Tripod and Gimbal for 200-400mm f4 & D3s

ndwgolf

ndwgolf

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Neil Williams
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I already have a Gitzo tripod and Gitzo ball head that I have been using with my 70-200mm f2.8 D3s combo (and love them) but I think I am going to need to get something bigger as I am going to buy the 200-400mm f4 lens and I am worried that the tripod that I have right now will be to small. I am also looking at getting a Gimbal Head instead of a ball head so my question is what tripod/Gimbal Head combination would you recommend for that big lens??
Some guys on another thread that I go to in Malaysia recommend the Gitzo GT5542LS Series 5 but couldn’t recommend a head to go with it
 
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If your spending money on a 200-400 and a 5 series then a Wimberley gimbal is the way to go. There are various ones you could buy so do a search on here for wimberley and take your pick.

ps- also the 5 series is overkill for that lens and a 3 series will be fine. I have the 5541LS with a 600 f4 but if my plans werent to buy the 600 when i did then a 3 series would have been a better option for me.
 
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Wimerley, Really Right Stuff, Custom Brackets (I've been using this one recently), or Benro for the gimbal. All make excellent stuff and a gimbal transforms using a big lens. Gitzo tripod, the bigger the better, and more stable without a centre column, but you've also got to carry the thing.

Why the 200-400 f/4 lens? Do you need the zoom, or would a big prime be better? 300 2.8 plus extender?
 
I've got the 200-400mm and Gitzo GT5542ls. I have the Wimberly. It is perfect. What more can I say. You've got almost £8K worth of kit with the tripod, why use a cheap copy to keep it all attached?

Kev.
 
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HoppyUK said:
Wimerley, Really Right Stuff, Custom Brackets (I've been using this one recently), or Benro for the gimbal. All make excellent stuff and a gimbal transforms using a big lens. Gitzo tripod, the bigger the better, and more stable without a centre column, but you've also got to carry the thing.

Why the 200-400 f/4 lens? Do you need the zoom, or would a big prime be better? 300 2.8 plus extender?
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I like to versatility of the zooms.........I already have the 14/24 24/70 70/200 so it made sence to me to get the 200-400 to make the set......if you know what I mean
 
It's a superb lens. I've now owned it 3 times. I'm using my latest one far more than my 300mm 2.8 at the moment.


Kev.
 
kevshore said:
I've got the 200-400mm and Gitzo GT5542ls. I have the Wimberly. It is perfect. What more can I say. You've got almost £8K worth of kit with the tripod, why use a cheap copy to keep it all attached?

Kev.
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Kev Glad I don’t have to buy in the UK at that price. I can get the new lens and a Gitzo GT5542LS Tripod for ~4400 pounds equivalent here in KL
 
ndwgolf said:
I like to versatility of the zooms.........I already have the 14/24 24/70 70/200 so it made sence to me to get the 200-400 to make the set......if you know what I mean
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200-400 is a great lens for sure, but it's £5k and 3.5Kg, with only a 2x zoom ratio at f/4. Compared to 300 2.8 at £4k and 2.9Kg, a stop faster and ultimately a tad sharper. Just saying, that's all ;)
 
That was for the total kit. I was a tad out. £3kish for the D3s, £5k for the lens, £800ish for the tripod. Soon adds up. ;)


Kev.
 
HoppyUK said:
200-400 is a great lens for sure, but it's £5k and 3.5Kg, with only a 2x zoom ratio at f/4. Compared to 300 2.8 at £4k and 2.9Kg, a stop faster and ultimately a tad sharper. Just saying, that's all ;)
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It would focus quicker as well Richard, but it's not so good at 200 - 299mm :D

The 200-400 is a nice lens though, if I had my time again I would probably go for the 300/2.8 and TC's, but the 200-400 was a good price at the time, and has never disappointed me.
 
Get yourself a D4. It will focus fast at 800mm f8. See it just goes on and on and on... :D:D
 
kevshore said:
Get yourself a D4. It will focus fast at 800mm f8. See it just goes on and on and on... :D:D
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Kev I am waiting for the D5 to go with the iPhone 5:D:D:D
Quick question Kev; what do you mainly use the 200-400 for? I want one but havent decided what I want one for yet:help::help:
 
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ndwgolf said:
Ken I am waiting for the D5 to go with the iPhone 5:D:D:D
Quick question Ken; what do you mainly use the 200-400 for? I want one but havent decided what I want one for yet:help::help:
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Haha! That's what I was getting at when I suggested you might want to think twice about the 200-400. We know from previous posts that the usual economic constraints don't apply to you ;) but that doesn't mean that more expensive is necessarily better.

The 200-400 is really a lens that you buy only when you know exactly what you want to use it for. I don't know what the sales ratio is, but I think it's a safe bet that Nikon sells several times more 300 2.8s than it does 200-400s. And most buyers will be professionals for whom a grand here or there is not the main consideration, but usable and practical performance is.
 
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Like I said earlier, I have lived the last 2 years using Prime Zooms and I guess I have got comfortable using them. It just seems natural that the way forward for me is with the 200-400mm…………as for having endless amounts of cash “No I do not” in fact I basically live from pay check to pay check but I like my toys and I will have my toys.
I am working on an Oil Rig in Angola right now and plan to do a Safari or two in Africa while I am here and that is when I first started to think about getting a longer lens. The reason I asked Ken about what he uses his 200-400mm for was to get ideas for when I am back home in Malaysia so that the 200-400 doesn’t end up in a dry box for 12 months at a time.
Anyway I appreciate all the comments and banter and unless anything changes over the next 2 weeks I will bite the bullet and get that lens………………..if anything it will frighten the hell out of the neighbours when I hang off the condo balcony 38 stories up snapping pictures of the neighbours:):):):)
 
ndwgolf said:
Like I said earlier, I have lived the last 2 years using Prime Zooms and I guess I have got comfortable using them. It just seems natural that the way forward for me is with the 200-400mm…………as for having endless amounts of cash “No I do not” in fact I basically live from pay check to pay check but I like my toys and I will have my toys.
I am working on an Oil Rig in Angola right now and plan to do a Safari or two in Africa while I am here and that is when I first started to think about getting a longer lens. The reason I asked Ken about what he uses his 200-400mm for was to get ideas for when I am back home in Malaysia so that the 200-400 doesn’t end up in a dry box for 12 months at a time.
Anyway I appreciate all the comments and banter and unless anything changes over the next 2 weeks I will bite the bullet and get that lens………………..if anything it will frighten the hell out of the neighbours when I hang off the condo balcony 38 stories up snapping pictures of the neighbours:):):):)
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LOL, but don't expect any symathy :D

For a safari, I guess the 200-400 might be good, assuming that your position and the subject will both be fixed, and changing lenses in a dusty truck is a PITA. BTW, your can't have a Prime Zoom, any more than you can be a pregnant man. Primes are fixed focal length, zooms variable ;)
 
HoppyUK said:
LOL, but don't expect any symathy :D

For a safari, I guess the 200-400 might be good, assuming that your position and the subject will both be fixed, and changing lenses in a dusty truck is a PITA. BTW, your can't have a Prime Zoom, any more than you can be a pregnant man. Primes are fixed focal length, zooms variable ;)
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Symathy I have loads of it I have a Thai wife lol:clap:
Prime Zooms was a wind up as I have been told 254,000,00 times before on this forum........it’s cute to see that there are still folks that bite on that.:lol::lol::lol::lol:
Thanks again for all the input in this tread............I am still up for ideas on where else the 200-400mm will come in. Golf and F1 racing I love that so there is an opportunity there
 
ndwgolf said:
I am still up for ideas on where else the 200-400mm will come in. Golf and F1 racing I love that so there is an opportunity there
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One thing that I use my 200-400 for is Butterfly and Dragonfly shots, it has a 6' (1.8m ish) minimum focus distance, which allows you to fill the frame and have a reasonable working distance from the subject, especially with a 1.4TC on.

Here is one from last year 200-400 + 1.4TC

270_098.jpg
 
ndwgolf said:
Wow very nice......I take it it was hand held??
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Thanks, no it was on a gimbal head / gitzo tripod, I use the Jobu Blackwidow LWII, well made and light, gives a fair range of vertical panning, more so than a few of the others out there, handy for birds in flight when they start going right overhead.
 
Back on track..............I have found a New Wimberley 200 on eBay for 600 bucks and I can get the Gitzo Tripod (GT5542LS) in KL for 1000 bucks.
The good thing about Malaysia is that there is NO import duty on Photography equipment and now a days with the likes of FeDex and DHL you get get stuff from the US in 3 to 5 days for about another 100 bucks.
 
I have never tried a Wimberley, but they have a good reputation, tripod wise I use the GT3531 and that is fine even with my 500/4 on it, the 55xx series will be more than ample for your needs
 
Hi Neil. I don't know what Ken uses his for, ;) but I use mine for aviation shots and some wildlife.
It would be perfect for the safari. I love primes. I love my 300mm 2.8. But sometimes you can't move to get what you want in the frame. Or at least you only get a split second to grab that shot.
But with the 200-400mm I can zoom out as the aircraft move around. The 200-400mm is a lens that you have aswell as your primes. For the ocassions that you think that you will need it. This obviously is if budget allows.
Again, I repeat the fact that with my setup I can have 400-800mm at my disposal. Imagine that on your safari!! :D
Just as a side note. I am so far finding that my new vrII version is every bit as good as my 300mm vrI.Not bad for a zoom. :)
The only problem I can see , is that there is a 600mm f4 out there that should work well with the converter too! :eek:

Kev.
 
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ndwgolf said:
Just saw a New Sirui PH-20 Gimbal Head anyone ever tried one of these or has heard good or bad things about them
KGrHqFjkE-oZsj9WBPyoTdLg60_12.jpg
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That looks very nice, working on the assumption that it's carbon-fibre and therfore probably has good quality bearings etc too. These things are not rocket science to make and the more you search, the more you'll find. CF reminds me of Feisol, who make a really good looking U-shaped one.

This is the lens you really want, on the end of a Canon 1DX, though even you might blink at the price http://www.the-digital-picture.com/...m-f-4-L-IS-USM-Extender-1.4x-Lens-Review.aspx
 
OK got the Leica and a few Leica lenses, got a new D800e and now away to get the 200/400mm for my Safari trip in 2013............will get the wimberly as well and thats it for ever
 
Hi Kev(shore) you're flirting with some very expensive kit there for supporting that big lens. Mind you as you say why put £5k worth of gear on a crap support
merv:thinking:
 
ndwgolf said:
I already have a Gitzo tripod and Gitzo ball head that I have been using with my 70-200mm f2.8 D3s combo (and love them) but I think I am going to need to get something bigger as I am going to buy the 200-400mm f4 lens and I am worried that the tripod that I have right now will be to small. I am also looking at getting a Gimbal Head instead of a ball head so my question is what tripod/Gimbal Head combination would you recommend for that big lens??
Some guys on another thread that I go to in Malaysia recommend the Gitzo GT5542LS Series 5 but couldn’t recommend a head to go with it
Click to expand...

Just take your M9 and crop/enlarge where necessary.:D

The wife can always lug around the Nikon in her handbag........
 
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