Dennis, I've been happy with my carbon fiber Manfrotto. It has clamps vs. twisting leg-locks, a center column and reaches about 6 ft with my ball head mounted. Here is the current version that is closest to the one I've had for several years: http://tinyurl.com/2eap52 I use it with both medium format (Rolleiflex and Pentax) and 35mm systems. Jeff > -----Original Message----- > From: rollei_list-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:rollei_list- > bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of dpurdy@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx > Sent: Monday, October 29, 2007 3:23 PM > To: rollei_list@xxxxxxxxxxxxx > Subject: [rollei_list] Re: [rolleiusers] Wooden tripods > > > I have a Zone VI wooden tripod. I used to use it for my 8x10 but on 3 or > 4 occassions I have left the camera set up on the tripod at night and in > the morning found it collapsed on the floor with a broken wooden camera > that needs glueing back together. It turns out that when you leave it set > up at night, one part or the other shrinks in the cold and the leg > extension quit holding. I have a habit of tightening things only just > tight enough. > > I am looking to get a Carbon Fiber tripod though I already have enough > tripods to open a used tripod store. A large heavy duty Gitzo and a heavy > duty Bogen a small Rollei tripod and a Tiltall along with the zone VI and > a medium Gitzo for the 4x5. I pretty much hate all of them except the > Bogen and the Rollei. > > I was hoping the conversation would lead to lots of recommendations for > different Carbon Fiber tripods as I need to figure out what to get. Just > for the Rollei, that does not have twisting leg locks and does have a > center column and will go up to 6 feet and is sturdy and costs less than > 300 dollars. > > DP > > > > ----- 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 > > > > --- > > Rollei List > > > > - Post to rollei_list@xxxxxxxxxxxxx > > > > - Subscribe at rollei_list-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with 'subscribe' > > in the subject field OR by logging into www.freelists.org > > > > - Unsubscribe at rollei_list-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with > > 'unsubscribe' in the subject field OR by logging into www.freelists.org > > > > - Online, searchable archives are available at > > //www.freelists.org/archives/rollei_list > > > > > > --- > Rollei List > > - Post to rollei_list@xxxxxxxxxxxxx > > - Subscribe at rollei_list-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with 'subscribe' > in the subject field OR by logging into www.freelists.org > > - Unsubscribe at rollei_list-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with > 'unsubscribe' in the subject field OR by logging into www.freelists.org > > - Online, searchable archives are available at > //www.freelists.org/archives/rollei_list > --- Rollei List - Post to rollei_list@xxxxxxxxxxxxx - Subscribe at rollei_list-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with 'subscribe' in the subject field OR by logging into www.freelists.org - Unsubscribe at rollei_list-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with 'unsubscribe' in the subject field OR by logging into www.freelists.org - Online, searchable archives are available at //www.freelists.org/archives/rollei_list