Tripod help!

[Senna4ever]

Originally Posted by keitaro

^what position are you moving to?

Rentals!

[Senna4ever]

Originally Posted by LiquidTurbo

Any good?:

Amazon.com: Dolica AX620B100 62-Inch Proline Tripod and Ball Head: Electronics

$40, if weight isn't a concern..?

You get what you pay for.

[Alatar]

Originally Posted by LiquidTurbo

Any good?:

Amazon.com: Dolica AX620B100 62-Inch Proline Tripod and Ball Head: Electronics

$40, if weight isn't a concern..?

Originally Posted by Senna4ever

You get what you pay for.

I can just picture Senna's face when he read that post and made that reply.

I ended up buying a set of legs off fahimster. Not quite the 055CXPro, but the 190CXPro4 was what I was looking for/needed.

[keitaro]

the 190cxpro4 is a very good choice, what head are you paring it with?

[Alatar]

Originally Posted by keitaro

the 190cxpro4 is a very good choice, what head are you paring it with?

I'll be seeing Senna later today to get a Manfrotto 486RC2. I thought about the 496RC2, but can't seem to find it anywhere in stock. The only place that does have it locally wants $10 more than anywhere else.

[keitaro]

Originally Posted by Senna4ever

Rentals!

Does this mean we get discounts on rentals now?



On another note, does anyone know where locally I can get the Gitzo Glevel2?



Thanks!

[moky]

just thought i'd post here instead of making a new thread.

anyone familiar with INDURO tripods?
how's their quality? the pricing seems to be close to manfrotto's CF tripods, gitzo etc.
i was just browsing thru them and thought it's about time i upgraded tripods/heads.

[Senna4ever]

I looked at the Induro tripods when I was at WPPI, and they're not bad. The Induros do feel cheap compared to similar Gitzo or Manfrotto tripods though. The leg-lock mechanism isn't as well built or smooth as Gitzo or Manfrotto, and the metal alloy used in the screw where the head attaches is probably not as strong as Manfrotto or Gitzo, but as long as you're not slinging any really long lenses (300mm f2.8+) over your shoulder, it should be OK.

[moky]

bump from the dead!

im ordering a new tripod set soon and was thinking of this combo

manfrotto 055xprob + 498rc4
it was coming to about 306USD from b&h. does this seem like a good deal?
i checked on adorama, jr and amazon and this seems to be the lowest price, plus free shipping too!

the heaviest i'll do on it is a 70-200 + gripped 5d2 for now, until i get a hold of a 300mm

[m3thods]

sounds like a good deal! (at least cheaper than anything you can find here for that combo).

and weight wise that combo should be sufficient (here I am hoping my 190proxb+vanguard sbh 250) can hold my future 70-200 2.8 hahhaa

[moky]

if i have it shipped here via ups will i get taxed for duties etc?

[m3thods]

i would imagine since BH would definitely declare the full value. just taxes no duties though as most photography equipment is duty free.


also, i can't imagine it being free shipping to canada? if there's a shipping charge the difference in price may be small enough to get it here (say from senna )

[!MiKrofT]

It's free shipping only to US. You're better having it shipped to point roberts and declaring it when you come back. Shipping can be outrageous.

[LiquidTurbo]

Originally Posted by Senna4ever

You get what you pay for.

Originally Posted by LiquidTurbo

Any good?:

Amazon.com: Dolica AX620B100 62-Inch Proline Tripod and Ball Head: Electronics

$40, if weight isn't a concern..?

After owning this tripod for a while, I must say, one of the best bang for buck tripods. It really is quite incredible for a $40 pod.

[moky]

yeah its only free shipping to the US. with shipping, it would amount to 349 or something, where as over here, the closest i found was 400 (roughly) plus tax.

i might just pick it up in portland since i am going down there soon. i can still contemplate on getting the 055xprob, or a 190cxpro3

[m3thods]

personally get the one that you don't have to fuss around with to get the right height. Since the heaviest setup you'll run now is a 70-200 2.8 on a gripped 5d, the 190cxpro should handle that stability-wise. it's also much lighter, so you'll be more inclined to take it around with you.

I run at about 5'7, and the 190xprob (not the cf version) is absolutely perfect with the ball head I have. That means i just extend all the legs out max and I don't have to move around to get eye-level with the camera. however when i tried out the 055, I either had to tippy toe to get close to eye level, or play around with the legs. if I didn't extend one of the sections it'd be too low and uncomfortable to use. if you're taller than me (especially > 5'10) then take a real good look at the 055s, as they are more sturdy.

hope that helps. (as an aside, i got my gf to pick up my 190 legs when she went down to portland with a friend. no tax there and no tax coming up, so you might get lucky! )

[moky]

thanks for the input m3thods, im also 5'7 thats why i contemplated on getting the 190. the only reason i wanted to get the 055 was because i see myself getting a bigger lens in the future like a 300 or so, and was worried the 190 might not fully be able to support it.

it's just that i had ideas for having a taller tripod when shooting people or cars, and a ledge is not always there for me to stand on to get that elevated stand point.

yeah i've brought up quite a few lenses from portland and have been lucky

[m3thods]

ah haha lucky you i'm still debating about running a 70-200 2.8 from the states but at current prices i'd rather get it here.

yeah you're in tough. to be honest i think anything more than your suggested max setup will be pushing the tripod a bit on 190s. I'm getting my tele before xmas, so if you don't get the tripod until then i can tell you how my 190xprob+vanguard sbh250 hold up with the L. otherwise you're on your own

[moky]

i remember someone telling me before to not worry about what the legs would support, but more of what the head can support more...? i cant remember who told me that tho.

how does the vanguard ballhead compare to the 498rc2/4? vanguard has some pretty sweet tripods too. maybe we should meet up and il bring my gear to test with your tripod setup!

[m3thods]

sure that sounds pretty cool.. although I'm crazy busy with school atm.. you wouldn't happen to go to ubc would you? hahhaha


I think it's a good idea to match the weights properly on both. if your setup is too top heavy then your legs could wobble or worse, tip over.

i've read some really good reviews with the vanguard system. tbh i was going to get the 498rc2 until a friend showed me his sbh-300. i was shocked! much so that I even "downgraded" to the 250 since the 300 seemed a bit hardcore lol

i think the two main differences between the manfrotto and the vanguard are capacity and price. the vanguard allegedly holds more (40lbs or something ), while also being $50 cheaper.

Actually holding the two, they both feel VERY solid, and tbh I prefer the vanguard's "ball neck", as it's a bit thicker and seems more robust. both have sliding plates which is a god send, especially if you're dumb like me and sometimes forget to put the camera on properly.

the manfrotto is definitely smoother to operate though (but same adjustments on both).

two quirky things though which may affect your purchase- the manfrotto should be compatible with other plates (arca swiss, l-plates, etc) while the vanguard is NOT. if you plan on getting l-plates or other plate systems in the future, get the manfrotto. if not, the vanguard comes with 2 QR plates


dang that was a long post lol hope that helps!

[moky]

il just see what i can get down in portland. i think i'd prefer the smoother operation on the manfrotto, except when i do use a tripod, i do take my time, so a thicker ball neck with a less smoother operation would suffice as well. i did check the vanguard ballheads on line and yeah they definitely look sturdy, and that it's 50bucks cheaper is nice too

can u go into more detail as to what u mean by a smoother operation?

[m3thods]

sure it's more of a personal preference thing. it really has to do with the pan function. the vanguard is a bit tight, but can still pan properly. it just takes a bit more effort compared to the manfrotto. the positions seem to lock "just a bit" looser than on the vanguard- i didn't test it on a huge lens like the 70-200, but with the weight of my gripped 50d, the vanguard seems to droop about a mm, but i live with it. it definitely wasn't something that got in the way of framing a shot. I haven't tried on the manfrotto, but i'd imagine it's a bit better in that respect, nor did i come across anyone complaining online back in april when i was doing some comparison shopping.

[moky]

cool. those are some things for me to keep in mind then. il just try out the vanguard and manfrotto heads to see which i like better, but i sort of right now am leaning towards the manfrotto still just because i like the knobs a tad bit better.

[m3thods]

definitely can't go wrong there!

[moky]

i pre-ordered the 055xprob + 498rc4 from a store i usually frequent down at portland and will pick it up this weekend!
he wasn't too familiar with the vanguard tripods, but did mention induro.