F-Stoppers Choice in Tripod

Woodyg3

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If it didn't have a center column, I'd be sold. Of course, with the short center column option, I guess I could use the tripod with that on all the time, for low work, and it seems tall enough on its own that I wouldn't need to raise the center column for regular use. Sure looks like a great product, and especially for the price.
 

hark

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If it didn't have a center column, I'd be sold. Of course, with the short center column option, I guess I could use the tripod with that on all the time, for low work, and it seems tall enough on its own that I wouldn't need to raise the center column for regular use. Sure looks like a great product, and especially for the price.

The price is phenomenal for its height as well as the diameter of tubing used. The size tubing looks comparable to the Gitzo 3 series which has fatter legs than the 2 series; however, they were sent the 2 series since it's more popular. I found the Gitzo 3 series to have more flex in the legs than the 2 series for some reason though.

It definitely looks like a solid tripod.

that looks like mine, i guess i did my homework right then??

Yes, you must have, Roy! How do you like yours?
 

Roy1961

Senior Member
Contributor
its only used with my 50-500, mostly moon shots and when i am up looking for the bald eagles, they are a good half mile away, its tall and steady, I don't have the bottom section of the legs opened up, not to heavy to carry, I bought a Wimberley gimbal to go along with it. Should be the last tripod and head I will buy????

I still have my vanguard for close up work.
 

Woodyg3

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its only used with my 50-500, mostly moon shots and when i am up looking for the bald eagles, they are a good half mile away, its tall and steady, I don't have the bottom section of the legs opened up, not to heavy to carry, I bought a Wimberley gimbal to go along with it. Should be the last tripod and head I will buy????

I still have my vanguard for close up work.

So, Roy, do I read that to say that you getting plenty of height without raising the center column? If so, that should make a big difference in stability.

Not that I can afford new photo gear right now. But, a guy can dream a little. :)
 

hark

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So, Roy, do I read that to say that you getting plenty of height without raising the center column? If so, that should make a big difference in stability.

Not that I can afford new photo gear right now. But, a guy can dream a little. :)

Woody, I'm not Roy and don't have that tripod, but I can give you a little insight with my own experience. I'm 5'9" tall, and I prefer tall tripods. My Gitzo's (both are 'long' models) are 58" and 59" tall without the center columns raised (and without factoring in a head). The Benro is listed as 60" without the center column extended so my tripods are in the same ballpark.

With normal situations, I do not extend the center column. In fact, I don't even extend the bottom section of the legs all the way because when I do, it is too tall for me to see through the viewfinder (and that's when the center column is NOT extended). Different heads will add various differences in height, but unless you are extremely tall, most likely you wouldn't need to extend the center column.

I've had only a handful of unusual situations where I did need to raise the center column. When I take photos during Worship, I don't want anyone to trip over the legs. I stand in the very back of the Sanctuary where the choir comes in. So what I do is to extend the front leg all the way but splay it forward more (so it is angled more sharply). Then I set that leg over the last pew. The 2 back legs need to be lowered to compensate for the front leg being extended out so far. When you view the tripod from the side, it looks like a right triangle rather than an isosceles triangle. It doesn't tip backwards though. Even if it would get pushed, that front leg is under the pew in front of it and gets hung up underneath it.

Another time when I fully extended a tripod (my Bogen Manfrotto 3021 which goes to around 70" tall with center column extended), is when I shot film. I took photos of the front of my Sanctuary and didn't want to deal with parallax. The ceiling is so high, and I didn't want to angle the camera upwards. Since I didn't have Photoshop almost 20 years ago--which could have fixed any parallax issue--I fully extended the tripod and stood on either a chair or a step stool. No one was around so no chance of it getting knocked over.

And the only other time I've had to extend the center column is when I've shot on uneven ground. If the front leg has to be longer when standing on an incline/decline, the back 2 legs have to be shorter to keep the tripod level. At those times the center column needs to be extended somewhat. Of course, I could always bend over, and have done that at times, too.

So even though you don't particularly want/need a center column, you might find yourself in similar situations where one would come in handy.
 

Roy1961

Senior Member
Contributor
tripod.jpg

there's a pic of it opened up without the center column, i am 5-8 or 5-10 in my heels lol
 

hark

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View attachment 291835

there's a pic of it opened up without the center column, i am 5-8 or 5-10 in my heels lol

I'm wondering if yours is a different model, Roy. The blue section that raises/lowers the center column is just below where the tripod head gets mounted. And that would be just below the 60" or 5' mark--because the Benro model used by Fstoppers is supposed to be 60" without the center column raised. According to that, then you are only about 5'3" tops. ;) Does your tripod show the model number on it?

Take a look at this Benro model. Without the center column raised, it is 71". ::what::

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/prod...g8Ko3AIVB7bACh3HfgwoEAYYASABEgLeX_D_BwE&smp=y

EDIT:
Or maybe yours is this one which looks to be the carbon fiber alternative to the aluminum model above.

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1157819-REG/benro_tma48cxl_mach3_9x_carbon_fiber.html
 
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hark

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you are correct Cindy, mine is the TMA48CXL model.

That is really big, Roy! No doubt the quality of yours would be comparable to the one tested by Fstoppers. Very nice indeed! You did your research well. :)
 

Chucktin

Senior Member
Ever notice how a Surveyor instrument, or GPS, or a Lazer Level (when it really counts!) is mounted?
No or minimal center collum!
That's what gets lost - use the center collum only to lift the gimbal, ball or 3-way head enough to operate not to extend the reach.
 
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