sturdy tripod, easy to clean? (Page 2): Just received my new Leofoto LS-325C w/LH-40 ball head from B&H. $429. It does come with a center column if you want to use it but I will not.

nervous2 Loc: Provo, Utah

cosmo54 wrote:

I'm looking for a tripod with no center column, that is sturdy enough for a Sigma 60-600, and yet is easy to clean (after using in water or sand).

Can someone give me a pointer towards the right direction to look? I'm guessing I should start with Gitzo? Also, I'm almost 6ft tall so no short ones. I'm hoping to get something for less than $600, but maybe that is dreaming?

Thanks in advance for your help.

Just received my new Leofoto LS-325C w/LH-40 ball head from B&H. $429. It does come with a center column if you want to use it but I will not. BTW I am 6'3" in the mornings and 6'2" at night and it looks like it is going to work for me whatever time of day. It's nice carbon fiber and so far really seems to check most of my boxes. I can let you know more in a month, but for now, I'm kind of tickled. Go to B&H site and check the specs. You may like what you see. Good luck.

Notorious T.O.D. Loc: Harrisburg, North Carolina

I have this same RRS tripod and it will outlast me. There are many tripod and head reviews on TheDigitalPicture.com that may help you too...

Photographer Jim wrote:

I’ve used the RRS TVC-34L for a number of years n... (show quote)

DaveO Loc: Northeast CT

oregonfrank wrote:

Second the recommendation for the RRS 34L tripod. I have the same even though I am short. When I use it normally only the 2nd section is fully extended, the 3rd partially extended, and the 4th totally collapsed, giving the stiffness of a 3-section tripod. The 34L also comes in handy on steep terrain where one leg needs to be almost fully extended. The 34L fully extended is 68.4”, so would easily be tall enough for you once a ball head and camera were mounted. Frank

Spend a few bucks more and go for the TVC-44! I don't carry it on a hike, but for normal use it's hard to beat with the big lenses!

All around, probably one of the best I have for the money is the FEISOL CT-3372, but a taller version is available.

PhotoDerek Loc: County Durham, UK.

Have a Gitzo 4554ts no centre column and Kirk head. I am 6ft 1 and it is fine for me. If have been anywhere wet or salty wipe down and remove feet to drain. About every 2-3 months strip each leg and make sure dry and clean inside. Had it 5 yrs in some awful weather and seems to be lasting.

Cuw

I have a innorel 90c. Carbon fiber, no center colum, will support 88lb of gear. Great build quality. Amazon for 319.00. Anything close to this tripod will push 1000.00. Check it out. You'll like what you discover.
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Dik

cosmo54 wrote:

I'm looking for a tripod with no center column, that is sturdy enough for a Sigma 60-600, and yet is easy to clean (after using in water or sand).

Can someone give me a pointer towards the right direction to look? I'm guessing I should start with Gitzo? Also, I'm almost 6ft tall so no short ones. I'm hoping to get something for less than $600, but maybe that is dreaming?

Thanks in advance for your help.

I have a Uniloc tripod that's perfect in mud, sand, & water. From their website: If your normal tripod takes forever to set-up, you need one of our fast set-up solid tripods. The lower sections are fully sealed with spiked feet (toe-point) and can be immersed in mud and water. Non-slip rubber feet are included with each tripod for indoor use." Once I'd watched a video on how to set it up, I found it fast and easy to use. Uniloc is an improvement on the original BenBo Tripod (Bent Bolt).

http://www.uniloctripod.com/UNI-LOC%20Tripod%20Buyers%20Guide%20-WEB.pdf

billnikon Loc: Pennsylvania/Ohio/Florida/Maui/Oregon/Vermont

cosmo54 wrote:

I'm looking for a tripod with no center column, that is sturdy enough for a Sigma 60-600, and yet is easy to clean (after using in water or sand).

Can someone give me a pointer towards the right direction to look? I'm guessing I should start with Gitzo? Also, I'm almost 6ft tall so no short ones. I'm hoping to get something for less than $600, but maybe that is dreaming?

Thanks in advance for your help.

Many tripod companies will sell you short center columns. Benro and Induro (same company) do. Check their web sites or call their customer service numbers.

Nalu Loc: Southern Arizona

Look at Induro. Less expensive than Gitzo, just a sturdy, does ok in Salt water, and easy to clean. They make several models to accommodate your height.

debk

I would also suggest checking out the Induro line. I was looking for a good tripod and was thinking I needed to spend the money on a Gitzo. I follow a well known bird photographer and about that time, he made an announcement about a new tripod he was using- an Induro. He used it for a year, traveled with it and used it more heavily than I would. He recommended it and I believe felt it was comparable to a Gitzo for half the price. I love it and have been using it for several years without an issue.

photoman43

The biggest issue for you is to find one that you can clean properly after it has been in sand and sea water. I use an old Bogen 3221 for that purpose, but it has a center column and may not be tall enough for you. And it is not rated for that big lens.

Check out the metal tripods made by Siriu and see if they have one. Go to Outdoor Photo Gear and email or call the owner, Chris, and get his advice.

https://www.outdoorphotogear.com/contact-us/

DaveO Loc: Northeast CT

There are some pretty good cleaning videos for some of the popular products out there. It's not fun, but to me it's part of the hobby!

cosmo54 Loc: Easton, PA but will travel for photos

Thanks everyone. I think I've settled on the Gitzo 3543xls. Maybe I'll be lucky to find a used one

1CanonGuy Loc: Texas

User ID wrote:

Benbo is not Benro. Benbo ... no “R” in the name .... (show quote)

I'm a Benro user i like their products very much, Carbon fiber is the way to wet are dry and easy to clean.

jeep_daddy Loc: Prescott AZ

cosmo54 wrote:

I'm looking for a tripod with no center column, that is sturdy enough for a Sigma 60-600, and yet is easy to clean (after using in water or sand).

Can someone give me a pointer towards the right direction to look? I'm guessing I should start with Gitzo? Also, I'm almost 6ft tall so no short ones. I'm hoping to get something for less than $600, but maybe that is dreaming?

Thanks in advance for your help.

I have a Gitzo that I bought used. But I've got a few friends that bought carbon fiber Induro tripods that saved them a little money over the Gitzo. You can buy them in many ways. I bought my Gitzo as just a pair of legs but I found that sometime I wished it were a little taller. For most cases it was tall enough, but if I am on uneven ground and have to shorten some of the legs, or if I'm pointing my camera up to a tall cliff, it wasn't all enough. So I bought a center column for it that only added 1 pound to the weight and now I've got what I need. I don't know if you can do that with the Induro or not but my friends came with the center column.

aellman Loc: Boston MA

cosmo54 wrote:

I've managed to get sand inside my tripod so I think I need to be able to dismantle it to clean it. :-)

Fully cleaning sand out of ANYTHING can be very difficult. There always seems to be some left, no matter what you do. I would try to avoid it if at all possible.