I'm looking for some input on what folks think is the best heavy tripod for AP. Links are appriciated.
Hi Jessek, I know quite a bit about tripods but not so much about "AP" am I a little "slow"? When I looked in the acronym finder I got Aerial Photography, Associated Press, Applied Photography, Apple Pie and 257 other definitions and none clued me in.
OK now we are both on the same page. You choice will vary by what you are putting on it if it is just a photographic lens and camera body and you are going to somewhat dedicate it to the task (not back packing it around) I would go with heavy, sturdy, reliable. I shoot medium format lenses up to 800mm and I use a Gitzo Series 5 Carbon File tripod. Without a head they run 800 to 1000 US new, but Gitzo used to make an aluminum model which was incredibly sturdy, but heavy (I had one) and it was a model G1505 Studex. You can find good used ones around for around 400 US. You can get by with less depending again on what you are going to put on it I would use one with 3 leg sections rather than 4 or 5 as they will sturdier (thicker legs and thicker sections) and never use a center column as it defeats the principal of tripod stability. The other alternative is to use a "surveyor" type tripod in wood, aluminum or fiberglass and there are lots of good ones on eBay, makers for similar motion picture and video cameras ones are Miller & Sachtler Remember that a tripod is a buy once and keep it a long time so don't go cheap, they are an investment. Cameras seem to be changed over in a relatively short time and are more like commodities. Below I have given you some links with examples. I hope I have been helpful Gitzo 5 Series EBay: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Gitzo-Series-5-Tripod-Base-With-P-L-5-Head-Four-Leg-Sections-Crank-Elevator-C-/391754458237?hash=item5b3662a47d:g:xi8AAOSwGy5Y8STz Gitzo 5 Series Carbon Fiber https://www.manfrotto.ca/gitzo-tripod-systematic-series-5-3-sections-126c04 Gitzo 5 Series Studex https://www.gitzospares.com/g1505-parts.html Miller or Sachtler or various makes of surveyors tripods in wood or aluminum similar to this example. http://www.ebay.com/itm/Miller-System-DS-5-DV-Tripod-/122469171597?hash=item1c83bb418d:g:JzMAAOSwnONZA7ly
Another option is a telescope tripod, like the one for the Meade ETX series of scopes: http://www.meade.com/884-tripod-for-etx90-and-etx125-937.html I have this tripod and an ETX 90 scope. Quite sturdy, but it's heavy and doesn't collapse much (2 section legs). On the plus side, it has a tilt plate and uses 1/4x20 screws to mount the scope, which is the same thread as most tripod mounts (they are not placed optimally for mounting a camera lens, but it might work. Haven't tried it with a camera myself - only the scope).
ball head mounted on a 4 foot long piece of 4 by 4 timber so you can tie it to fixed objects like a fence post
