Tripod max load question

Hello,

I'm looking for a tripod for my setup. I've read the various tripod stickies but i'm wondering: what is the recommended "load" ratio the tripod & head should support for the weight you have?

i.e. The tripod max load should be 2X the total weight of your system? or 3X?


The MAX i will be putting on there is:

0950g - 5D Mark III
0225g - EF Extender 1.4X II
1380g - 100-400L

2555g - Total -> rounded up = 3kg / 6.6lb Load

plus maybe a flash.

So does this mean I would be looking at tripods and head capable of supporting 6kg or 9kg as their max load capacity?


Thank you very much.

Sami

Sami, there are absolutely no standardized tests across the tripod manufacturing industry to arrive at the "max load" figures. Further, there are absolutely no standardized tests for how rigidly a given tripod will hold a camera/lens combination (and there are, of course, many such combinations). Thus, there is no way to use the "max load" figures supplied by tripod manufacturers (especially for cheap tripods) to be able to predict how good the performance of a tripod will be with your camera/lens.

If you are looking at the tripods made by very reputable manufacturers (brand names like Manfrotto, Gitzo, etc.) and choose a tripod with a "max load" value (for both tripod legs and head - not additive) at least three times the weight of your maximum intended load, you'll probably have something that's going to do a pretty fair job of holding your equipment steady. If you need something really sturdy, you might want to use a 5X or greater multiplier.

that does help.

I will use 3X as a general guideline and check out the name brand tripods in my budget

Thank you skip.

Proof of why 'max load' is a very nebulous claim

I just solved this problem years ago, i went with 25KG and 18KG so i am safe for loads even in future gear heavy weights, if i bought something that is let's say 10KG i may replace it once i will have gear that can reach 7-9KG, so i advise you to go with no less than 15-18KG load tripod and never look back.

Skip is correct, you really can't trust most manufacturers' max load specs. OTOH the two top-tier brands Gitzo & RRS seem to be a bit conservative in their load ratings. Also it's good to look forward as someday you might want to get a heftier lens than your extended 100-400. You don't want to be buying a tripod every couple of years.

peter_n wrote in post #17061288
Skip is correct, you really can't trust most manufacturers' max load specs. OTOH the two top-tier brands Gitzo & RRS seem to be a bit conservative in their load ratings. Also it's good to look forward as someday you might want to get a heftier lens than your extended 100-400. You don't want to be buying a tripod every couple of years.

Which i stated here or somewhere to be in safe side and buy that tripod that handle enough overweight just for future heavy glasses or even bodies plans.

Don't overlook the option for many tripods to hang a weight (or camera bag) under the mount to improve stability. That can be a considerable increase over ratings.

I would also consider "portability" for travel. If it is too big you'll leave it home more often.
My Gitzo is undersized for what I often put on it, but good technique can compensate for that.

A very important concept to keep in mind during tripod selection and tripod head selection:
'max load' is often a secondary consideration to the Max FL lens you expect to use, as the ability of the tripod+head to hold the camera on target is a characteristic of

• the necessary gap between fittings plus the lock's ability to resist torsional motion permitted by those tolerances, and
  
• vibrational dampening inherent to the materials used in the tripod legs, etc...wood has better dampening than aluminum tubing
  

Thank you all.

I'm leaning towards the Sirui T-1204x tripod as it seems to meet my needs and price point.

it handles 3X the weight of my system: 10KG

It is light so that I _will_ take it out of the house: 0.8 KGB


It is about $200.

And I do not seeing myself purchasing a lens longer/heavier than the 100-400 as it meets my needs on the _very rare_ occasion that I do use it.

Have you forgotten to choose a head for the tripod? Sirui's specifications show the head mounting stud has a 1/4-20 thread. There is a "base mount" thread that is 3/8-16, but they don't explain what a "base mount" is.

I'm still researching the style of head that I would prefer to use in terms of movement control, levels. etc.

Thank you.

Another thing to consider: The T-1204X is only 45" tall with the center column down - where it should be almost all the time. If you have the center column of a tripod extended, the rigidity of a tripod is significantly reduced. The T-1204X is way too short for me to want to use regularly and I'm only 5'8" tall. Consider what it would be like if your camera were mounted to the tripod and pointed upward at a subject.

good catch. I'm 5'3" and even I think 45" is not tall enough.

I'll mark off my "eye level" against a wall and see what range of heights I find comfortable to work with and then add in some fudge factors for the 5D height and also work in the height of a few ball heads.

thanks.