Tripod and Head recommendation please

[dr4tone]

I am in the market for a tripod and head. I will be bringing it with me into the field to shoot birds, primarily. I have a 1D Mark IV and 400mm lens. I have great gear, but am missing the matching tripod. Needs to be lightweight, sturdy, and effective in the field. I don't want to spend a fortune if it can be avoided.
Thanks for your help!

[ben_r_]

Start here: LINK

[dr4tone]

Thank you!

[dr4tone]

Okay. Read that. It was helpful. But then I started to look at ALL the options out there, and I am back to lost. So, I get that I am going to have to spend some money. I am short 5' 4", female, medium strong, want to be able to walk half a day with this thing. Want quick set up. And I want my gear to be safe and balanced on it. Maybe a Gitzo set of legs, and ball head of some type. Help please.

[surlynkid]

i really like the RRS stuff. i have their TVC33 CF tripod and BH-55 ballhead. you want it lightweight but sturdy. you didn't say if that was a monster 400mm F2.8 or something lighter. RRS is not cheap, but you get what you pay for.

[dr4tone]

Nope the 400mm 5.6 - Thanks!

[mjww]

One good article that I recommend to my friends when they are looking for tripods is http://bythom.com/support.htm. He covers my tripod buying situation very well.
I think it all boils down to how much you want to spend. Get a tripod rated for at least twice the weight of your setup. Look for things like the ability of hang some additional weights from the tripod for stability. Carbon fiber is probably your best choice assuming that you will be using the setup in dirty/dusty conditions.
As for choosing a head, it's all personal choice. I prefer 3 way heads but others like balls heads or gimbals.
Have a look at the bird forum site - equipment reviews - http://www.birdforum.net/reviews/showcat.php/cat/19. You can get a personal look at what others think.

[kMatt]

What's your budget for the combo?

[dr4tone]

700 without having to swallow hard, 1000 with a good gulp.

[HazChem]

You may want to consider the Feisol 3441S which works well for shorter people and is quite compact folded. I paired it up with a PhotoClam 36NS clamp. Others have used the Markins Q3T with good success.

These two will run you closer to $700 than $1000.

[craig_k]

i just upgraded my tripod-bh...spent weeks studying\reading....i had an manfrotto basic level w\built-in bh...salesperson at the shop when i bought initially told me what i was getting was sufficient for 70-200 2.8 and 50d body.....they were way off........i went with rrs bh30 lr2 and l plate for my bodies and lens foot for my 70-200 2.8 lens, cost me 497.....induro alloy 8m at213 cost 143 from B&H..tripod and rrs setup all in=641.......tripod rated for 22 lbs...i have 5.5 lb gear w\70-200 2.8 is and camera body.....i had never heard of an L-plate before i watched the rrs video,what a nice option for any tripod....just flip the body over from portrait to landscape in 3 seconds.body centered directly over tripod base..how cool is that...you'll want the rrs 40 bh sounds like,rated for 18lbs .that induro tripod is very solid, has twist locks, not cams..easy to adjust and acclimate to over cams...... tripod lacks the horizontal bar or tilt function, cant find my notes for tech verbage of that feature.........before,i rarely need a tripod but ive got pleanty now for when i do as im just getting into senerios that call for one ....good luck

[Mark-B]

I already owned a Benro tripod and just bought an Induro tripod. Check out the Induro CT214 carbon fiber tripod & BHL2 low profile ball head. This would probably come in right around your eye level, weighs under 5 pounds, and is right at your 700 budget.

Do some searches for the CT214 - good luck finding anyone that doesn't like it. My budget was a bit smaller than yours when I was shopping so I went with the aluminum version instead of carbon fiber, and I don't have a 400mm lens, so the next smaller size ball head was good for me. I posted a few pictures of it in this thread.

[Sirrith]

Second recommendation for the Feisol 3441S, though I recommend one of the acratech heads over the markins, as it can double as a gimbal which could be useful for your 400mm. This combo will also run you closer to $700 than $1000.

[dr4tone]

Thanks for all these very helpful replies!

[JPR Images]

I have been through several tripods over the last 8 yrs. Kept upgrading tripods as I upgraded camera equipment. Spent more over multiple tripods than if I had just went all out to begin with, but didn't have the dollars back then for top of line. If you can afford it I would really recommend you call Really Right Stuff and talk with them. Their tripods and ballheads are excellent and expensive but so is the 1D Mark IV. I just upgraded to RRS tripod and ballhead and I am very pleased with them. In the past I have used Manfrotto, Induro and others and they served me well but now I am done.