kcj Loc: Seneca SC

Looking for a good carbon fiber with a ball head for nikon610 body and a 24 to 300 lens . Want something sturdy but hopefully not to heavy as my heavy duty hogan which is very strong but also very heavy

RichardSM Loc: Back in Texas

Have a look at the Benro C/F Tripods I bought one a while back, their prices are very good and made well to. Here's the link. http://www.benrousa.com/

robertjerl Loc: Corona, California

Contact MT Shooter here on the UHH. He owns "Carter's Camera Cottage" and carries Nest carbon fiber tripods and heads.
I have some of the Nest gear.
Here is the Web Store address with his current offerings: http://www.cameracottage.com/apps/webstore/

bsprague Loc: Lacey, WA, USA

B&H has a tripod selection system with 670 tripods with heads to pick from. Click on carbon fiber and you're down to 241. Pick 8 to 12 pounds and you're down to 29. Most of those are Manfrotto or Oben.

If you go there and put in what you want and how much you want to spend, you should get it down to a couple.

If I didn't mind the $300 price, I would pick the "Manfrotto BeFree Compact Travel Carbon Fiber"

Good luck

SteveR Loc: Michigan

I wish I could get out and hike a long way so I need one!!!

kcj Loc: Seneca SC

Do you have a model number

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

Budget?

robertjerl Loc: Corona, California

You need to click "quote reply" so we know who you are responding to.

But I will pretend it is me. I have an NT-6324CT tripod rated for 40 lbs and a NT-530H gimbal head rated for 55 lbs. I don't like any ball head I have ever tried. I use 3 way pan and tilt heads or my gimbal. Well I do have a Manfrotto(sp?) geared head for macro. Combine that with the macro rail system and it looks like something out of Star Wars.

bsprague Loc: Lacey, WA, USA

" tripod rated for 40 lbs and a ...gimbal head rated for 55 lbs"

The OPs camera and lens are about 4 pounds. A common rule of thumb is to look for tripods that support about double. The Manfrotto I suggested supports 8.8 pounds and the carry weight is 2.4 pounds. The carry weight of the Nest tripod and gimbal is maybe about 8 pounds.

I think the OP is trying to go lighter!

MT Shooter Loc: Montana

Look at the Nest NT6294CT carbon fiber combo with NT642H ball head for only $249.95. Almost 6' total height, 36# Max load and barely 3# total weight. My most popular tripod set. And it folds small enough to put inside a TSA carry on bag.

Basil Loc: New Mexico

I love this Sirui Tripod (with detachable monopod). I use it with the Nest Gimbal head that I bought from MTShooter here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZOevriaMTxQ

dylee8 Loc: South Florida

I recently bought a Benro at B&H. It's a great tripod at a very good price.
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1157852-REG/benro_com37c_combination_series_3.html

I am 5 ft 7 and found the tripod height just perfect. But there are also taller models.

alandg46 Loc: Boerne, Texas

I use a Manfrotto MT190CXPRO4 with a Manfrotto 498RC2 ball head. The tripod is rated for 15 lbs and the ball head for 17 pounds. I use it with both a Nikon D800E or a D500 with a Nikon 200-500mm F5.6. I have no problems.

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

That is an old myth when load capacity was important because lightweight tripods were flimsy, in the days before carbon fiber.

This explains the relationship between stability - a feature harder to engineer in a less costly tripod than load capacity - and the size of the base plate/top leg tube diameter:

http://blog.reallyrightstuff.com/choosing-a-tripod-part-1/
http://blog.reallyrightstuff.com/choosing-a-tripod-part-2/
http://blog.reallyrightstuff.com/choosing-a-tripod-part-3/

Load capacity is only mentioned in passing. By design, a tripod stable enough to hold a 500mm lens steady is going to have a great load capacity. But a tripod that has a great load capacity does not necessarily hold a lens stable. The key is the amount of magnification - you need more stability as you go past 1:4, all the way to 1:1 - regardless of how much the camera and lens weighs.

The Gitzo catalog has a similar design philosophy, seen in this catalog on pages 14-15. They make a direct correlation between stability and tube diameter - again, no mention at all of load capacity.

Buying a tripod using load capacity, tripod weight, material other than carbon fiber - is certain to result in an under-performing, but likely affordable. But what value is getting a cheap tripod that won't hold your camera steady when you need it to? It's money down the toilet.

Given the lens and camera stated for this use - a D750 and a 28-300mm - this lens at 300mm is fully extended, and places a pretty heavy eccentric load on the head, so care must be exercised to ensure that a ball head will have a ball large enough (more friction space) to permit the head to lock down and not have the lens pull the lens down. If you have a head that is not up to the task - and i have not seen anything other than the Sirui K40X ($160) and the Feisol CB50D ($160) that is less than $200 and can hold that combo without slipping or tightening the friction knob to a point where the knob breaks or the head locks up. There is no way that a $250 tripod with head would provide this level of performance.

On the other hand, if weight is not "that" important a consideration, there was a Benro that was on sale for around $350 (used to cost around $470) that included a decent ball head. It was a little heavier, but very well built, nice workmanship (as is the case on all Benro products), and at the $350 it was a real steal. I just looked at the pages on B and H and it is no longer listed, and i have forgotten the model number.

Gitzo Catalog
Attached file:
(Download)

lone ranger Loc: Port Saint Lucie, Florida

benro's are excellent.......they come with a carrying bag and can convert to a monopod as well....