My wife purchased me a Opteka 650-2600mm Telephoto Lens. The lens weighs 70.5 oz. and I need a tripod to hold it. The tripod and monopod that I have now is too flexible. Any suggestions on what tripod that I should purchase that can handle the weight of the lens.
@cirasj no suggestions, but I'd be interested in some recommendations too as my daughter has managed to strip something in the head of mine and now I can't go anywhere without a hex key.
I recommend Tiltall. As rigid as a Manfrotto for a lower price. Not fancy, but they do the trick.
What I would recommend most is to take the heaviest lens/camera combination you have to a camera store and try the tripods there. Not all function alike. And aim for a weight limit above your camera/lens weight. Operating at the max might give you less than optimal performance.
I have a Manfrotto. The reason I love mine so much is that I can take the main post off and put it in the post hole from the bottom so that I can get super close to the subject while being on top of it. Kinda like my lens could touch the ground.
Ok...so, re reading that it sounds kinda dirty...but I don't know how else to explain it...sorry.. :-S
I use Giottos GTMTL8361B which is excellent but light. With Giottos GTMH1311-652 Ball Head. But read your kit spec before you buy as the weight you can load up will vary with the tripod and the head combo you choose.
There are two things you need to think about with your set-up. First is the weight and second is the focal length. I'm not familiar with the lens, but it sounds more like a telescope than a lens! So first thing is the weight. Forget about any of the inexpensive, light travel tripods. Are you going to do astrophotography or wildlife/birds? If birds, you'll most likely need a gimbal mount of some sort. If astrophotography, then I assume you would have some type of tracking head (I don't know anything about these).
As far as the legs go, I'd be looking at Gitzo's Series three tripods. I have a series two for my 300 mm lens, and think it would be fine for 400, but not much longer. Your field of view is so small with these longer lenses that any movement at all becomes critical. They aren't cheap, but lighter tripods won't give you good results.
As with any tripod, there's personal preference when it comes to leg locks and material. I personally hate Manfrottos leg lock clips - when I tried one in the store I kept pinching my thumb, much prefer twist locks (plus they are very quick to set-up). I also don't like the tripods that have sections that can be separated completely from each other. I unexpectedly did that in a camera store once, almost dropped it all and had visions of seeing me being left on a mountain, holding one section while the rest of the tripod and my camera go tumbling down a mountainside. Some old Gitzos are like that, though their current ones are not,something to think about if you are buying used.
Good luck with your search, be prepared to spend a lot more than most because your needs are significantly different and require heavier duty equipment than most other people.
I love my Dolica Proline which can hold up to 13 lbs (according to what I read...I have not tested that yet) (70.5 oz= ~4.5 lbs). It was only 40 US. It amuses me how everyone is all caught up in the brand name and will spend 3 or 4x that for something comparable.
@cirasj - Did you buy a tripod yet? An additional thought: I have a friend who has a large 600mm f4.5 lens and he just bought a Feisol CT-3472LV tripod along with a Wimberley Gimbal Head II. He says its working well with his 3280 gram lens. I think the Feisol is a Gitzo knock-off but it has a good reputation. Since you aren't going to be hiking much with a lens that heavy, you could think about aluminum or something other than carbon fiber if money is an issue.
Most of the better tripods are legs only and you buy the head separately. Since you are going to be using it for a huge lens, I still think you should look at some type of gimbal head. It will keep your combination better balanced and easy to adjust. The problem with many ball heads that come with tripods is that while they will technically hold the weight, they won't work well and some will get torn apart quickly if you try to tighten them down enough to hold such a humongous lens (length as well as weight). Another friend of mine uses a Wimberley Sidekick, I think it works differently than a gimbal but is along the same idea.
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What I would recommend most is to take the heaviest lens/camera combination you have to a camera store and try the tripods there. Not all function alike. And aim for a weight limit above your camera/lens weight. Operating at the max might give you less than optimal performance.
Ok...so, re reading that it sounds kinda dirty...but I don't know how else to explain it...sorry.. :-S
As far as the legs go, I'd be looking at Gitzo's Series three tripods. I have a series two for my 300 mm lens, and think it would be fine for 400, but not much longer. Your field of view is so small with these longer lenses that any movement at all becomes critical. They aren't cheap, but lighter tripods won't give you good results.
As with any tripod, there's personal preference when it comes to leg locks and material. I personally hate Manfrottos leg lock clips - when I tried one in the store I kept pinching my thumb, much prefer twist locks (plus they are very quick to set-up). I also don't like the tripods that have sections that can be separated completely from each other. I unexpectedly did that in a camera store once, almost dropped it all and had visions of seeing me being left on a mountain, holding one section while the rest of the tripod and my camera go tumbling down a mountainside. Some old Gitzos are like that, though their current ones are not,something to think about if you are buying used.
Good luck with your search, be prepared to spend a lot more than most because your needs are significantly different and require heavier duty equipment than most other people.