3 or 4 section?

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I'm looking to buy a Manfrotto tripod, it will have to take approx 8kg and I have settled on the 057 but being a total tripod novice (hate the things but have decided it's a necessary evil with a 6.5KG lens) I'm not sure if I should be buying a 3 or 4 section.

Any advice gratefully received.
 
Depends how small you need it to go...... Will you be flying with it? Or hiking miles!
 
I'm looking to buy a Manfrotto tripod, it will have to take approx 8kg and I have settled on the 057 but being a total tripod novice (hate the things but have decided it's a necessary evil with a 6.5KG lens) I'm not sure if I should be buying a 3 or 4 section.

Any advice gratefully received.
3 section pods are more inherently stable than 4 section pods as there are less joints, therefore less areas it can flex. 4 section pods fold up smaller - though not usually enough imo to warrant going with one. Also have a look at feisol pods, I've recently sold my 'frotto to get one of these and am highly impressed.
 
Mike, look at Benro tripods and heads. Had both for years now and they are good. If going for a gimbal head get the gh2 rather than the 1. Blatant Chinese rip offs but they are good and moderately cheap.

Assuming you need tripod for long lens.
 
I have the Benro GH2 - very good indeed, sitting on a Manfrotto 55 I've had for years...what you get depends on how much you want to spend Mike
 
There's no real stability degradation with a fourth section if you don't extend them. Conversely, if you don't have the height you need (uneven terrain, shooting up, etc) then not having the fourth section can be a significant negative. I would much rather extend smaller/additional sections as opposed to extending a center column.

IMO, the 057 is barely adequate for the lens/camera you are planning on using... but if using it with an unlocked gimbal it should be adequate.
 
I'm looking to buy a Manfrotto tripod, it will have to take approx 8kg and I have settled on the 057 but being a total tripod novice (hate the things but have decided it's a necessary evil with a 6.5KG lens) I'm not sure if I should be buying a 3 or 4 section.

Any advice gratefully received.

It's true that a lot of the flex in a tripod leg is in the joints, but those M'frotto 057 tripods are pretty solid so I wouldn't worry too much. I'm assuming 6.5kg for the lens is a typo...

If it was a medium size tripod, I'd go probably go with 3-sections, but with a big jobbie (assuming you're not too tall) you can often get away with only extending three of the four sections and still have decent height. If so, then you have the best of both worlds, plus the extra height when you need it, plus a shorter folded length for carrying. A trick that can work wonders with some cheaper tripods is to slide an inch or two of leg section back into the upper - sometimes makes a dramatic difference to rigidity.

Also look at Gitzo. And Feisol are well regarded at lower prices. A point in favour of the M'frotto is it has lever-locks; they're quite rare on the best quality tripods. Personally, pros and cons, but I prefer levers. YMMV.
 
I'm assuming 6.5kg for the lens is a typo...

If it was a medium size tripod, I'd go probably go with 3-sections, but with a big jobbie (assuming you're not too tall) you can often get away with only extending three of the four sections and still have decent height. If so, then you have the best of both worlds, plus the extra height when you need it, plus a shorter folded length for carrying.

Nope, lens is a touch under 6.5kg with the foot. Pentax FA 250-600mm f5.6

New Toy : Pentax FA* 250-600mm f5.6 by Mike.Pursey, on Flickr

Anyway, thanks for the info everyone, I ordered the 3 section 057 from Amazon and then cancelled it for the 4 section as I felt the 3 was a bit too short and as Hoppy said, I worked out I could use it with only 3 legs extended if need be and it would still be the same height as the 3 section. I have a Manfrotto 393 long lens bracket somewhere, I'm wondering if that would suffice or should I go for a gimbal head?
 
When Dad downsized, he gave away what would have been perfect for that rig - a wooden tripod made for a 10x8 plate Gandolfi camera! Somewhere in his (now deleted by my dear sister...) photos is a shot of me as a child (5 or 6 years old) sat on top of it! Although it was strictly speaking portable, it was hardly a practical solution (but sturdy!!!)
 
Nope, lens is a touch under 6.5kg with the foot. Pentax FA 250-600mm f5.6

New Toy : Pentax FA* 250-600mm f5.6 by Mike.Pursey, on Flickr

Anyway, thanks for the info everyone, I ordered the 3 section 057 from Amazon and then cancelled it for the 4 section as I felt the 3 was a bit too short and as Hoppy said, I worked out I could use it with only 3 legs extended if need be and it would still be the same height as the 3 section. I have a Manfrotto 393 long lens bracket somewhere, I'm wondering if that would suffice or should I go for a gimbal head?

Strewth. I thought it could only be a typo when a Canon 800/5.6 only weighs 4.5Kg!

That's a heck of a weight. Manfrotto gimbal is fairly substantial, but I'd deffo put a strut support on that monster. Eg, this (from random google search) http://www.kruger-2-kalahari.com/tripods.html
 
Sounds like the 4 section was the way to go for height. I always though the 4 section was the best for portability but they are both the same length when closed at 62cm. The max height is the difference at 157cm for 3 section and 205cm for 4 section (carbon tripod version).

That is one big lens, I bet you notice lugging that about! the manfrotto 393 head is supposed to be good for a max load of 20kg. It a good head for the price too, just a shame manfrotto don't use the acra Swiss plate.
 
I have a Manfrotto 393 long lens bracket somewhere, I'm wondering if that would suffice or should I go for a gimbal head?
The 393 will probably suffice... beyond that you want a height adjustable gimbal like the Benro GH2 or Wimberly. Personally, I think you are just looking at using the system as "weight support" because 600mm on APS is a lot of demand on a tripod/head for critical work. I use tripods rated for 50+ lbs and when shooting at 800mm (FX) they can be a little weak for slow SS's.
 
Nope, lens is a touch under 6.5kg with the foot. Pentax FA 250-600mm f5.6

New Toy : Pentax FA* 250-600mm f5.6 by Mike.Pursey, on Flickr

Anyway, thanks for the info everyone, I ordered the 3 section 057 from Amazon and then cancelled it for the 4 section as I felt the 3 was a bit too short and as Hoppy said, I worked out I could use it with only 3 legs extended if need be and it would still be the same height as the 3 section. I have a Manfrotto 393 long lens bracket somewhere, I'm wondering if that would suffice or should I go for a gimbal head?

Wow :)

Where did you manage to source that from Mike?

Simon.
 
Got it from Cameraworld a couple of years ago Simon ... just happened to look at their used section and it had just been listed.

I would have bitten their hand off at what they were originally asking but phoned them and said it was a bit expensive so they knocked £300 off :) Have hardly used it though as it's so ruddy heavy so need to invest in something substantial to hold it up.
 
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Just like to say a big thanks for the suggestions.

Manfrotto 057 4 section turned up from Amazon today (a very reasonable £319) and its does the job nicely along with the 393 bracket.It's just about the right height with 3 sections extended but I imagine for airshows I am going to need a bit more height and it's there should I need it.

Reckon it should last me a lifetime ... I now just need to source another head of some description for when using smaller lenses.
 
You might want to look at the UniqBall heads... I have both the UBH-35/45 and they are all I use in the field. They are *not* "perfect" and they are *not* exactly a replacement for a gimbal. But they *are* (IMO) a very good do-it-all solution... well, almost "all," I don't think they are very good for stitching panoramas but I don't typically do those.

The UBH-35 would be a good match for your tripod. I use one with a D4/810 and 400/2.8 (~ 7kg). But due to it's smaller size/max load (15kg) it has a smaller "useful tension range" than the 45 does when used with heavier gear.

They have updated the heads so that the clamp can be rotated 90*, but I still just rotate the camera plate.

I have a review on YouTube (be sure to read the text as it clarifies some points).
 
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