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Best tripod, head for Nikon 600mm f/4 (1 Viewer)

thrush

Craig Brelsford (大山雀)
I recently bought my dream lens, the Nikon 600mm f/4. Before I complete my setup with a new tripod and head, I want to get some opinions from users of birdforum.net. Which tripod should I buy? Which head?

I'm particularly interested in your experiences. Do you have a 600mm lens? How are your results with your tripod and head? Is there anything else I should know?

I bought the lens for bird photography. I'm 42 and in good shape, meaning I am capable of carrying some pretty heavy stuff long distances. I take pictures of all kinds of birds and in all sorts of places, from wetlands to deserts and from low country to the mountains.
 
Hi Thrush,

Might be worth a look at this set up for heavy lenses - the Manfrotto 475B tripod (max load 12kg!) and the Manfrotto 393 head. Romy Ocon uses this set up with the Sigma 300-800 lens and the big Canon 600 (check out www.pbase.com/liquidstone for pics of the equipment in question). I bought both together for under £300 in the UK, not sure if I've got the right currency but that converts to just under 16400TWD. Hope that's of some use to you, certainly worth considering I think.

Geedub
 
hi Thrush - congrats on the new lens, I'm sure you'll have great fun using it. I've moved this thread to the photographic section as you may get more response here.

Personally I'd go for a Gitzo or one of the heavy Manfrottos. I used to use the standard 055 Manfrotto (and still do with my scope), I was happy with it until I tried a Gitzo and found out what stability really was. As for the head a gimbal is a great choice, the Wimberley's are very popular, I use a Jobu Black Widow with my 500 f4 - it;s lighter and cheaper than a Wimberley but very well made and stable. I tested a Manfrotto 393 for a couple of weeks and was very unimpressed, it does not offer the stability that a proper gimbal does.
 
Hi Thrush,
You don't say which 600/4 you have got, but suggest the following.

a) Change the existing tripod foot for a wimberly or kirk foot, as the nikon one is too flexible.
b) Tripod carbon fibre, something like a Gitzo 1548, or its newer model.
c) A gimbal head is a must, either a Wimberly 2 ,or a Kirk king cobra.

The existing tripod foot needs to be changed to enable fitting to either of the gimbal heads, should you choose one.
regards.
 
Thanks for everyone's responses so far. Let me give you some information and a quick report on developments since I first posted:

Lens: AF-S Nikkor 600mm f/4G ED VR
Tripod head: Benro GH-2
Tripod: Velbon Neo Carmagne 630
Camera: Nikon D300

I bought three of the four elements above (everything except the new Nikkor lens) last year when I purchased my Sigma 120-300mm f/2.8.

I have discovered that the Benro GH-2 is probably adequate for the new Nikkor lens. The Benro GH-2 is a gimbal head analogous to the Wimberely WH-200 Head Version II.

The Velbon Neo Carmagne 630, however, is probably inadequate. Knowing that the tripod will most likely have to be replaced, I used the Velbon unextended during my tests this week. That is, I set it short and squat on the ground with the legs out but not drawn out to their full length. In this way I was able to achieve more stability.

I shot foraging blackbirds at a local park on cloudy, dark afternoons. I waited until the blackbird was motionless, poised to strike for a worm. I then took four to six shots in rapid succession. Analysis of the photos shows that the bird is not moving. Even so, there is a great variation in the quality of the photos. None are tack-sharp, even at speeds as fast as 1/80 of a second. Many are noticeably blurry. Only camera shake can be causing this blur. Also worth noting is that I was using my remote-control cable and therefore not touching the camera with my finger as I photographed the blackbird. Finally, I used both settings of vibration reduction that the Nikkor lens offers: "normal" and "tripod." I noticed no big difference in results achieved between the settings.

If the Benro GH-2 is adequate, then what is causing my failure to achieve tack-sharp photos with the new Nikkor lens at 1/80 of a second? I will most likely be buying a Gitzo tripod in the next few days. Will a new tripod be enough? What else must I do to achieve sharp photos at speeds below 1/100 of a second?
 
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1/80 at 600mm now that demands a rock steady set up and a very good long lens technique, looking at the velbon site your tripod seems to have a max capacity of 6Kgs and I believe that the 600/4 may weigh that without the body and head.
It could be vibration through the tripod, don't forget you're holding the camera and keeping pressure on the shutter release button, this may be enough to move the set up depending on how stable the ground on which the tripod is erected over.
Try a shot at the same exposure with everything tightened up at a test subject, using the timer and then as you did in the field and see if there's any difference
 
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Hi Thrush,
Not sure of all that you are saying, so the following is suggested.
VR does not work very well (if at all) on a locked down tripod head.Slacken off the head and it will work on the "normal" setting.The more movement the better VR responds.
If you, in your example above, had the head locked down, did you use mirror lock up with the remote release?
If I had tried to take the image I would have gone for VR on, head slackened off, single shot and held the camera, and with my other hand resting on the balance point of the lens to dampen out and possible vibration.You must wait for the lens to STABILISE before you take the image.
Stabilisation seems to take some time, so to assist in reducing the time lag, if you set up your camera to use the AF on button for focus only, and use the shutter release button to trip the shutter AND start up the VR , then you can have the lens stabilised before you focus the camera, by simply depressing the shutter release 1/2 way and then focus and trip shutter, job done.
1/80 sec, well I would have had a go, but would have liked 1/125 better.
I have had a 600/4 for about 4 years now (600/4afs2 for 2.5 years and the 600/4vr for 1.5 years).
The vr version works well on a monopod and great on a bean bag, and you need a good strong tripod.
Hope some of the above is of some use.
regards.
 
Thanks for your responses! On Friday I bought the Gitzo GT5541LS. I tried it out Saturday in my local park with the new 600mm lens. What a difference! But I am still finding evidence of camera shake in my shots.
 
I have used the 600/4 VR with the full Wimberley (WH-200) and the Gitzo 3530LSV (now 3531) since december last year and are very satisfied with that combo. With the exchange foot from Wimberley it performs outstandingly easy on the tripod. I wouldn´t go for anything else with that lens of yours.

Although it is a lens with VR it really recuires you to have a good "long-lens-tecnique". I solve that problem by simply put my left hand on the top of the lenses tripod-collar and easily push my eye and chin to the camera body. This tend to eliminate camera and lens shake.

Check out my gallery pics here on the forum. They are all taken with the D700 (kingfisher with D200), 600/4, TC 1.4x and the above tripod/head-combo.
 
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For rock solid performance photographers use a wooden tripod. These are huge contraptions, but the wood seems to absorb some vibration. Remember weather, noise, etc are conditions that affect stability. These tripods are expensive and bulky. The feet are also anchored to each other or are on a platform, in addition to having provision for weighing the tripod for further steadiness.

Companies that make these tripods are Kowa, Ries, Berlebach. These tripods are used for medium to large format cameras because of the weight. As a Canon 600mm lens owner I can say these lenses certainly qualify as heavy.

Even with all of the above, There is no such steadiness as a rock unless you are actually on a rock! Try to boost your ISO levels for more shutter speed. Modern digital cameras are marvels for this and 6400 should be easily acheivable with a newer camera and still have excellent quality.
 
as a general rule of thumb you should be using your focal length as the minimum shutter speed

so a Canon 50D 1.6x crop and a 400mm lens should be using 1/640 shutter speed (400x1.6)

600mm on a 5D (full frame) would be 1/600 shutter and so on :)

drew
 
You will love using the 600 f/4 - I have the same lens with Wimberly foot, Wimberly V2 gimbal head, on a Gitzo 410 ProStudex Giant tripod and it is rock solid. I will be getting the same Gitzo CF tripod you got to save weight, but I have used the Kinesis L521d Polycore Long Lens Case with backpack harness to carry the whole heavy combination on day hikes as long as 6 miles so far, with comfort. The Kinesis will hold the lens with both parts of the shade attached inverted, with the Nikon lens cover, with a TC 1.4 and camera body (D300 or D700) mounted. The case provides great protection and carries like a regular backpack, with tripod strapped to the back. Total weight is about 30 pounds. The more places you can get your long lens to, to more fun you will have with it!
 
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