saltwaterphil Loc: va beach, va

Look at the ROBUS at B&H. I have two and love them.

doclrb

I’m curious. Can you advise on your source for the 37mm recommendation, pls?

TY

doclrb

imagemeister Loc: mid east Florida

You do not say WHICH 500mm lens or what camera system ?? these are germane to this discussion.
.

photoman43

I like it because it means that I do not have to carry my tripod and gimbal head. I admit it is a compromise, but when you are 77 you just need to make choices about what you can carry.

Steve Perry at Backcountry video on monopod head:

https://backcountrygallery.com/is-this-the-best-monopod-head-ever/

stevetassi

FYI, Adorama is currently running specials on some lenses where you would get this tripod free.

assman Loc: Grand Rapids, MI

I just got a Benro for my 560 and 500 lenses. It is cheap, heavy and a lot sturdier then my gitzo series 2.

dick ranez

do a google search on "tilt-all". Basic, sturdy, inexpensive and mine is nearly 50 years old.

davesit Loc: Media, PA

philo Loc: philo, ca

If you shoot with a normal lens ie. under 200mm i see no need for a $177. head on a monopod

davesit Loc: Media, PA

A 500mm lens with a DSLR body is pretty hefty. You will need a tripod and head with a rated load capacity of at least 44 lbs. or higher.

You have gotten many positive responses on a number of brands. Truth of the matter is, there are many good brands out there. If money is no object, by all means buy a Really Right Stuff or Gitzo. But be prepared to spend $1,000 or more for a sturdy one with a ballhead or gimbel.

For lesser costs, I would also recommend Feisol (made in USA). You can get their biggest carbon fiber tripods for under $500. To save a bit more, Leofoto is in my books the best made in China models.

I own 6 tripods - 2 Gitzo, 1 Feisol, 3 Leofoto. Yeah, I know that's nuts. The sturdiest one I found is the Feisol, built like a rock, but it's big (but not that heavy) and it's a pain to use it for travel. The one I found myself using the most is a "biggish" Leofoto. More compact to carry it on an airplane.

But there are other good ones out there too. Expect to spend at least $350 (without the head) if you want a good carbon fiber one that could handle the weight.

amfoto1 Loc: San Jose, Calif. USA

First, whatever you're planning to spend, increase it. A quality tripod can last a lifetime and is a joy to use, so you will be less likely to leave it at home and not have it when you need it. A cheap tripod is false economy because you end up buying again and again and again, looking for one that will hold up and do the job well.

That said... "light weight" and "500mm lens" are mutually exclusive. Too light a tripod will not provide a stable platform for a 500mm lens... especially if you use that lens on a "crop sensor" camera where it "acts like 750mm or longer" would on a full frame lens. That long a lens is very susceptible to any sort of movement.

For such a long lens, I would recommend a minimum "Series 2" rated tripod. Tripods are rated by weight capacity, which is somewhat misleading but is all we've got to make comparisons. A Series 2 tripod is typically rated to support 22, 25 or more lb. Not that your lens and camera weigh anywhere near that much. I'd prefer even more (I use a Series 3 tripod rated for around 30 or 35 lb. with my 500mm lens.).

Also determine the height you need to bring your camera's viewfinder comfortably up to your eye, then choose a tripod tall enough you don't have to raise a center column at all (if it even has one). Raising a center column compromises stability.

For best stability, also look for as few leg sections as possible. Each additional section offers another connection that can make for wobble, as well as requiring that the lower section be smaller diameter to fit inside the one above it. Of course, this limits how compact a tripod will fold up, but personally I prefer a tripod with three section legs and would never consider one with more than four sections. The fewer sections there are, the faster the tripod is to set up and take down, too. The fewer sections, the less leg locks there will be to accidentally forget to tighten, too!

The type of leg lock is up to you... Lever locks are fastest to use, but wear over time and can catch on a cuff or sleeve while working around the tripod or on a branch while carrying it. Less common these days, thumb screws are slower to work with and still protrude to some extent, but are not very prone to wear. Twist type locks are low profile and self-adjusting to correct for any wear, as well as lowest possible profile to keep from catching on things... but can get dirt inside and, unless the leg sections have an anti-rotation design, can be a little fussy to set up. Personally I use the twist type, which are found on most of the best tripods for photographers... video tripods more commonly use other types of locking mechanisms.

Carbon fiber is recommended to reduce weight, while still providing strength. It also may absorb some fine vibrations that metal tripods might transmit to the camera and lens. Additionally, CF can be more comfortable to handle than metal in extreme temperatures. The downside, though, is that CF is more expensive and it's more challenging to manufacture a tripod with it... glues are required to fasten CF sections to metal parts, for example. Carbon fiber is tough, but can be damaged... Of course, so can metal parts.

You'll also need to decide what type of head you want on the tripod: ballhead, pan/tilt, gimbal or some sort of hybrid. Each type has it's advantages and disadvantages. The head has to be pretty strong to do a good job supporting a 500mm lens, too. Like tripod leg sets, heads are also often given a weight rating. Look for a head that's rated for around 30 lb. or more, to have plenty of margin, not that all of it's needed. Ballheads are popular for tripods that will be used in the field, because they are more compact and don't have protruding handles that can catch on things. (I use a heavy duty ballhead that's rated for 50 lb. and it does well with 500mm lens.) But some people prefer a pan/tilt head and are happy working with those.

Gimbal heads are particularly useful with big telephotos like 500mm. They can allow the lens to be moved to follow action with a very light touch. There are several types of gimbal heads... full size replace any other head on the tripod and make it "big lens only" while they are installed. Gimbal adapters are used in conjunction with a ballhead allowing faster swaps back and forth. Gimbals are almost exclusively used with large lenses that are fitted with tripod mounting collars, which your 500mm very likely has. Also, nearly all gimbals require using the Arca-Swiss style quick release system of plates and platforms (A-S is relatively universal with compatible parts made by many different manufacturers). Gimbal adapters require a ballhead have an A-S platform.

Personally I use a full size gimbal on one tripod and a heavy duty Kirk ballhead with a Wimberley Sidekick gimbal adapter on another... Either of them handle my 500mm tripod very well.

You might be able to buy a leg set and head combo at some savings. Many manufacturers offer "complete kits" that can work out well, so long as both the head and the leg set meet your needs. Travel tripods, in particular, almost have to be a matched set of legs and head, since in many cases the legs are designed to reverse fold to be as compact as possible. So-called "travel tripods" also can be lighter weight... just don't go too light weight for use with a 500mm! You also have to be careful with travel tripods.... many require the center column be fully extended for comfortabl use, which greatly reduces stability. Some of travel tripods also use five or more section legs, which can be awfully spindly!

It's also possible to buy leg sets and heads separately, as well as other accessories in some cases, to make a tripod rig more custom fitted to your particular needs. For some people this is better than buying a "complete" kit of legs and head, then having to replace one part or another when something doesn't fit their needs.

Below are some links that might help.... Articles at the B&H Photo Explora website with some info and recommendations for tripods, as well as a link that shows the different types of gimbal heads and lists some of the popular ones:

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/explora/photography/buying-guide/the-tripod-explained
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/explora/photography/buying-guide/10-recommended-tripods-photography
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/explora/photography/buying-guide/travel-tripods
http://www.carolinawildphoto.com/gimbal_list.htm

The devil can be in the details, with a tripod. For example, two travel tripod & head kits that appear very similar and are close to the same price are the Manfrotto Befree GT XPRO Carbon Fiber Travel Tripod with 496 Ballhead and the Benro FTA28CV1 Travel Angel Series 2 Carbon Fiber Tripod with V1E Ballhead... However, if planning to use a gimbal adapter, the Manfrotto 496 ballhead uses a proprietary quick release design that won't accommodate that adapter. A gimbal adapter user would be better served buying the leg set alone and purchasing a different head for it. But that can be tricky with a travel tripod. The Benro ballhead, on the other hand, uses an Arca-compatible quick release platform, so is ready to use with a gimbal adapter. Both these tripods are somewhat light for use with a 500mm lens... I'd consider them "the minimum" for that long a lens. I definitely wouldn't go with anything any lighter weight! While these travel tripods are compact and light weight, for use with a 500mm, if at all possible I'd prefer something a little heavier duty. Also, are these tall enough for you? Without raising the center column I think they both position the mounting platform around 55 or 56" (a gimbal adapter would add some height.... your camera's viewfinder eyeport is probably a couple inches higher than the mounting point, too... and, measure your eyeline, not your overall height).

Have fun shopping!

EDIT: I noticed some previous responses recommending 37mm diameter legs (top section) and 44 lb. weight capacity. Those would be "Series 4" type legs and heavy duty heads, which may be overkill. For close to twenty years I've had absolutely no problem using a Series 3 tripod with 500mm (8 lb.) and full size SLRs/DSLRs (2 lb.) as well as other accessories (flashes, flash extenders, flash brackets, off-camera shoe cords, etc. maybe another 2 lb.) Now, it's a fairly high-end carbon fiber tripod (Gitzo), with 3-section legs and no center column, for best stability. Those legs are rated for something like 33 lb. and I think are around 32 or 33mm diameter. In fact, I now have two of these tripods: one bought used more recently and fitted with a full size gimbal head making it "large telephoto only"... the other fitted with a 50 lb. rated heavy duty ballhead (Kirk BH-1) that's often used with a gimbal adapter (Wimberley Sidekick). Each of these "full size" tripods weigh almost 9 lb., including a carrying bag, leg pads, and a leveling platform (which probably adds about 1 or 2 lb. to the overall weight... but makes for faster, safer setups).

I've used even larger lenses and longer focal lengths on these occasionally, with little concern and no problems. I've even combined teleconverters to shoot effectively over 2000mm on rare occasion. My point is, I think a Series 4 tripod is overkill for many people. It's also more expensive and all together would end up even heavier than my rigs. The other extreme, I would avoid any Series 1 tripod for use with most of my gear. An absolute bare minimum... Series 2 is smaller, lighter, less expensive... though I'd be very careful using with long focal lengths. IMO, the Manfrotto and Benro travel tripod examples I gave above have just barely sufficient weight bearing capacity, but are probably too short for me to use comfortably without raising the center column more than I'd like.

I've had (and still have) some other tripods.... but those are my main users. The twenty year old one has seen A LOT of use. Still looks and works like new. It will outlive me, I'm sure!

kenabr Loc: S.E.Wisconsin

I bought a Monfrotto 190cxPRO4 a while back . It's fiber glass and fairly small and light. I use it more often than hauling around my old aluminum tripod. At first I thought the new one looked too light but it actually is quite stiff. A pro running a workshop I attended was surprised how good it was. I'm not sure I'd put a 600 or 800 prime on it though. For the money it's a good deal, Read the reviews,

pdsilen Loc: Roswell, New Mexico

I use Monfratto. Its light weight, carbon, stable, and it holds my 500mm lens. I paid $250 for it. I'm glad I bought it.

cjc2 Loc: Hellertown PA

ABSOLUTELY! Also check out the hundreds of topics on this very issue, right here in UHH. Best of luck.

imagemeister Loc: mid east Florida

Yes, for lenses smaller than 500/600 f4 there are better monopod head options IMO.....