MMC Loc: Brooklyn NY

I have Devis&Sanford MAGNUM GR tripod which had approximately 12-15lb load capacity /I do not remember exactly/, with 3 way head. Legs are looking strong enough but I can not find their load capacity separately. I now using Giottos MH1000 ball head with 22 lb load capacity. I would like to know what is load capacity of my tripod now.

Leitz Loc: Solms

Looks like your tripod was only sold with the head, load capacity is 15 pounds. I couldn't find the capacity of the legs only, so I would say do not go over 15 pounds total, no matter what head you use.

rmorrison1116 Loc: Near Valley Forge, Pennsylvania

15 pounds.

MMC Loc: Brooklyn NY

Thanks.

MMC Loc: Brooklyn NY

Thanks.

traveler90712 Loc: Lake Worth, Fl.

The total SAFE weight would be about 1/2 of the weight your tripod can support. The 15# is the total weight your tripod can support. Even getting close to that weight, vibration, wind, etc. will cause some "shake" possibly causing a blurred photo.

What I have learned, is to have a tripod/head/gimbal combination that will support 1 1/2 to twice the total weight of your camera and largest lens. (Remember, you will get a larger lens some day.)

MMC Loc: Brooklyn NY

Thank you for you reply. I do not know my tripod legs load capacity but I think it is higher then 15 lb, it looks very strong and stable. I am thinking about buying better ball head and save money on legs. I am not sure that it works.

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

What do you plan to use this with? Load capacity is adequate for anything you are likely to own, short of an 800mm lens and a D5 which would weigh a bit more. But you don't select a tripod based on load capacity. You look at stability vs field of view. A tripod that is stable to use with a 20mm lens may not work all that well with a 300mm lens. And that is true regardless of whether you are using a point and shoot with the equivalent focal length of 300mm, or a full frame camera with an actual 300mm lens on it.

MMC Loc: Brooklyn NY

When I am using my Nikon D750 with Nikon 70-200 mm lens and Giottos ball head sometimes I am not satisfied with stability.

MiroFoto

does your ball slip a little? I am now at the point of buying the tripod and I found all the settings slip....I was advised to buy a $250 manfrotto head with a secondary (micro) adjustment.
Miro

Howard5252 Loc: New York / Florida (now)

This topic has been discussed forever. Search "Tripods" and search "Ball Heads".

Zone-System-Grandpa Loc: Springfield, Ohio

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Good morning, MMC..

Unfortunately, tripods do not have weight capacity ratings like, let's say, Otis elevators ~ which, over the years, you've probably become familiar with by having ridden upon many of them hundreds of times in multiple story buildings.

As an example, if an elevator shows to have a maximum weight capacity rating of two tons, the heavy steel cables that support it will actually have structural breaking rates that are more like twice as much or four tons. On the other hand, let's say that you have a particular tripod that's said to have a twenty two pound weight capacity rating, but its actual, true, usable, maximum weight capacity would really be somewhere in the neighborhood of just half as much ~ which, more than likely, would easily top out at ten pounds.

When it comes to ball head tripods, the ball heads themselves have a difficult time holding their settings whenever heavy weights are placed upon them and it seems as though you just can't twist their adjusting knobs tightly enough to get them to hold the settings you would like for them to keep, however; "Really Right Stuff" tripods may be the exception to the rule because it has been my experience that the "Really Right Stuff" brand does seem to hold its settings when most all other ball head style tripods will slip and fail.

To conclude, MMC, I would suggest to you that if you were to see to it that the amount of weight being placed upon your ball head tripod be kept to no more than one third of its maximum weight capacity rating, you should be fine and you will never experience any problems. Hopefully, this information has helped !

Best regards,
~ Doug ~

paulrph1 Loc: Washington, Utah

The weakest link determines the load capacity and is the limiting factor. The other means nothing.

wj cody Loc: springfield illinois

for a long lens, or medium format or large format, nothing beats the linhof profi line of ball heads. my profi III carries my 4x5 with a 300mm lens just fine. of course it is on a very heavy zone VI wood tripod with no center column. other folks on the site are happier with lesser ball heads. so, you have choice.

MMC Loc: Brooklyn NY

Thanks. Can you give me a link to this ball head?