• Welcome to BirdForum, the internet's largest birding community with thousands of members from all over the world. The forums are dedicated to wild birds, birding, binoculars and equipment and all that goes with it.

    Please register for an account to take part in the discussions in the forum, post your pictures in the gallery and more.
ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

I need some support...Digital SLR with Telephoto Lens. Tripod & Head Advice Please (1 Viewer)

Ceeege

Ceeege

Birding at the speed of parenthood...
I need some support...Digital SLR with Telephoto Lens. Tripod & Head Advice Please

Hi there,

I've come to the conclusion that I need to lug more gear around the field with me and what better way to sap my energy than buying a good quality tripod, plate and head combination to go with my setup.

I currently have a Nikon D200 (dabbling with the idea of a D300) and a Nikkor 200-400 f4 VR. I want to get a good tripod, plate and head combo for it (I currently handhold, use the local topography or occasionally put it on a monopod) and am looking for suggestions. The combo currently weighs in at 4kg but I could be tempted to try a bigger lens in the future so would need something futureproof. I take all sorts of birds and like to be able to react to something I see, so a quick setup time would be ideal.

I have heard good things about the Wimberly Sidekick and also Gitzo tripods and am keen to hear feedback on any experience and advice with these. As for expenditure, well I don't mind paying for something that's going to give me years of good use, hence the interest in the Wimberly and Gitzo brands.

Any information people can post will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
 
For many years I've used Manfrotto tripods and have always been very happy with them, however... last year I bought a Gitzo, I honestly could not believe the difference. The Gitzo (I got a secondhand 1349 CF) is rock solid, and it weighs less than the Manfrotto 055 pro I was using before. As for heads, if you plan on going bigger than the 200-400vr then you'd do well to buy a full Wimberley rather than the sidekick. There are a couple of other gimbal heads that are worth considering, the Kirk king cobra and the Jobu Black Widow, both are noticeably cheaper than the Wimberley. I went for a Jobu and have been very happy with it, it holds my 500 f4 with ease.
 
My experience has been with the Gitzos. I have the 3530LSV and the GT 3540 (for traveling) with the Wimberley WH200 head. I had the older version but found it rather difficult to use as compared with the later version. This set-up is for my 1D Mk. 3 and the 500f4 L IS. I have no experience with the Jobu/Black Widow but I would recommend the Wimberley for the long run!
 
Ceeege said:
Hi there,

I've come to the conclusion that I need to lug more gear around the field with me and what better way to sap my energy than buying a good quality tripod, plate and head combination to go with my setup.

I currently have a Nikon D200 (dabbling with the idea of a D300) and a Nikkor 200-400 f4 VR. I want to get a good tripod, plate and head combo for it (I currently handhold, use the local topography or occasionally put it on a monopod) and am looking for suggestions. The combo currently weighs in at 4kg but I could be tempted to try a bigger lens in the future so would need something futureproof. I take all sorts of birds and like to be able to react to something I see, so a quick setup time would be ideal.

I have heard good things about the Wimberly Sidekick and also Gitzo tripods and am keen to hear feedback on any experience and advice with these. As for expenditure, well I don't mind paying for something that's going to give me years of good use, hence the interest in the Wimberly and Gitzo brands.

Any information people can post will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Click to expand...
Hi,
Its worth checking out Benbo Trekkers they are very well made and very versatile (great for Macro shots as they will adjust to any angle) i got one off Ebay and its brilliant
Cheers
Brian
 
Hi,
My advice to anyone wanting a decent tripod & head is always to go for a combo that can support twice the weight you need. That way you get alot of redundancy & a rock solid support. Carbon fibre supposidly dampens vibrations better than aluminium & sometimes weighs less as well. I am currently using a Gitzo 1548 with a full Wimberley head for my long lens. This combo costs a fortune, but do i regret it? not a bit!
Before i had the full Wimberley, i had a sidekick fitted onto a Kirk BH-1 ball head, which gave me the option of a gimbal head for the long lens or a ball head for landscapes or macro. The only reason i sold the sidekick is because i have a Nikon 600mm on order & needed a bit more support. The ballhead i now have on a Manfrotto 055 for lighter lens & macro work.

Regards

Rob
 
I'm no expert, but I've been very happy with my Gitzo 5530S and Wimberley head. I found that the Gitzo leveling base is very helpful because I can set up very quickly on uneven ground. If you use a Wimberly head (and I presume any other gimble mount) it's important to level your tripod to gain full advantage of the gimble.

The new Gitzo's also have a mechanism so that the legs don't turn when you loosen and tighten them. This also helps with rapid setups.
 
I've got the Gitzo 3530S and the fully Wimberley head for my Canon 1D Mk III and 500 f/4. The combo works great and is very solid. I used to have a Sidekick which did handle the 500, but if cost is not a concern, I really recommend going with the full head. It's more sturdy and also more maneuverable.
 
Warning! This thread is more than 16 years ago old.
It's likely that no further discussion is required, in which case we recommend starting a new thread. If however you feel your response is required you can still do so.

Similar threads

P
Tripod/head recommendations for Leica Televid 77
Replies
8
Views
423
phototroph
P
S
New tripod and head for Kowa TSN-66A
Replies
9
Views
1K
fazalmajid
fazalmajid
J
Tripod/head advice
Replies
13
Views
3K
Peregrine Took
P
Y
Best tripod head for attaching/detaching a camera from the scope
Replies
7
Views
1K
etn991
E
M
Advice for first spotting scope (+ tripod)
2
Replies
21
Views
4K
Hermann
Hermann

Users who are viewing this thread

Total: 2 (members: 0, guests: 2)
Back
Top