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Tri-pod combination Gitzo ,wimberley ,advice (1 Viewer)

doozer

doozer

Well-known member
I am looking at finaly investing in a new tripod and head to use with my Canon 500 F4,I am looking at warehouse express to place my order so does any one have any horror stories before I start.
I will be in the uk at the begining of Feb so have plenty of time.

I am thinking of the Gitzo GT3451 LS SERIES 3.

http://www.warehouseexpress.com/buy...od-with-safe-lock-plate-long-version/p1026504

The wimberley head MK II

http://www.warehouseexpress.com/buy-wimberley-head-mk-ii/p1012216

With the P50 quick release plate


http://www.warehouseexpress.com/buy-wimberley-p50-quick-release-plate/p15130

Is this the full combo or will I need other parts to assemble???
Is this overkill fo this lens??
Are there as good but cheaper options??
I see people mention the manfrotto 393 ,is this realy up to the job.
I know these questions come up alot and I have read the other posts which is what bought me to this setup.
Any advice would be appretiated..
 
Not with that combo, almost the same as mine but I bought the 3 section tripod rather than the 4. Not sure if you change the lens foot on a Canon 500 but I bought the wimberley foot for my Nikon which does 2 things, it reduces the height of the lens offering better balance and it means I have a solid fot rather than a foot and a plate (for not much more money)
It'll be a very nice combo
 
Warehouse Express are fine - I've had no bad experiences buying from them. Bob Rigby also do Gitzo and Wimberley and I can't fault them either - worth checking to compare prices

http://www.bobrigby.com/products.html
http://www.bobrigby.com/wimberley/wimberleyv2head.html
http://www.bobrigby.com/wimberley/lensplates.html

I have no affiliation with either of these retailers.

Hope this helps,
RM

PS
FYI VAT in the UK will be going up from 15% at the moment to 17.5% at the start of January so there might be a small increase in prices at the start of 2010.
 
The Gitzo/Wimberley combo will give you all the support you could wish for and the Gitzo leg clamps are quick to adjust. The Wimberley II is a dream to use and if you are thinking of others like the Manfrotto 393, Cobra or Sidekick, please try a Wimberley first before you part with the cash.
I use a Gitzo 5540 and WimberleyII with my Nikon D3/600mm f4 combo and find it superb. Your 500 will be fine on a 3451 and it's 4lb lighter than my 5540.
The parts you have suggested are not overkill for your lens and you will only need a 4mm allen key to assemble the plate. The P50 plate is nice and long to allow you to slide the lens on the Wimberley head to get a good balance. Make sure you install the two small end stop screws provided with the plate to ensure the lens does not slide out of the head!!
As to your request for other tripod/head combos I would urge you to get the best, especially when you have got one of the best and most expensive lenses out there. It deserves a good support.

If you need and more info, the bloke to talk to is Gary Watson at Bob Rigby Photographic in Macclesfield , Cheshire, UK as they are the main importers for Wimberley and also do all Gitzo. I know you are in Egypt and I don't know what dealers you have there but give Bob Rigby's a ring on UK 01625 575591. They are also on the net at http://www.bobrigby.com/
 
I have the exact same tripod/wimberley/plate, though mine is only the P30. Tripod is very light, slightly heavier with the wimberley on. I only have a Canon 300f2.8 so not as heavy as your 500 (even with converters/1D MkIII attached). You may consider looking also on Warehouse Express for the padding that wrap around the legs. Just for that little bit more comfort when carrying over the shoulder.
 
Thanks to all for taking the time to respond, very helpful.
I would like to check that the release plates are camera specific which means to use my 100-400 canon as well I will need a seperate plate.
 
I would have thought the release plates are generic to all lenses. Wouldn't think you would need more than one. Unless you want one for each lens. Might make things easier when out in the field.
 
Ok so the order is in and the bank balance is crying.
So here is what I ordered:

Gitzo GT3541LS Series 3 Systematic Tripod
Wimberley Head Mk II
Wimberley P50 Quick Release Plate
Kaiser 6482 1/4 - 3/8 Thread Adaptor

As I will be only in the country for a few days I want to check am I missing anything to marry these Items together for my 500 f4.

Thanks in advance...
 
Duke Leto said:
I bought the wimberley foot for my Nikon which does 2 things, it reduces the height of the lens offering better balance and it means I have a solid fot rather than a foot and a plate (for not much more money)
Click to expand...

I also quickly switched to a low profile foot with built-in arca swiss mount, in my case the 4th Generation Design CP-61 for the Canon 600/4... benefits?
it's shaves about 3/4 lb off the total weight
improves balance
makes life more comfortable when carrying your lens over your shoulder
makes packing your lens+camera easier
Easier to use when shooting off-tripod, i.e. bean bag
Gets you down a bit lower when using something like a 'skimmer'.
Single unit, rather than separate arca swiss plate... maybe more stability?

Negative, if you're used to carrying your camera+lens by the tripod foot, then there is far less space to get 'fat' fingers under... although I think the 4th Generation Design is a touch better than the Wimberley AP-602 alternative in that regard.
Less to get hold of to get everything onto tripod head.

cheers,
Andy
 
Don't forget the 3 & 4mm allen keys to fasten the plate to the lens and the stop screws to the bottom of the plate. Gitzos usually come with a spanner to fasten the head to the tripod. A comfy op-tech tripod strap is handy to carry the tripod with over long distances with the lens not attached.
 
Gitzo GT3451 LS SERIES 3.

http://www.warehouseexpress.com/buy...od-with-safe-lock-plate-long-version/p1026504

The wimberley head MK II

http://www.warehouseexpress.com/buy-wimberley-head-mk-ii/p1012216

With the P50 quick release plate


http://www.warehouseexpress.com/buy-wimberley-p50-quick-release-plate/p15130[/COLOR]

Just thought I would say thanks to all involved in helping me make the decision on the above combination.I amso glad I did not compromise on the cost and quality oftheequipment.
I finaly got back to the uk to collect the gear and have tried it in the field.The build quality of the head is second to none being so smooth in all directions and so easy to adjust. Also the tripod is easy to use when you getyour head around the leg locking system(remember righty tighty, lefty loosey) .Although the head is heavy it is not unbearable to carry as a unit but would or should have bought a carry harness for it.

If you are going to get a tripod for a large lens don't try to save money, I ended up buying 3 finding the first two not up to the job.As they say you get what you pay for.

Thanks again.
 
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