Do you trust your tripod?

realspeed

realspeed

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Bazza
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Having had a camera fall from a tripod whilst trying to put it on I am now very weary of using any tripod. It seems to me that the usual ball head type of attachment doesn't look that secure to me.

Yes it does depend on the tripod and there are some very cheap nasty ones out there , However I ,as I have said, am very suspicious of even using one now.

Your thoughts welcomed
 
realspeed said:
there are some very cheap nasty ones out there
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My best tripod, as in the one that has survived the most abuse is a cheap and nasty one, it has been everywhere, completely submerged, covered in mud and after about five years of abuse one of the legs became loose in the head, easy enough to glue back in.

My big heavy Manfrotto 055 fell apart in the field a few months after I bought it, and when I say fell apart I mean a load of little bits all over the grass and the centre column fell out (Manfrotto refused to repair it).And the little plastic thing that stops the sections coming out of the legs on my carbon Gitzo tripod came out so the bottom leg section came off, fairly simple to fix but...

Now I am careful when using a tripod, I never leave it unattended with the camera on
 
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Yes, can't see why a screw up Arca clamp and compatible plate should come apart.
Place the plate between rails and tighten, if concerned keep camera on strap around neck then detach when checked
Same goes with a good quality tripod and ball head, 3/8" bolt would have to go some to come undone.
 
Never (touch wood) had a camera and tripod part company, and that is six in use all day every day, some cameras are on manfrotto magic arms dangling from the ceiling :), we do move stuff around, but the general rule is wait for the click and then double check all is secure, then check again :)
 
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I don't normally trust ANYTHING, until I checked it three times. With a wide leg span (wider than standard), lower height and zero wind (i.e. indoors) maybe you could trust it if it was in perfect condition.

I seriously dislike ballheads. You can't get anything level and precise unless you get lucky or spend like an hour fighting it.
 
sirch said:
Manfrotto 055 fell apart in the field a few months after I bought it
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I am not the only one them. Mine typically lasted around 2 years before total failure. When the end comes you are very glad you have your camera strap round your neck. No more manfrotto legs for me 100%.
 
For sure a heart stopping moment when something goes wrong, which with a tripod I have never had happen....thankfully.

Can you describe just what happened/went wrong because as you say it can depend on the kit involved?

PS However, I did one of those "moments" with my 5D and the 100-400mm zoom. This was being used with my Black Rapid strap and I always from the first use set it up as "belt & braces" i.e. C12 AS clamp to the lens collar and a tether from the camera strap lug to the BR strap. Now I still have no complete idea how this happened but somehow I managed to depress the lens release button whilst manhandling the combo and in front of my eyes I saw the lens rotate and part company from the body :eek::eek::eek::mad: but neither part, because of setup, went anywhere near the ground!
 
I trust all mine. The newest is over 20 years old and all of them had to be capable of supporting a large format camera for exposures lasting minutes and an 800mm f/5.6 or they weren't considered.
 
had my manfrotto 055 XPROB for years with no problems
still in one piece with nothing falling off :)

saying that i never fully trust any tripod i'm always a bit concerned when using one
 
I've only ever had one tripod (Manfrotto one) and it's lasted well. Always trusted it but when I switched the head to a ball head I'm a bit wary now but not worried. I still can never get the knobs right on it and sometimes undo the tensioner and the camera slams forward. No damage etc but gives you a fright haha.
 
I have been using tripods of all kinds for 74 of my 84 years so far.
I have never had a camera come adrift.
Though I did wear out a light weight Slik 88 tripod some years ago. but it had served its time out.

The biggest Tripod I ever owned was too tall to be fulling extended in a normal sitting room. It could hold a MPP monorail. Can't remember who made it, but I bought it in Pelling and Cross in Baker st. who were my dealer of choice at that time.
 
Terrywoodenpic said:
The biggest Tripod I ever owned was too tall to be fulling extended in a normal sitting room. It could hold a MPP monorail. Can't remember who made it, but I bought it in Pelling and Cross in Baker st. who were my dealer of choice at that time.
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Ah, Peeling and Dross, probably the worst pro dealer I ever dealt with. If it wasn't for the fact that we had an account with them at the time I would never have gone through the door.
 
Yes I trust my tripod ( in fact I've trusted them all that I've possessed regardless of make and model).

It's the weather ( wind mainly) and my own clumsiness of knocking into it whilst rummaging for bits in the camera bag etc that I don't trust!

Providing the legs and head are upto to comfortably supporting the weight of your kit then I there's no reason not to put trust in it tbh.
 
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Have been using a geared head for the past few months and got to admit it feels more secure....its a benro and the plate is quite a big one compared to my ball head and both clicks into place then tightens up ....once it's in position it's pretty solid and no sudden movement as in when you loosen a ball head to much....
 
Darth M said:
Ah, Peeling and Dross, probably the worst pro dealer I ever dealt with. If it wasn't for the fact that we had an account with them at the time I would never have gone through the door.
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They were the best pro dealer in the 50's early 60's in fact there were very few others at that time. Bowens was just a tiny repair shop off st John street. That made some rather nice bulb flash guns that you could daisy chain, I had a dozen of them.
 
realspeed said:
I now keep the camera strap around the neck even when the camera is on a tripod
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I use Gitzo tripods, no straps needed and no trust issues with anything up to my 800mm (Canon don't make anything longer anymore!). Buy quality and worry less + you may not need to spend as much s you think.
 
realspeed said:
Having had a camera fall from a tripod whilst trying to put it on I am now very weary of using any tripod. It seems to me that the usual ball head type of attachment doesn't look that secure to me.

Yes it does depend on the tripod and there are some very cheap nasty ones out there , However I ,as I have said, am very suspicious of even using one now.

Your thoughts welcomed
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User error?
 
Bobsyeruncle said:
User error?
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It always is. Even the best equipment is prone to costly failure if you don't take sensible precautions.

My one rule is never to let go of the camera until I know for sure it's secure. Ever. Attaching a big lens to a gimbal can be tricky for example. I check QR mechs and straps etc regularly. And I don't dip my tripods in the sea every other week as one contributor to this thread is known to do - or at least not without prompt and thorough cleaning. Salt water is very corrosive and will effectively destroy a tripod in double quick time. And I don't slam them against doors or shut the car boot on them.

But take sensible care with a tripod and it'll never let you down and outlast every other piece of equipment.
 
realspeed said:
Having had a camera fall from a tripod whilst trying to put it on I am now very weary of using any tripod. It seems to me that the usual ball head type of attachment doesn't look that secure to me.

Yes it does depend on the tripod and there are some very cheap nasty ones out there , However I ,as I have said, am very suspicious of even using one now.

Your thoughts welcomed
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Fell whilst you were trying to put it on? Or after you'd put it on & tightened it up?

I've had my ball head tripod about 7-8 years. Yeah, the feet (rubber/spikes) are stuck but that's sea water damage - Aside from that it works fine. Ball heads are so much easier to use too for framing etc Loosen with one hand, frame in all directions with the other & then tighten again - Simple :)
 
Every issue I've ever had with tripods has been my own cock up one way or another. Not tightening legs properly. Not tightening clamp properly. Once kicked one over (don't ask!). There is quite a lot that can go wrong so you have to be quite methodical and thorough about everything before you can relax.
 
I trust my Manfrotto.
I leave it alone at home most of the time and its never had a wild party and trashed the house.
 
FEISOL ....i've said it a million times .. had the rest and never looked back. It was recommended to me by a member of this forum and I had my doubts .... never ever looked back ...
 
Yes and no. I am wary of leaving a camera on a tripod if it's windy (having seen one blow over) and I've seen one fall over when the leg wasn't tightened properly, both cases resulted is smashed lens (not mine) And I am wary of lightweight tripods. But my manfrotto 055 has never failed, nor my benbo mk2 (monster) That said if it's windy I take a theodolite tripod that I modified to take a normal camera tripod head (dead easy) this is NOT going to fall over, mind it's not fun to carry around either. I blagged two of these from a surveyor years ago. That said they are not expensive to buy, and boy are they solid.
 
swanseamale47 said:
Yes and no. I am wary of leaving a camera on a tripod if it's windy (having seen one blow over) and I've seen one fall over when the leg wasn't tightened properly, both cases resulted is smashed lens (not mine) And I am wary of lightweight tripods. But my manfrotto 055 has never failed, nor my benbo mk2 (monster) That said if it's windy I take a theodolite tripod that I modified to take a normal camera tripod head (dead easy) this is NOT going to fall over, mind it's not fun to carry around either. I blagged two of these from a surveyor years ago. That said they are not expensive to buy, and boy are they solid.
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I too like my aluminium 055 and it has never let me down let.
Like you, I'm wary of using them in high winds and when there are people milling around.
 
In over 70 years of Photography I have never had a camera fall from a tripod.
I have nearly had a tripod fall over in deep mud when I tripped on a leg.
but I caught it before it landed. but only just, as there was mud on the lens hood.
I have had a leg lock fail on a Slik 88 while out on a job but only after many years of use.

I now mainly use a Manfrotto 055b which is a large heavy workhorse of a tripod. and for which spare parts are available ( but not so far needed)

The act of fixing a camera to a tripod head is obviously one which needs care and attention, but is neither difficult nor complicated. On a Manfrotto, it is just a click clunk. and a wriggle to check it is firmly attached. On an Arca Swiss type of head, one needs to ensure that it has a safely screw, so as not to be able to slide directly out of the groove if the clamp is not fully tightened. But it is an extremely stable fit, and has advantages for balancing the camera and lens with an suitable shoe.

If you use an appropriate Tripod and Head I would not expect any problems if the normal level of care and attention is taken.
Just imagine fixing an equivalent pile of "five pound notes" to the top a Tripod. Would you not be very careful indeed?

However it is bad practice to walk away from a mounted tripod that is not adequately fixed and weighed down in windy conditions, or at any time around people and animals.( If I need to do so I detach the camera and take it with me.)
Every thing involves a certain level of common sense.
 
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