[mapguy]

I just got back into photography and have all this older equipment and some it seems like its dated to what is being used now. Just wondering if any of it should be updated, especially the old hex quick release plates.

My main tripod was a Bogen #3221 and I had two heads a Bogen #3055 Ball Head and a Bogey #3047 I think its called a pan head. The tripod heads use a hex quick release system.

What I have now is a K3II; my heaviest lenses are a FA 80-200 f2.8, F300 f4.5, and SMCA 400mm f5.6. I have 1.4TC's for each. I shoot some HS sports, but usually just use a mono pod with the 80-200 f2.8

I just got the Nodal Ninja 3 and would like to get into some panorama's. I also got the DA 100mm macro and would like to start playing with that. still don't have a rig for the flashes, but have seen many people talk about arc swiss plates on here.

The hex plates seem kind of dated, should I start looking at other heads, or get adapter and work with what i got?

Any suggestions on hanging a bag or rock to stabilize the tripod?

[jatrax]

The Bogen 3221 sticks were very good in their day and are not bad today. I see no reason to change them unless you want to go to carbon fiber. Never been a fan of pan heads at all, or of the Bogen / Manfrotto hex plates. But as long as they work I see no issues.

If you do decide on anything new I would try to get Arca-Swiss standard plates. There are many, many accessories and plates available for that system at reasonable prices. And the plates might be adaptable to your existing sticks and heads.

[UncleVanya]

Pictures of the pan head and ball head would help or model numbers perhaps. However like Jatrax I think the 3221 legs are fine. They are heavier than carbon fiber but sturdy as long as your latches are working. I still use my bogen 3221 legs for one of my two main tripods. I have the pan head without quick release (knobs in every direction) but no longer use it. I have a large 2" diameter or bigger ball head on my Bogen and a smaller head on my carbon legs. The hex plates are very proprietary but they do work. They stick in the way some more than the arca swiss plates but I have used both and don't think it matters much. Use what you have now and then decide if you want to change later. Arca is more standardized.

You can get some conversion kits - or just add a conversion adapter on top of the hex plates to accept Arca plates but I'd strongly advise you to use what you have first and find out what you want different before jumping ship.

[stevebrot]

The Bogen 3221 sticks were very good in their day and are not bad today.

What ^^^^ said. As far as heads, it is is not hard to mount a Arca-Swiss style clamp on a hex plate.


Steve

[travelswsage]

As the others have mentioned the 3221 legs are fine -- I still have 2 sets of them with one set being about 20 years old. I use them with the 3047 pan head for everything from 35mm to 4x5. They have stood up to a lot of heavy use. Keep a properly sized socket wrench with you as the leg joiners work loose with time, especially if you lose the little plastic piece that keeps the screw from turning. I have a Kirk made hex plate that has an arca swiss plate built in and I would recommend using something like this instead of the regular hex plates especially if you want to use an L-plate on your camera. You probably don't need to weight the tripod down unless you are in very windy conditions. If you are traveling and hiking a lot this set up does get heavy and you might want to consider a carbon fiber tripod.

[mapguy]

The ball head is a bogen #3055; one lever allows it to move around, the other spins it in the circle. I did find that when using it with the nodal ninja the legs have a tendacy to move, then again I’m used to survey tripod legs. I guess a bag with a rock in it could steady it.

[C_Jones]

I have a Bogen Manfrotto tripod, but instead of using it for shooting, I decided to purchase two Sirui tripods. They are easy to store and the way they work with my Sirui ballhead is great. The tripods and ballhead use the arca swiss plate/head mount. Just in case you decide you may be interested in the tripods or the ballhead, shortcuts to them are below. The T-1005X is the lighter and more compact of the two tripods, but is also very well built.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B004QC3COO/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1523491230&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=k20x&dpPl=1&dpID=51tEmkUblRL

amazon.com : Sirui T-1005X 5-Section Aluminum Tripod : Tripod Legs : Camera & Photo?tag=pentaxforums-20&

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00IKHRRFG/ref=olp_product_details?tag=pen...20&ie=UTF8&me=

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Last edited by C_Jones; 04-11-2018 at 05:16 PM.

[UncleVanya]

The ball head is a bogen #3055; one lever allows it to move around, the other spins it in the circle. I did find that when using it with the nodal ninja the legs have a tendacy to move, then again I’m used to survey tripod legs. I guess a bag with a rock in it could steady it.

Reading reviews on the head I find this stands out:

1) Sloppy precision. No adjustment for tension, locked or unlocked only.
2) Medium size - handles up to 400 f/5.6 or 300 f/4 on a body with enough stability to work for most people but not likely enough if you plan very precise panoramic shots.
3) Cheap to replace with similar quality or better and Arca compatibility. Used marketplace for heads in the sub $100 range is rich with heads that will easily rival this.
4) Pan function is not marked in degrees - this may not matter or it may matter a great deal to you.

But if you find this a workable head I wouldn't jump into something else until you know what it can and can't do and what you like and hate.

[mapguy]

Thanks for the break down, I don't use the ball head much. I found this to use with the Nodal Ninja.....

amazon.com : Desmond DLEVX-68 Leveler w Bubble Level for Tripod 3/8 Precision Tri-Wheel Leveling Base : Camera & Photo?tag=pentaxforums-20&

The former surveyor in me, really likes the precision.

I probably have to cut my losses and switch to arc swiss stuff, maybe an adapter plate just to keep the heads usefull. I can't say I use the long lenses that much, but would like to play with macro stuff with an off camera flash. i know that puts a lot of weight on the tripod head.

[Ian Stuart Forsyth]

I have a Bogen Manfrotto tripod, but instead of using it for shooting, I decided to purchase two Sirui tripods. They are easy to store and the way they work with my Sirui ballhead is great. The tripods and ballhead use the arca swiss plate/head mount. Just in case you decide you may be interested in the tripods or the ballhead, shortcuts to them are below. The T-1005X is the lighter and more compact of the two tripods, but is also very well built.

I have a warning about the Siruir ball heads.
4 months into owning the middle model I had the baseplate become separated from the main body of the ball head out in the field while attaching my D800 and 50mm 1.8, Thankfully I was still holding onto the camera while this happened.

Getting back to the house I found that 3 tiny screws stripped out and where pulled out of the body

I have taken off the quick release clamp to be used on another ball head so ignore that its missing


Here you can see the holes where the screws are pulled out, for me these tiny screws are way to small for what I would consider as a safe way of securing the base to the main body and especially for their recommended weight this ball head is rated for.

For the record this head was mainly used for landscape and was not abused.

If you want to see how small the screws are for yourself you can turn the base plate while the head is not attached to the tripod and thru the access hole you can look down to see the size of the screw.

[UncleVanya]

Yikes!