queencitysanta Loc: Charlotte, North Carolina

Check with Carter's Camera Cottage MT Shooter on our site
https://www.cameracottage.com/tripods

I gpt the NT-404 will extent to 7 feet and hiold 70 pounds

Manglesphoto Loc: 70 miles south of St.Louis

IF your going to "test" at the camera shop you should make a purchase!!! if not they may not be there the next time you want to test.

Manglesphoto Loc: 70 miles south of St.Louis

How big is your bank?
I use two tripods, A Gitzo GT5561 sgt (out of production) w/ a Wimberly gimbel head for the D810 with the Sigma Sport 150-600 and the Nikkor 200mm f4 macro, the second is a Manfroto055 CX pro 4 for all other camera and lens combos.
both work well without the center column
Neither were cheap and the Gitzo is not light weight but it is carbon fiber.
I would just use the gitzo but I'M lazy and don't want to switch heads.
Over the years I tried a bunch of different tripods in search of a low cost and stable unit, finally it dawned on me I was looking for a Unicorn, bit the bullet and spent the money, now I could have done this yrs ago and really saved money in the long run.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Good article -

http://www.dslrbodies.com/accessories/camera-accessories/tripod-101.html

Blair Shaw Jr Loc: Dunnellon,Florida

It might sound odd but did you consider lowering the tripod and using a small portable hunters' stool that folds up into a small package and can be easily taken anywhere. The only objectionable thought would be the viewing angle from camera to subject, but I often prefer the slightly upward glance at a subject as it makes it seem more dynamic and is always a plus in architectural shots and some portraits.

Most of these obstacles are easily solved with a little planning. Benro makes a pretty solid tripod @ 35ld loading that will extend to about 71 inches and with a gimbal it will be close to your height. Hope this helped.

imagemeister Loc: mid east Florida

I do think Leofoto is making some pretty good stuff - especially for the money. Here is the one step down from the 404C - https://www.ebay.com/itm/Leofoto-LN364C-Professional-Carbon-Fiber-Tripod-Portable-Camera-ln-364c/173268290193?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l9372

- but only goes to 62" in which case you will need the dedicated center post - https://www.ebay.com/itm/Leofoto-DC-364C-Middle-Axis-for-LN364C-Professional-Carbon-Fiber-Tripod/173530212945?_trkparms=aid%3D444000%26algo%3DSOI.DEFAULT%26ao%3D2%26asc%3D20190129125700%26meid%3D71f864e23c0d4413a23c3710b555146f%26pid%3D100752%26rk%3D6%26rkt%3D12%26sd%3D173268290193%26itm%3D173530212945&_trksid=p2047675.c100752.m1982

But if I were 6'6" - I - would want to go higher than 72" - which means I would want a center post for the 404C also ! If you are tracking moving subjects on a gimbal, I do not consider a centerpost as a significant detriment and value the speed and convenience.

..

dandev Loc: Enumclaw, WA

Really Right Stuff TVC-34. Just bought one with a BH-55 ball head. Great investment.

A. T.

Thanks for your response. I have a substantial bank and want quality equipment. I never buy low quality equipment. I have learned long ago what issues come with low quality equipment. I'll take a look.

duane klipping Loc: Bristow iowa

I very seldom shoot at eye level on a tripod and at 6-2 am usually on my knee or a seated position. Many people shoot at eye level only and would benefit getting lower to the ground.

Why would one shoot at eye level?

A. T.

Thanks for the response. I have a tripod that extends to 71-73"; however, that's with the center section extended which causes camera shake. I'm looking for a tripod tall enough without a center section.

James R. Kyle Loc: Saint Louis, Missouri (A Suburb of Ferguson)

================

Gene gives great advice here. (As Always.)

Please look into it.

Me? I have four different tripods.

Light - Medium - "Sturdy" - and HEAVY.

Here is the Heavy one. ((It supports my 8X10 cameras - One shown here is a 15 pound "Sliding-Box" and the other (not shown) is a 10 pound Ansco 8Xa0.))

=0=

SusanFromVermont Loc: Southwest corner of Vermont

RRS is definitely high quality equipment. The first item I bought from them was a clamp and plate. Opened the box, held them, examined them, felt the quality! Now I have the complete tripod set-up and will probably never need another. You can take them apart if needed for cleaning, you can get replacement parts such as the feet [somehow one unscrewed and got lost!]. Their customer service is exceptional, the people very helpful with solving issues of what to put together for the best system. The only "drawback" for many is the cost, but in my opinion, it is worth it.

Even if you don't buy from RRS, take a look at their online article about how to choose a tripod. It lays out the principles behind why, what to look for. Here is the link:

http://www.reallyrightstuff.com/which-tripod-is-right-for-me

via the lens Loc: Northern California, near Yosemite NP

Gitzo has what you need but they are very expensive.

imagemeister Loc: mid east Florida

He has a big bank but does not want to break it ....

jeep_daddy Loc: Prescott AZ

I couldn't agree more with this. I started with a standard metal tripod by Manfrotto. It was one designed for smaller lenses for use doing landscapes, portraits, macro, etc. I would not use it for my long heavy lenses doing sports or wildlife. When I finally bought my first big lens (500mm f/4) I knew that I didn't want to put a $7000 lens on a $200 tripod that may shake, vibrate, or fall over from the weight. So I decided not to try a bunch of inferior, cheaper tripods and started looking for a Gitzo Systematic Series 3 or 5 tripod. In your case, the Series 3 would be fine, but if I had a 600mm or 800mm lens I'd probably consider going with the Series 5. I have the Series 3 with an add-on optional center column. The column is very stout and raising it 4 or 5 inches does not affect the stability AT ALL. In fact, the only time I need to raise it higher than that is when I'm doing "air show" photography with planes and jets in the air and since I'm panning with the lens and it's moving anyway, being totally vibration free doesn't matter one bit. The lens is moving anyway.

That said, I have a few friends that own the Induro tripods that appear to be very similar to the Gitzo for a few hundred dollars less. But the early Induro carbon fiber tripod that a friend of mine has, had a lot of problems with the legs being very lose and he couldn't get them to work smoothly like my Gitzo. I had heard that Induro would send a kit with new hardware that would solve the problem, and that they had improved all the new tripods so that they didn't have this problem.

Also, after looking at the NEST tripods that MT Shooter sells, I'd seriously look into those and the warranty they carry since they appear to have an appealing price point.

But if you don't want ANY problems and just want to bite the bullet and get one that you know will NOT give you any headaches or problems, get a Gitzo Systematic Series 3. They make them in various heights, with 3 or 4 sections, and you can add a center column to them.