[rollei_list] Re: [rolleiusers] Wooden tripods
----- Original Message ----- From: "Martin Jangowski" <martin@xxxxxxxxxxxx> 
To: <rolleiusers@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Cc: "Leica Users Group" <lug@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>; <rollei_list@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>; <hasselblad@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> 
Sent: Monday, October 29, 2007 11:56 AM
Subject: [rollei_list] Re: [rolleiusers] Wooden tripods


On Sat, 27 Oct 2007, A. Lal wrote:


Hello Everyone,
At the recent PhotoExpo East I was intrigued by the Berlebach wood tripods. Do any list members use them? If so, what do you think of them, and if it came down to choosing between a medium sized Berlebach wood tripod or a carbon fiber competitor of similar quality, size and, hopefully, price, which one would you pick, or doesn't it matter? The tripod will be used with 
35mm and 6 x 6 cameras - SLRs, mostly.
Comments and suggestions are welcomed. Feel free to mention brand names.
I own and love a Berlebach Report 9033. This thing holds everything from a Leica to a Mamiya RB (and even a Linhof Technika in a pinch). I use a Manfrotto 410 geared head on it. The best feature in my opinion is the builtin ball head, leveling the Manfrotto head is a joy. The only negative side: I'd buy the 40xx tripod with single leg extension. The 90xx gets a little shakey with a heavy camera and full extensions, but I use it seldom fully extended (I have a Linhof monster tripod for this...) 

Grüße aus Hohenlohe,

 Martin Jangowski
I can't really add to this discussion since I don't have either a Berlegach tripod or a carbon fiber one. I do have three all wood tripods. I think at least some of the properties attributed to wood have more to do with the design than the material. The three are: a Crown Jr., made by Graflex, I have an original tilt top for it. Second is an Agfa/Ansco camera stand made for their view cameras, third is a Reiss Model B. This is no longer made but has similar characteristics to the current Model A, probably its a bit lighter. I don't have a tilt top for it and am looking. I found the Reiss in a surplus store for less than $20. It needed some minor repair. Its very old and has had a hard life, probably supporting some sort of surveying transit. The Graflex tripod is usable but has nothing to hold the legs in position. I made a chain from plumbing chain for it but don't actually use it. The Ansco stand is beautiful but too light for the cameras it was designed for. The Reiss is extremely sturdy but I can't use it until I either find or make a tilt top. Tripods similar to the Berlebach were used for decades for surveying instruments. The current surveying tripods appear to be made of either carbon fiber or fiberglass. For use with my Rolleis, and actually for a number of cameras I mostly use an original Tilt-All. While light weight is considered a virtue in tripods its actually not. For best stability the tripod needs to have some mass. For large format cameras there must be enough mass to prevent the camera from being blown over by wind. A stand light enough for back packing will be a compromise. Other than mass stability seems to be a matter of design. The Reiss is very stable and does not vibrate or twist. I also have a couple of old Davis and Sanford stands. These are partly wood and partly metal. They are very stable and light enough to cart around in the car. 

---
Richard Knoppow
Los Angeles, CA, USA
dickburk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx 
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