Manfrotto Ballheads

I just bought a Manfrotto 486RC2 ballhead and need a tripod. The only tripod that would work with it would be a Manfrotto one, correct?

No. The 3/8"-16 pitch thread in the base of the head is pretty much a standard tripod head mounting screw. Those tripods that don't use it, but allow you to interchange heads, take a 1/4"-20 thread like your camera does, and there are very inexpensive adapter bushings to allow you to connect the larger threaded head to the smaller tripod screw.

Okay thanks.

Not sure what kind of legs you're looking for....but...while you don't have to use Manfrotto legs, the 055xProB are really nice

merlin2375 wrote in post #8983211
Not sure what kind of legs you're looking for....but...while you don't have to use Manfrotto legs, the 055xProB are really nice

Exactly the combination i am also using (on recommendation in this forum) - and very happy with it.

OP: do not make the mistake to go with cheap legs, if you have such a nice head. I did (bought a Hama one) and regretted it.

Not looking to spend that much though, something <$100

Ah, I haven't used this but they get EXCELLENT reviews here on POTN:

99.95 shipped, Slik 700DX
http://www.bhphotovide​o.com …00DX_Pro_Tripod​_Legs.html

Thanks for the reference, and that should fit with this ballhead?

canon_fanatic wrote in post #8983313
Not looking to spend that much though, something <$100

Are you saying you'd risk your 7D/300 f/2.8L by putting it on a cheapie tripod that you could not totally trust? If you do, you'd better have a super-duper insurance policy, because you'll need it when the tripod does not stay vertical.

By the way - for a lens like the 300 f/2.8, the 486RC2 is a rather light-duty ball head. Manfrotto's 488RC2 is significantly beefier (though almost the same external size) and would do a much better job of holding the camera/lens steady.

I'll also recommend that you get the Manfrotto 055XProB (or equvalent) tripod to have a safe and steady rig under your camera.

I would think something at $100 would do just as good a job as something that's $160. What is seriously wrong with the one Merlin posted?

canon_fanatic wrote in post #8983443
I would think something at $100 would do just as good a job as something that's $160. What is seriously wrong with the one Merlin posted?

Price is not really a deciding factor for what works well.

I don't have experience with the low-priced brands that have been mentioned in this thread. What I do have is experience with the Manfrotto line. Their tripods are, without a doubt, the best-built and sturdiest tripods I have ever found for the money.

I have not personally seen any tripods which are significantly less expensive than the Manfrotto line which I would trust my equipment and photos to. Most of the relatively cheap tripods I have seen have been either too fragile (as in they would loosen up or come apart with significant use) or just not sturdy enough for serious use.

So then wouldn't $100 Manfrotto legs do the same? I think so. When I said <$100 I didn't mean something like $50.

Note that Manfrotto has replaced the 48x line of heads with 49x models. They are available in Europe and according to a hand-out at Photo Expo in NYC last month, soon to be released in the US. You can see specs for 498rc2 for instance, by googling and locating an overseas Manfrotto page.

canon_fanatic wrote in post #8984288
So then wouldn't $100 Manfrotto legs do the same? I think so. When I said <$100 I didn't mean something like $50.

Manfrotto does make tripods designed for lighter/smaller cameras than fully-loaded EOS cameras. They are, of course, generally at a lower price point than the ones which are quite popular with the group on this forum (and similar ones I've visited). However, the two families within the Manfrotto line which really are worth looking at as a baseline general-purpose tripod are the 055 family and, for shorter photographers using shorter or lighter lenses, the 190 family.

There are various prices for different members of each family having different groups of options. For example (and I don't know all the model numbers), if you wanted an 055 with a more conventional center column than the 055XProB (i.e. one having a center column which cannot be mounted horizontally), I believe there is a model which fits that specification and it would probably cost a little less than the 055XProB. You can probably find another version that comes with the (normally optional as accessories) convertible "feet" that can be either rubber or spiked.

Believe me - it's worth getting the best tripod you can afford up front even if it means saving a little longer before buying. Most amateur photographers that I know personally have gone through several tripods and probably spent more money than one good one would have cost. Many years ago, I was in the same rut. In 1968 I bought a very good Linhof tripod that I used up to about six years ago when I sold it to a friend and got my Manfrotto 3021BPro (forerunner to the 055XProB). I also have one much heavier tripod now, but the 3021 will serve me for many more years - at least until I start pushing up daisies for a hobby.

Do a search on tripods here and you'll find a dozen threads speaking to the issue of the trade-offs of weight, stability and expense for tripods. Why invest several thousand dollars in a camera and then nickel and dime the piece of equipment that you use to get sharp, clear pictures?

The bottom line is that if you want to keep down the price, get a Manfrotto. It might be heavy, but it will do the job. Check B&H's line of all the Manfrotto's. That 486 is too light for your setup. Get the 488 at least.