Webguydave Loc: C'ville, Va.

So....I'm newly retired (yea!!) from a second career in general contracting - the first career was spent doing studio illustration photography in the SF Bay area. Previously a bit burnt out on image making, I'm now looking forward to traveling and shooting landscapes on 4/5. On film, I might add...

Relocated now to Virginia, I'm renovating our house and joy of joys! it has a walkout BASEMENT! You just don't see basements in California ... so of course a darkroom is taking shape. Thankfully I kept enough gear so I'm not going tremendously in the hole dollar wise, but keeping the studio stand wasn't going to happen!

What location LF shooting I did was on a heavy Majestic tripod, and an assistant lugged that hefty thing anyway(!). Worn out as it was - that one saw me through school in the mid 70's - that wasn't kept as well.

There's a multitude of tripods out there, and a lot of carbon fiber jobs that seem light. And ball heads seem to be quite the fave as well, though that's certainly not a requirement ( or maybe even desirable )...

Suggestions? Comments? Thanks in advance!!

Dave in Cville, Va

rmalarz Loc: Tempe, Arizona

I've been using a Gitzo tripod for the last 19 years. This tripod is quite suitable for large format. I currently use one of two 4x5 cameras and wouldn't think of putting them on anything else. This one is an older one, aluminum construction, etc. I've not looked at any of the recent offerings. I know that as of a week or so ago, Tempe Camera had the same model I use for sale in their used dept. It's in very good shape.

http://tempecamera.biz
--Bob

Webguydave Loc: C'ville, Va.

Gitzo has always been about quality...used is perfectly ok as long as it's serviceable! I'll take a look at the link.

Dave

rmalarz Loc: Tempe, Arizona

Dave, I looked at it and it is in very good condition. You'll probably have to call them, as used equipment is difficult to keep up to date on the site.
--Bob

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

I had a Gitzo Tele Studex for my LF cameras - it weighed about 18 lbs, but was only a short step away from anchoring your camera to bedrock.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/GITZO-505-Tele-Studex-Compact-Tripod-5-Series-GITZA/283550500659?hash=item4204ed4733:g:vekAAOSwokVdLlKj

They are out there and not popular because they are so not-portable. But other than an old Majestic, Linhof ($$$$$) or a Gitzo, it's a crap shoot. Zone VI, Ries and Berlebach make good wooden tripods, but I suspect they are maintenance headaches after a while. I would cruise through eBay for a while before buying anything new.

Cany143 Loc: SE Utah

I've got a Mamiya branded tripod that's gathering dust and spiders out in my shed. I bought it new in the early '80's, at Adorama, and chose it from among a dozen other 'heavyweight' name brands they had in the store because a) I could afford it, and b) it was rock solid. Its of aluminum construction, and has the old style twist lock to adjust leg height (as opposed to quicker flip-locks seen on most tripods today). Center column is geared and reversible; legs can be splayed out to allow low angle shooting. No idea what it weighs exactly, but I never really noticed its weight until I fitted it with a Bogen pan/tilt head, and suddenly it felt twice as heavy. I used it with everything from 4"x5" to 8"x10 (field) cameras, and never had any problem with unsteadiness, vibration or movement, even under adverse conditions.

Where I'm going with all this is: if you might be interested, you can have it DIRT cheap (less the Bogen head). No use letting the spiders have all the fun.... PM me.

The one thing I will caution --which you already seem to know-- is that you do NOT want a ball head. You want a pan/tilt head for use with your 4"x5".

imagemeister Loc: mid east Florida

........I have shot 8X10 and 4X5 - in 1973 I bought a new Welt PT4 for $125 (about $850 in today's money !) - I lost it and a 4X5 camera on a canoeing trip in 1990 - I still have the side arm for it tho .....

I still have a couple 4X5's that I am thinking of using and the other day I came across a Quickset Samson for $25 that I was very impressed with. I put a Manfrotto video fluid head on it with a quick release and I am still very impressed !

This is basically what it looks like from a similar one on ebay - https://www.ebay.com/itm/Samson-Quick-Set-Tripod-on-Dolly/254269687513?hash=item3b33a786d9:g:ckIAAOSwPp5dCwui - the center post is 44mm in diameter ! and the top legs are 38mm. The legs are 2 section with twist locks. It looks heavy but is really quite light for what it is ....
.

RWR Loc: La Mesa, CA

A good deal of my work is done with 4x5 cameras, though with 6x9cm 120 film backs. I cannot comment much on tripods I don’t own. My favorite is a Ries J600 with a Ries J250 head, but I also like my Vivitar 1321 Pro and Bogen 3021 aluminum tripods, with the Ries J250 head, Bogen 3047 pan head, or Bogen 3063 fluid head. I personally would not recommend any ball head with a 4x5 camera, though my Bogen 3055 will certainly handle about any one you put on it. Check B&H, KEH, &c. for used tripods and heads.
It’s good to hear from someone who appreciates the advantages of larger than postage stamp image sizes.

Webguydave Loc: C'ville, Va.

I've used Bogen's quite a lot but haven't seen one that I'd be real comfortable putting a 4/5 camera on in a breeze...but my experience is pretty dated ( think 15 years +... ouch!). That said, I've got at least 3 different Bogan heads, each of which _will_ support the larger camera.

Been looking to have the time to get back to film and LF photography; I always had a thrill when the image came together in the glass!

I really never thought I'd be retired but yet here I am..though with the required renovations on this house, I'm still swinging a hammer, probably for another year. But I'm married to my 'client' ( and bean counter) and and she cuts me a lot of slack, time wise.... and understands the need for image making. I'm lucky!

rmalarz Loc: Tempe, Arizona

"The one thing I will caution --which you already seem to know-- is that you do NOT want a ball head. You want a pan/tilt head for use with your 4"x5".

--Bob

RWR Loc: La Mesa, CA

No doubt, a 4x5 with bellows extended is an effective sail. A lot of my photography is in the local desert and mountains, and when the Santa Ana winds blow I carry a Zone VI “lightweight” (11 pounds) in my Jeep. With the steel ground spikes it can usually be pretty well planted. If there’s much blowing sand the cameras stay in their case.

queencitysanta Loc: Charlotte, North Carolina

https://www.cameracottage.com/apps/webstore/ Carter's Camera Cottage MT Shooter on our board I bought a travel and a 7 foot tripod from Carter. 44 pound capacity, I think they would hold up a truck. The Nest gimbal and the Nest NT-648H Ball Head have worked well for me.

Good Luck

donphotog

Dave - check Pro Camera on Forest St in C’ville. They have extensive inventory of all kinds of photo gear. They also do excellent film processing and digitizing. Good luck.

Webguydave Loc: C'ville, Va.

Thanks for the heads up! Actually I'm '7 miles from no where' here in Esmont, but get into Cville at least twice a week... I've driven by and wondered if it were worth a look. I'll make sure to pop in and have a look!

GGerard

If you can stay out of the wind, you might be surprised by what can work with a 4X5. Tiltalls were used for decades.