "problem" with it for still work is there are only 2 axes of movement. I have a leveling device between the tripod and head to solve that issue.

The 488RC2 would be the best choice for still photography.

[Jon]

Would the 322RC2 work for light to medium video use? I don't plan on recording full feature-length films, but I would like a head that allowed me to do video when I wanted to.

Any specific recommendations for a pan/tilt head otherwise?

I've all but settled on a set of 190CXPRO3 legs as the best combination of weight, price and strength for my equipment/budget.No it wouldn't. I'd sooner use a regular ball head. I used one for 10 min. at an air show and had a sore forearm for an hour from squeezing and releasing. I have the old 390RC2 for mine. Like I said, I think the 700 and 128 are the closest.