Tripod & Head for 300mm f2.8 and 500 f4?

[DwightMcCann]

I am shooting live performance. My experience with my Bogen tripod and pan-tilt head is that they are simply not quick enough, so I looked at a friend's "Wimberly" head on some graphite legs. I need to be able to track a performer but also shoot at any instant, shift the AF point and pan, etc. I loved that I could quickly point in a new direction, let go and the the camera stayed ... no loosing handles, no tightening and having the camera shift, etc., etc. My target body is 1D Mark II and the lenses are 300mm f2.8 (which I have) and 500mm f4 (which is a few months off) and possibly the 400mm f2.8 (which is on my long range radar) along with 1.4 and 2.0 TCs. I will use this setup from the "back of the room" which is about 100' feet from the stage. Oh, yeah, and if I ever get the urge to shoot birds I expect this will work well, too.

I am pretty tripod ignorant so what I am after is the correct Wimberly and plates and an appropriate lightweight set of legs. My budget is about $1000 plus a few hundred as necessary. I expect to purchase from B&H.

[Andrew B]

Hi Dwight
At www.warehouseexpress.com in the UK they have a system by a company called Kirk which seems to use a bracket & lens plate quick release system. It called the "King Cobra Action Head" it about $500.....

[CyberDyneSystems]

Dwight I would recomend the following.

Gitzo legs that will taker the leveling base.. 1340 etc.
Gitzo leveling base 1321

With the legs sorted you can go in either of three directions for the Head.
(we'll two really with some additional options)

1. Full bottom mount Gimble head... There are only two in existance,. the "Full Wimberly" and the Manfrotto 3421.

2. A Sidemount Gimble head.. if you go this route I'd look only at the Wimberly Sidekick and a good solid Ball head.. I mean if you are going to give up a bottom mount.. then you might as well at least have the added flexibility if the Sidekick.

FYI all other gimble heads made are sidemount like the Sidekick... this includes Kirk "King Cobra", Mongoose.. etc...

For the 500mm,. I would say you are much better off with the bottom mount units as well...

[DwightMcCann]

Thank you ... time for Google searches on these items. :-) And I will probably have more questions.

[CyberDyneSystems]

Oh,. PS I mention 1340 legs.. these are aluminum and pretty heavy.. I beleive the comparable Gitzo graphite legs are # 1325

The 1321 leveling base does add some weight,. but I find it is worth it.. besides it is easy to remove if at any point weight savings becomes paramount...

Me I decided that where lugging a 500mm is concerned there is no such thing as "light" .. so I went with the Aluminum legs... but it was really more of a $$ sacings decision.. one I think I may regret. So if you can swing the graphite.. you may as well!

[DwightMcCann]

CDS, thanks again. Price is no object, it just means I have to wait a little longer since I am putting all business income back into equipment. I am a tad overspent at the moment so I am mostly trying to do homework. I will likely go for the graphite ... while my primary use for the tripod and 500mm will be for shooting at the casino I am sure I will find many other previously unobtainable images to shoot that may require some hand carrying ... this is a world class bird area in the winter and the campus (UCSB where I work my day job) is right on the ocean and I am near all the Snowy Plover protected areas, too. Always something interesting.

[DwightMcCann]

Well, a bit more research suggests that perhaps I should plan for the 600mm f4 and get the G-1548GT, Gitzo Leveling Base G1321, and Wimberly head. With the 1D Mark II and someday the 1Ds Mark X heavy bodies this seems like a potential best solution but I'm real interested in feedback, gotchas, why this combination is wrong, reasons not to go overboard, etc.

[vkalia]

I have the 1D2 and the 500/4.

After a lot of thinking, I ended up buying the Gitzo 1548 legset for it. The 1325 will do as well, but I may have a 600/4 in the future, so I'd rather get just one pod and be done with it. The 1548 folds into a shorter length as well, but is 1kg heavier. I also use a Gitzo 1227 - with IS, I actually get pretty decent results with the 500/4m, but I wouldnt want to use this set-up in windy conditions - not fully extended anyway.

Re. heads - I have both the full Wimberley, as well as the Sidekick + Arca-Swiss ballhead. I prefer the big Wimberley - the side-mounting of the Sidekick always worries me, even though lots of people have used it without problems. However, the A-S + Sidekick is a versatile and easer-to-carry combo that lets me share the tripod easily with different lenses.

When I am just using the 500/4, it is 1548 + Wimberley. However, when I need to travel light or may use multiple lenses of the tripod, it is 1227 + Arca Swiss + Sidekick.

For a $1000 budget, you can get the 1325 + Wimberley.
For a little more, you can get the 1548 + Wimberley, or 1548 + A-S B1 + Sidekick.

Re. plates for the 500/4 - I use the Wimberley lens plate. 2 screws, a catching mechanism, etc... good stuff. Also, personally, I'd stick to the Wimberley designs over the Kirk King Cobra.

Cheers,
Vandit

[CyberDyneSystems]

Dwight,.. sounds spot on to me.
You'll love that rig.. (I wish I could afford those legs!)
The 1321 is a fantastic addition .. glad to see you are interested... It was seeing that part in action out in the feild that fianlly forced me to "Go Gitzo" ... it is a must have with a big lens on a Gimble :)


Oh yeah.. definitely get the Arca clamp on the Wimberly.. and a decent plate. (or five) ;)

[DwightMcCann]

I really, really appreciate the feedback. So many times I've bought some hype or listened to a saleman who does not really know anything or done research that was not inclusive enough and gotten less than what I bargained for. I have reset my tripod budget to $1750+, so, it may be the end of summer before I have saved enough but I will be much better off. And it may be winter before I pick up the 500mm f4 or bigger, but now I can plan out my purchases. I do need to fit in buying an Epson 7800 when they become available in the Fall.

[DwightMcCann]

Well, CDS, et alia, although I thought I had decided on the 1548, I continued to gather opinions and experiences, talked with the Wimberley folks and a co-worker with the 1325 and finally ordered the Gitzo 1325 tripod and 1321 leveling base along with the Wimberley full head and some P's. If push comes to shove and I need the 1548 in the future I will simply add it to my inventory since all the other components should work as well with either. I thank you for your time and energy in this quest.

[scottbergerphoto]

I recently went through a similiar procees. I had the Wemberly head and wanted more stability then the 1228 I have. I decided on the 1548 after doing alot of research on the web as to what nature photographers use. I'm glad I did. A 70kg male can safely stand on a 1548! It's built like a tank. It made a noticeable improvement in my pictures over the 1228. No vibration at all.

[DwightMcCann]

Well, now I've gotta' know why you would choose such an expensive ladder?

[CyberDyneSystems]

lol,..

I'd love to see these side by side.. but I just can't imagine anything more monstrous than my own 1340mm.. which is dwarfed by the 15XX I'm sure!

[scottbergerphoto]

Well, now I've gotta' know why you would choose such an expensive ladder?
So people know I'm a real photographer! Why else? :D
Seriously, I wanted a significant step up from my 1228 not an incremental one. I felt the 1325 was an incremental improvement so I went with the 1548. It's good enough for Arthur Morris.

[DwightMcCann]

Scott, makes perfect sense! :-) And I expect that when I pick up a 600mm f4 I'll order the 1548 at the same time! Just hope my wife can handle the load.