[tibbitts]

I have 3036 bogen/manfrotto legs, which are somewhat similar to the 475 today. I also have the 55-300, and even on that tripod, or a Slik 700, you can still get vibration at the long end of the zoom. The Slik standard ball head that I use for both is only modest-sized, but even if I attach the camera directly to the legs (just for testing), there can still be vibration outdoors - if there's any wind, you'll get vibration. It's probably just a function of the camera/lens being so unbalanced when using only the camera's tripod socket.

Paul

[Ex Finn.]

even if you kick it

You better have your steel-toe boots on or you will get hurt . They are a true workhorse, we use bunch of them for holding antennas and stuff, they would be a bit of an overkill for APS-C DSLR.

[Ratmagiclady]

Just to add another option to this, if you really don't mind weight, (most do, but your gear is so light right now, there's room.) You *could* start out with a big ol Benbo tripod, and put the real money to like a nice Acratech head and such: you'll be able to macro and it'll be outdoorsey, (with sheer mass to make up for any other vices) ....then you can spring for some really nice lighter or wooden legs once experience really shows you what you want in practice.

It sounds like you have ample finances and are big and strong, but that also means you can play around. (It can be nice to have a tripod you can leave in a car all the time that's not too much of a treasure, just for times when you weren't planning on a shoot anyway. )

[Pepe Le Pew]

True Story........
Guy wanted a Rum and Coke.......
I wanted his Tri-pod....
Traded a Rum and Coke for a Tri-pod.....Best deal I ever made...

[mikeSF]

i shoot often around the hills of Marin county and it gets really windy, i mean very windy. no light tripods here, i like something metal and fairly heavy to reduce wind movement.
i use a bag hanging from the center column(always touching the ground) once in awhile, and once the wind was so strong, the bag tumbled away with the whole tripod! time to go home.

[imaspy]

I think is the other way around, you want light weight tripod, and once you set up your tripod, you hang your bag or water bottle on the tripod hook to increase the stability.

i'd second this. my tripod is aluminium; combining the weight of the camera, lens, and hanging a bag or some other weight from the central hook (surprise surprise, that;s the purpose of the hook) has never let me down - even in a very windy environment.

[ramseybuckeye]

I have the same combination of K30 and DA55-300 lens. You tripod should be rated much higher than the combined weight of the camera and lens because the 55-300 does not have a collar so you mount the camera. When mounted to the camera and extended the combo will exert more pressure than its weight. I have an Induro A231 alloy tripod that is rated for 22 lbs and an Induro SA-23 ball head that is rated at 17lbs, it handles the combination very well. I highly recommend them, but many companies make solid tripods, just look cat the load capacity and beware of the spindly leg tripods.

[timbo]

Thanks guys! I went with the Berlebach 3032 Report. It's amazing. Everything I wanted and more. A work colleague's dad is a leatherworker by trade, so I'm gonna get him to fashion a nice, sturdy carrying strap!

[Ben_Edict]

Thanks guys! I went with the Berlebach 3032 Report. It's amazing. Everything I wanted and more. A work colleague's dad is a leatherworker by trade, so I'm gonna get him to fashion a nice, sturdy carrying strap!

Good choice, I think. I was heavily contemplating one myself for my camcorder - but finally went with a Linhof twin-shanks tripod. But I am still tempted by a Berlebach or Wolf, as I have wooden tripods for my telescopes and they perform admirable.

Ben