[Closed] Photography gear question

Not bad; stuff aimed at the keen amateur rather than the pro. If you're looking for a tripod to use now and then, fine. If you want something that will be bashed about yet last gears, get something like a Manfrotto.

I use a Cullmann 2903 tripod. It'll be around 20 years old (says Made in West Germany) and is still on great working order. A very well made bit of kit with plenty of adjustments, though I've no idea what current-range stuff is like. Still made in Germany? Quality is usually obvious if you can get your hands on something.

[i]Manfrotto[/i]

*giggles*

Not bad; stuff aimed at the keen amateur rather than the pro

Yes certainly have heard of them, in fact used a Titan 200 tripod for a long while and now have a Magnesit Ballhead
This from the new range with a load rating of 32kg although they often state it as well in torque [url= http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/733799-REG/Cullmann_CU_40285_MB8_5_Magnesite_Ballhead.html ]Ballhead[/url]

Good solid German engineering, excellent customer service and ten year guarantee too

Some of their cheaper stuff maybe, but not the high end expensive kit and considerably more durable than most of the Manfrotto range

Erm, right. Ok. So all the professional photo and video bods using Manfrotto gear are silly then?

If you want a standard general purpose tripod, they're fine. I was merely pointing out for heavy duty professional use, such as studio work and that, then Cullmann don't seem to do owt that matches the higher end Manfrotto and Gitzo etc stuff. I may be wrong, I dunno, but I've not noticed big hefty tripods in studios and for location work being Cullmanns. The most popular seem to be Manfrotto. I'd imagine there's probbly a good reason for that.

I own a Manfrotto 190 with a 141RC head. The thing has survived falling down stairs, off my bike and generally abused. I'd recommend one.

*giggles*

Emsz; your mind is in the gutter.... 😀

Their stuff seems readily available here that's all. There's a tripod (magnesit 528Q) which has the tiltable centre column for macro work. It can easily hold my lightweight kit and I can get it for 120 euros.

Anyone used the tiltable ones btw? Wondering if there's a trade-off between that and stability.

Cullmann actually make serious professional equipment, my tripod was originally owned by Tyne Tees TV who used it mounted on a dolly for studio work
This gives an idea of what one would look like [url= http://www.rtsphoto.com/html/cullm4.html ]Cullmann Pro[/url]

Knowing how much you like to argue i'm sure you will again point out all the pros using Manfrotto, but to say Cullmann only make low end gear is incorrect

To recommend a tripod because it can fall down stairs or from a bike is hardly professional use, thinking more of use in a sal****er enviroment and I can assure you my Manfrotto 055CB which is a step up from the 190 failed dismally

Check out Cullmann and you may even be persuaded to try one of their products although not sure they would advertise as being clumsy proof

Well it's good to know they aren't just Dixons style crappo, that's all.

I bought a tiny teeny miniature tripod for a few euros that folds down to the size of a highlighter pen. A bit shakey, but great for self timer shots 🙂 Really for compacts but it holds my DSLR.

They also make fold flat tripods which are ingenious and cool.

Knowing how much you like to argue i'm sure you will again point out all the pros using Manfrotto, but to say Cullmann only make low end gear is incorrect

Really? So where's their pro range then? [url= http://www.cullmann.de/en/tripods.html ]Not atverdised on their website.[/url] 2 out of 4 of those tripods in your link are 'No longer available'.

And places like Calumet, who supply stuff for professional use, don't stock 'pro' level Cullmann tripods as far as I know. And I've never seen a heavy-duty Cullmann tripod in a studio.

S'not about arguing; s'about giving the OP advice based on my own knowledge and experience handling loads of photographic equipment. I've used plenty of Manfrotto stuff, and it's all bin solid and dependable.

Surprised that a mainly aluminium tripod 'failed dismally' in a 'sal****er' environment. Mine had a bit of rust on the steel bolts after a dunking in the English Channel off Climping Beach, but cleaned up fine. Did you leave yours submerged by a barrier reef or something?

I stand by my original comments. I think Mol understands what I'm on about anyway, by the looks of thing. 😉

Under £100, I'd say a Cullmann tripod is a good buy. There. Happy now?

Yes, thanks. I'm clearly not interested in pro level kit, but thanks for clearing that up anyway 🙂

Just checked out the Cullmann 528Q with the swivelable centre column in real life. Very impressed actually. All solid and chunky, and pretty stable looking. The movable column doesn't affect stability at all as it goes inside a permanent housing as well. To get it to swivel you have to pull it all the way out, swivel it and then lower it back in. The column doens't reach all the way down to the floor though when the legs are fully in, unlike the Benbo one. However there are only two flicky levers to retract the legs instead of four like some. Much quicker.

Just to put a spanner in the works I have a Redsnapper tripod with a ball head, it's very good - stable, easy to adjust, good customer service and comes with a carry bag. Have a look [url= http://www.redsnapperuk.com/ ]here[/url]

The requirement was a moveable centre column though, for macro work.. 🙂

Ah, and I left my crystal ball at home (or rather I didn't read every post 😕 ). FWIW I don't know anyone who has ever used the tilt option on their tripod.

Me neither, but if I want to take pictures of stuff low down (eg flowers), I can't imagine how I could do it with a full sized tripod!

The legs splay right out. Easy. [img] [/img]

Hmm.

This Cullmann one is a sturdy full height (180cm) tripod as well as a to the floor macro one.. I reckon it's more versatile than a small leg splaying one... But it's chunky, no doubt about it.

Which red snapper do you have?

I think mine's an old model now, but it looks like it's about the same as a 283 with the RSH-12 ball head.

How do you get it to stand up tall then? How do the legs not splay out?

If you look at the top of the legs there is another catch that you lift to allow the legs to splay. You can take the centre column out and put it in upside down if you want then your camera can go right down to the ground.

Best place for centre columns (or monopods on your tripod as we like to call them) is the bin. It's a stability thing.

I use a Manfrotto 55, centre column removed and replaced by a plate. Never missed the centre column.

If you look at the top of the legs there is another catch that you lift to allow the legs to splay. You can take the centre column out and put it in upside down if you want then your camera can go right down to the ground.

Just checked back on the website, the Cullmann does do this too. So it's a winner in my book.

Tucker - that's exactly what I was thinking. However I'm more likely to use this for macro work than anything else, so I want the angle-able column, and I don't want to have to buy two or three tripods! I'm trying to do this on the cheap.

Maybe I'll get a long one with no column in the future some time, when I've got more experience of what my requirements are.

If you want tilting and general strangeness for macro work, I think the demented spiders of [url= http://www.patersonphotographic.com/benbo-tripods.htm ]Benbo[/url] might be a good option.

That said, I do a reasonable amount of macro, and haven't really found any times when my much nicer, newer, conventional Gitzo hasn't done the job. It also gets used a lot more as I can actually be bothered to carry it...

I was going to get the Benbo, but the Cullmann is basically the same design but it goes up to full head height for me, and folds up smaller so can better double as a normal tripod.

Just thinking of flower shots I've taken previously.. there are things like kerbs in the way of tripod legs or in the case of the Welsh Botanial Gardens you have to stick your camera out on a limb a bit to get the nice angles. I reckon it's worth it for 130 euros. The macro focusing rails are a much bigger investment.. 😕

Yup, you've got it there. I think rails and perhaps a 'plamp' are what will make the difference for things that move...