I currently have a Gitzo 2 series basalt tripod with a Gitzo head modified with a Kirk Arca swiss adapter. I use Kirk plates on all of my bodies.

What I don't like. The tripod flexes a lot on the lower leg section. I need a lot of weight hung from it to really stabilize the tripod and I still think I get shake. When tripod is in a lower position it feels tippy. It is not wide enough.

Looking at Gitzo again, RRS and ????

Thinking of going full size. No excuses. If I am pulling out a tripod I want it to be rock solid. Otherwise I use my gorillapod focus. What is a killer Arca swiss compatible option??

Well, you already mentioned you were looking at RRS. I love love my TVC-33 and the BH-55 ball head. Its a fantastic combination. The other thing I really like about the RRS gear is that I'm growing into it. They have so many support options, that I feel like I'm buying into a quality support system that I will continue to grow. Not unlike choosing a camera system. Next I'm looking into some of the pano head options they have.

Good luck!

If I am pulling out a tripod I want it to be rock solid.

Exactly!!
I havent used everything but after talking with the USA distributor I went with the Uniloc. Built in the UK...not china
I got the MASYS2300. It is a monster and solid as a rock. That is the good news.

The bad news most people could not use this without a teacher in the room. As you can see in the pictures it can go all the way to the floor..and all the way to over 8ft. It is not conventional in use, twist one handle and all of the legs come loose..very different.
The other thing is the web site sucks very poor documentation and illustration. But when you get one you will not be disappointed.

I went with the Acratech GP-s for the ball head.

http://uniloctripod.com/
http://acratech.net/product.php?productid=76
Gary

Wow! That is a wild looking unit. It looks to be VERY versatile. The Acratech head is high on my list. I just haven't seen one in real life. They are super sexy and they look really light.

Uniloc (or Benbo) tripods aren't referred to as a 'dancing octopus' without reason :)
They indeed offer things that a 'std' tripod arrangement doesn't - but I'd strongly suggest trying one first to see if it's right for you.

The 'central locking' is both useful - and a main pita - depending on circumstances. If you're in a situation where you need / want to only adjust one aspect of what the central lock controls - it gets interesting - especally if using a heavy (ish) rig that's cantilevered out at the end of the sliding arm.

Slackening off the locking knob for the sliding arm used to allow that arm to rotate in its housing - as well as allow sliding in / out (design may now be different?) - if unchanged, this unwanted rotation could be ... well, interesting :)

Max height may well be quoted - but this is with the sliding column fully extended, of course - placing the rig way above the most stable point of the tripod.

I ended up stripping the knurling on the main locking lever of mine, thro' ensuring that the main joint was tight enough to be secure. (threaded insert rotated inside the lever) - maybe again the design has changed?

Comments based on (my) use, btw - I still have it (a std) and occasionally still gets used for certain jobs.

Mainly use old ali Gitzos now (bought used) - because I like the interchangeability of parts and versatilty of the top clamp system.

I now generally use a customised series 5 with video head for heaviest rig, btw - although even this is normally useless for low-level stuff (like all tripod rigs, imo)

pp

Uniloc (or Benbo) tripods aren't referred to as a 'dancing octopus' without reason :)

The is from the original inventor of the system.. benbo is a Indian product, very different quality wise.
Like I said it is different but, it is genuinely "thinking outside the box". It will do things no other tripod will do and it takes some thinking to take advantage of that.
But as a manufacturer of adult toys..(not the XXX kind so settle down) I strive to do the same thing. Take a product that does the same job as others, but in a interesting / better way.

The problem with that is unfortunately most customers cant tie their own shoes with out a video.
God bless their little hearts, they try..and fail. When I ripped open the box and set (tried to) it up..I was scratching my head. When it clicked in my brain just how it worked, I said out loud..my customers could never figure this out.
I am in wood hauling mode today in prep for the oncoming 7th level of hell..better known as winter.
But if anyone wants I will set it up and snap some pics.
Gary

Originally Posted by Wayupthere ... benbo is a Indian product, very different quality wise. ...

Interesting that 'Benbo' branded tripods are now made in India (any links to this info?) - the originals (+ Kennetts) were made in the UK afaik. (Mine is a UniLoc, btw - so previous comments relate to that make)

Irrespective of manufacturer, there are still issues / limitations associated with the design - related to its actual use, rather than setting up - that are worth considering.

pp

Not sure about the Octopus. I want straight forward and rock solid. I have a weird octopus too. My gorillapod! It is an amazing feat to shoot with a D3s + 70-200 2.8 on that thing. Yep it works. Is it easy? Nope. Leaning toward the RRS TVC-33 Versa Tripod with BH-55 LR Ballhead I might go with the L to get some extra height for when I need it. You never know right?

Irrespective of manufacturer, there are still issues / limitations associated with the design - related to its actual use, rather than setting up - that are worth considering.

There are NO limitations as a rock solid tripod for taking pictures.
That said, its a little like chocolate and vanilla ice cream..they are not for everybody. But when you think about it what tool is?
I like the design of the RRS TVC-33 Versa that your are looking at. Plus you might have a better chance of getting one in stock if you do go with the L.

I had found one similar but with alum legs before I got my last one. I work with carbon fiber quite a bit and it baffles me how it can be a good material for a tripod. It obviously works well with so many made..but alum soaks up vibration so much better.
Nothing RRS makes is junk so you will be in good hands, and all made in the USA!
I still like the Acratech head the best though
Gary

Originally Posted by Wayupthere There are NO limitations as a rock solid tripod for taking pictures. ...

Well, maybe the basic design has changed since I bought mine (13+ yrs ago)

Do you still need to slacken the main clamp to alter the angle of the sliding arm housing?

Does the sliding arm rotate -as well as slide - when its clamp is loosened - or is there now a feature that stops rotation and only allows slding?

pp

Originally Posted by Zerodog I currently have a Gitzo 2 series basalt tripod with a Gitzo head modified with a Kirk Arca swiss adapter. I use Kirk plates on all of my bodies. What I don't like. The tripod flexes a lot on the lower leg section. I need a lot of weight hung from it to really stabilize the tripod and I still think I get shake. When tripod is in a lower position it feels tippy. It is not wide enough. Looking at Gitzo again, RRS and ???? Thinking of going full size. No excuses. If I am pulling out a tripod I want it to be rock solid. Otherwise I use my gorillapod focus. What is a killer Arca swiss compatible option??

I have a Gitzo 1548:
http://www.the-digital-picture.com/R...od-Review.aspx

This is an old tripod from before Gitzo changed their numbering system. It is the equivalent of the 5 series, but heavier. It is built like a Russian Tank. I've seen pictures of a guy, who looks 200lbs at least, pulling himself off the ground from underneath the tripod, and hanging from the central plate. This thing is rock solid; I never worry about vibration. I bought it used at a camera shop. The previous owner used it with his large format view camera. It is a little hard to take on a trip, or hiking, though. I am looking for a lighter solution for travel.

I also have the Acratech Ballhead. Mine is the GP. It is a very strong ballhead, and light. I suspect it might not be as vibration-free as the top of the line RRS ballheads or Arca-Swiss, but I've had no complaints for the shots I take.

There's nothing wrong with the Kirk plates, but bear in mind not all manufacturers have the same specs, especially if you are looking at a lever-lock system. If you stick with knobs, you will be fine.

There are a lot of things to consider, at least for me. One was height! There are only 2 or 3 tripods sold (that I could find in 2010) that would extend to my height (6'9") and I ended up with a Gitzo. If I recall the only other option was another Gitzo for $1100 that went to 8ft. I would had loved to buy a RRS tripod at the time, but the highest they went wasn't nearly enough. I don't know if they've added (or anyone else for that matter) larger tripods but I went for what worked for me....

Originally Posted by Zerodog Leaning toward the RRS TVC-33 Versa Tripod

If price is no object, get two of those and send me one. I'd love to have one!

Yes fortunately I am not 6'9" ! The world is not meant for guys your size! I still want to get something that goes higher than I need. You never know when you want some more height for one reason or another. Still on the fence about this one. Still thinking RRS.

Originally Posted by Zerodog What I don't like. The tripod flexes a lot on the lower leg section. I need a lot of weight hung from it to really stabilize the tripod and I still think I get shake. Thinking of going full size. No excuses. If I am pulling out a tripod I want it to be rock solid.

be good to know what you need the tripod for and where you will use it. The biggest most robust rock solid tripod will do it all but might only be available track or trailor mounted

for legs:

best weight:strength ratio with highest cost probably made out of carbon fibre. Brilliant for protected travelling (eg where it wont get knocked around) and carrying around all day. Terrible if you are hiking and a rock drops on one of the legs or an inadvertent move when one of the legs is trapped in a crack n the rock (which was handy to hold the thing steady in the first place)

for using in muddy swamps in cold weather or some equivalent, situations where you want the lens a few cms off the ground, water, ice, muck or whatever but you dont want your body and arms down there you need legs that easily support the head down there, have adjusters that work with gloved hands and dont get gummed up when covered in goo or standing 90cm in water - you need something that has been built for the job

for taking pictures of people in their Sunday outfits posing in groups outside a church, school, inside a hall etc you are probably going to have a shutter speed fast enough that the job of the tripod legs is only to hold the head and camera in the right position. speed of putting up and taking down more important for the adjusters more important than keeping out grime and sludge.

looking back at old Heather Angel editorial the original Benbo was her weapon of choice. Benbo is short for Bent Bolt one of which is used to tighten the articulation point of the octupussy. Uniloc made the same design with improvements after Benbo stopped. They didnt (or couldn't) use the Benbo brand but their version had many welcome improvements over the original. These things are really strong, can hold any lens where you want it on most terrain situations. But it is an absolute Beast to carry around. The Benbo branded products are available again. The TrekkerIII is cheap, lighter than the full size and articulated the same way. It needs help from a hanging weight to be steady, is not really much smaller to carry but allows for crazy terrain situations like its big brother but unlike the heavyweight care has to be taken to avoid shake. Also - if bought with ball head it is really only useful for fast shutter speeds.

if you do all this stuff then it is lucky price is not a problem - there is no one size fits all in this, just like with most proper tools you need the right one for the right job.

no tripods were used or hurt taking the attached shot of 3 of my tripods. You can see i cut the Trekker3 standard off the tripod and replaced it with a Triton (compatible with the exotic head to camera bracket brands, bought from a good German supplier, made in China. Very very cheap but functionally really good), the bigger brother version i use on the Uniloc (this head combo really does hold things steady but is too weighty for me to carry far under my own steam).

The Induro is bliss to carry around (carbon fiber) - i got the shorter stemmed central post in CF too. is really rigid, i got the version with less sections to support this and also without clips for adjusters. I dont think they are as robust if they get whacked, dont keep the grime out and are harder to operate with gloved hands (easy to break nails with too). The head i use on this is a fluid manfrotto. Really lovely to use. Very heavy and fulfills well its primary function. Not cheap (compared to the Triton) but the friction control and portrait abilities sold it to me

Originally Posted by andavita ... where you want the lens a few cms off the ground, water, ice, muck or whatever ...

be interested to hear about any tripod based setup you've actually used to get low* pov shots over water - especially with heavy rigs (eg 500mm)

*no more than 3cm between underside of lens hood and water surface.

pp

500mm ? you take shots with such a long lens in such a position? Over water might be ok but otherwise the curvature of the earth might get in the way....:-)

This shows the kind of work :http://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/775170

Originally Posted by andavita 500mm ? you take shots with such a long lens in such a position? Over water might be ok but otherwise the curvature of the earth might get in the way....:-)

Never been a problem because of the (relatively) short distances involved - but if there was I'd consider contacting the nearest AWACs a/c and asking for a download :)

Originally Posted by andavita This shows the kind of work :http://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/775170

Interesting (but PR heavy, imo) read - especially for those ppl who might be considering one - but, as I said earlier in this thread, I've had one for 13+ yrs, so am vaguely famiilar with its pros - and cons.

Imo, there are several aspects of its design that would benefit from a re-visit ... but since I've already mentioned a couple and I reckon the OP is going with something else - I'll leave it there :)

pp

The best tripod is the one you have with you at all times, and actually will use.

Unfortunately, the one we want to carry around afield, is not the one with the weight and stability we would like to have at the moment we press the shutter cable release.

As a result, we may have more than one, or two, or even four different tripods acquired over the years. I have used my little carbon fibre Manfrotto on three continents because it is light, strong and small enough to fit in my suitcase, but it is slightly too short for general use.

My most stable, vibration resistant tripod today is my Feisol CT-3371 with leveling base, and foot spikes. It is built like a tank. I don't always carry it, too large, too heavy, but it does go down to ~ 6 inches in height. But for solidity, it is very good.

For very low shooting, it is hard to beat RRS ground pod TP-243, built out of heavy channel aluminum. It is light, because it is so short, but very strong, and resistant to dirt and grit, because it is field stripable and cleanable. I keep one with my long lens bag. Its maximum height is 16.9 inches, but it goes down to 1.9 inches.

I have not purchased a RRS tripod, but I do use their heads BH40, BH55, BH25 etc.

Certainly agree with many of your comments re tripods in general, pathfinder :)

I remember checking out the TP243 at some time in the past and whilst the top plate is less than a couple of inches above ground level in its lowest position, it's the (commercial) gear that goes between that plate and the lens that increases the height too much.

There's also no way I'd personally fork out that sort of money for 3 (short) sets of nesting ali and (a bit of work making) the top plate + pivots...

pp