Originally posted by david94903: The Manfrotto is a great tripod for the K-5 (or any camera). The best head I've found is the Acratech Ultimate Ballhead. I've tried a few different heads and found that this is the best one that works for me. Very smooth, very solid, very light, holds 25 lbs, never wanders. I have two different pistol grips and found they wander over time, very frustrating. Go for a ball head, much more stable, and lighter too.
I have a few tripods, and the wife has a Carbon Gitzo of her own. I have one studio size aluminum Gitzo, at least 25 years old, very sturdy, a modern heavy duty Carbon Gitzo, and a cheap Fotopro, made of aluminum, where one of the legs can be detached as a monopod by itself, very clever! The tripod came with its own head, quite good actually.
Arca-Swiss heads are the true champions of the world, but not cheap, and not that light. So mine, also 25+ years old stays home, most of the time!
With time I got slightly wiser, and concluded I preferred using panorama heads (aka video heads), no matter if I am going to do panorama shots, or not. But there is a problem when you use a video head, you need your tripod to be absolutely level. This is not a problem indoors on a level floor, but otherwise a pain: For instance, when you tighten the legs on a Gitzo/Manfrotto/Benro/Fotopro it is very easy to end up with the entire tripodslightly tilting. So many buy a flat ball head (it has some technical name I just now have forgotten - leveling head?) to correct that slight misalignment, then mount their video head on top. Not the most elegant solution, but it works! Manfrotto makes nice video heads, at a fair price, Wimberley makes expensive ones, that are superb - your choice. Benro makes cheaper copies of the Wimberley, by the way!).
Center columns add vibration and makes the entire tripod more wobbly, no matter if you have an expensive tripod, or a simple one, so try to avoid them (I learned that, the hard way, on a gusty day).
As I live in a cold climate, I find carbon legs is about as cold to hold as aluminum, or steel. As all my tripods, till recently, had a center column, I went looking for something more practical to use outdoors, and I found it!
The Report 3032 has no center column, got a 'leveling head' built-in, and is the fastest setting up tripod I have come across, even if you're are on a sloping surface. And it cost far less than any of my other tripods, bar the cheapo Chinese Fotopro! This one is partly made of wood, and the legs are in two sections, so it doesn't fold up as well as some of the others, but weighs only marginally more than my equally sturdy Gitzo carbon! The best part is that it is about as cheap as my Fotopro!
The model is Berlebach Report 3032, which is available both in the US and in Europe - they are made in Germany, by the way. B&H sells them, but I bought my from the company itself:
Tripod Report 3032 from Berlebach
B&H link:
Berlebach 3032 Wood Tripod Legs with Leveling Ball BE3032 B&H
Is everything perfect with the Berlebach then?! Well, not quite, as it doesn't fold up into quite as small a package as some of my other tripods, and it is made mainly out of wood, so dents show, eventually. So it need a little care, occasonally, drying it with a cloth is recommended, if it has been out on a rainy day! But I'll never wear it out, and it is a perfect companion to the Wimberley, or the Manfrotto 701, whatever head you prefer!
