Tripod recomendations for XT -Differences in heads ??

I am willing to spend up to $150 on a tripod, I have only used a cheap $20 tripod at a local store (that is now broke-kids did it ) for my last SLR camera, I have never even seen a Ball head tripod, but everyone says this is what to get. It seems when I look for a tripod like this, I have to buy the ball seperately. Why is this ball head better is my first question....can someone explain the pros & cons of the (3) different heads and make recommendations for me (within my price range), I would really appreciate it ! (Would like something lightweight but stable, and easy to use - Quick to set up - so I will accually USE it. I didnt use my last one much.

What are you using it for? Ballheads are better for wildlife/action, but pan/tilt are better for landscapes/studio.

I shoot alot of wildlife, so the flexibility of ballhead is really helpful. i can't think of any disadvantages using a ballhead as opposed to a 3-way panhead.

The next time you try to frame a flower macro shot using a ballhead you'll take that sentence back.


I recently got a gear head, the Bogen 410. What a sweet head for landscapes.

I just want a tripod more for Family stuff, portraits, etc, no wildlife or action shots, so it sounds like a Pan head is good? What else to look for? What brands to stay away from, to consider? Thanks for the help !

for around $150 you can probably get a lowend Manfrotto/Bogen or midend Slik or Velbon. These tripod will work well for those family pictures and such as long as you won't be using any heavy lenses. Ball & Pan&Tilt head will do just fine it is just a matter of convience. Usually ballheads has smaller less intrusive knobs then pan&tilt heads which usually have long handles. Ballhead usually locks into position with one or two knobs and P&T have about three handles.

DynaTran AT-877W at www.amvona.com This tripod is great. The price is perfect also. $159 shipped.

Thank you for your help, I think I am sold on the Bogen 3001 with 486RC2 ballhead kit , would you recommend anything else I will need to make this tripod purchase complete? Should I get a bag, straps, do I need extra plates, how long do these ball heads generally last, I heard it said the cheap ballheads are not worth it and wear out fast---is this true??

That's an excellent choice, and one you should have for life. You don't *need* anything else. Extra plates are handy in case you like leaving them on a particular lens, if you have a lens which comes with a tripod foot. Otherwise I wouldn't bother. As for a bag or straps they're pretty darn useful if you go hiking - even short distances - with the tripod. I was scrambling down an incline last week and was really wishing I had the tripod in a bag - even though I was only going 100 feet from the car...

I've just replaced the conventional 200PL-14 RC2 plates on my 20D's grip and my 70-200's collar with 200PLARCH-14 anti-twist plates. I regard these plates as a huge improvement - I've yet to use them 'in anger', but they should do a much better job of not twisting around when in use.

My setup is relatively heavy - 20D with BG-E2 grip, and either EF 24-70mm f/2.8L (with the camera mounting on the tripod via the grip) or EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS (with the camera mounting on the tripod via the lens collar). In either setup, but especially with the 24-70, I was finding that in some orientations, the camera was twisting round on a standard plate under its own weight.

For the 70-200 collar, I had to follow the instructions to turn the sliding plate around. It's not that difficult, but don't drop either the circlip or the washer that's under the screw!


A Manfrotto 341 RC2 elbow bracket was delivered today, which I've fixed to the camera and put on the tripod, but haven't yet used for any shots. It's a much better solution to shooting portrait on a tripod, as you're not tilting the head right over. Leaving it on the camera all the time is really a bit cumbersome, but it fits in the top of my tripod bag in a padded plastic bag. The only hassle with the bracket is that the camera screw isn't captive; if, like me, you're only going to put it on the camera occasionally, you need to pay attention to the plastic nut that keeps the screw in the bracket when it's not in use. Nevertheless, it's a much cheaper alternative to the likes of Really Right Stuff L brackets - which, whilst lovely, are an expense I can't justify.

There's a helpful picture of the Manfrotto bracket here. For a Canon camera, you can remove the camera screw with the big grey nut seen hanging down near the bottom of this picture - you need that for some cameras with very offset tripod sockets. If you put the little brass arm you see near the top towards the flat side, and fit the camera facing towards the left of the frame, it works well.

The bracket is in portrait orientation in this picture. Note the plastic 'keeper' nut on the camera screw - that's the bit you mustn't lose. Frustratingly, the big hole behind the camera screw isn't deep enough to push the keeper nut into to keep it safe. I shall simply train myself to put the plastic nut on the QR plate that I remove from the camera. With this flaw acknowledged, it's still a good product, though I wonder whether it would have been better designed to accept an RC2 plate on the camera rather than fixing directly to the camera.


Of course, neither of these products are essential, but they're worth thinking about for the future. You can do a great deal with RC2 stuff without having to step up to the expensive Arca Swiss products.

David

I know you said "usually", but I thought I would point out this P&T head....with no long handles It is really light, packs small, and great for carrying when matched with a Feisol tripod. Comes with RC2 clamp...and not that expensive.

http://www.bhphotovide​o.com …EG&addedTroughT​ype=search

John

DavidW wrote:
A Manfrotto 341 RC2 elbow bracket was delivered today...Leaving it on the camera all the time is really a bit cumbersome...though I wonder whether it would have been better designed to accept an RC2 plate on the camera rather than fixing directly to the camera....You can do a great deal with RC2 stuff without having to step up to the expensive Arca Swiss products.

David....I agree with you on the RC2. I use it on my 20D, with the RC2 plate always on my camera. My tripod has either the Bogen 3437(RC2) or 488RC2 on it, the monopod a 486RC2, and even my Bogen minipod has a RC2 miniball head on it. I recently got a Newton FR2 (folding flash rotator) bracket and had Robert Newton modify a RC2 QR clamp to use it on the base, so it now snaps on/off the camera quickly....a QR plate below it makes it easy to add the whole assembly to any of the pods. (I'll post pics if you are interested)

I agree with you on the 341RC2....suggest you get a QR clamp...add it to the elbow bracket...then snap to camera just when you need it. Having just an RC2 plate on the camera is much smaller and easier.

John

If I'm allowed to hijack this thread for a moment then allowed to ask a super-silly question.

See, I've been hearing about "3-way panhead" and I know that there are heads that can do:
1- Forward & backward
2- Left & right

My question is, what's the 3rd way

I do have a Manfrotto 323 QR adapter. I have a Gitzo G1275M offset ball head on a Gitzo G2220 Explorer tripod; the offset ball head, for which there's no Manfrotto equivalent, allows me to use the full flexibility of the Explorer, but I didn't think Gitzo's QR system made sense.

I felt there was a choice between RC2 and Arca Swiss, and RC2 won out on price alone.


I took the 323 adapter off my head and put it on the 341 bracket. The resulting setup works, but is imperfect. The 341's brass anti-twist arm no longer reaches the camera, and the whole setup is not as secure on the bracket as if the camera is fitted directly to the bracket - even with my grip on a 200PLARCH-14 anti-twist plate rather than an ordinary 200PL-14 plate.

I'd like to see Manfrotto produce a version of the 341 bracket that has an RC2 clamp built in. After all, most people using the bracket will have RC2 plates on everything already.


Do post pictures of the flash bracket - it sounds interesting. I'm spent up at the moment, having bought a Speedlite 580EX this week and Off Shoe Cord 2 this week, and I think my next purchase will probably be a circular polariser, but I am interested in a flash bracket.

David

aam1234 wrote:
If I'm allowed to hijack this thread for a moment then allowed to ask a super-silly question.

See, I've been hearing about "3-way panhead" and I know that there are heads that can do:
1- Forward & backward
2- Left & right

My question is, what's the 3rd way

Tilt forwards, backwards - looking at the ground or sky respectively.
Tilt left, right - like leveling the horizon.
Pan left, right - turning the camera to the left or right.