Your Manfrotto Equipment for 600 mm f/4 Lens

[Craig Brelsford]

Hello Photographers,

It's time for me to get some new equipment. I'm looking for the best that Manfrotto has to offer in tripods and tripod heads. I use a 600 mm F/4 Nikon lens to photograph birds. If you had my lens, what Manfrotto tripod and head would you use?

Thanks,

Craig

[Mike Hitchen]

I would go for the 055 Carbon Fibre and the 393 'gimbal-type' head.

http://www.richardpeters.co.uk/blog/...to-393-review/

If it does not have to be a Manfrotto head you could go for a true gimbal such as the Wimberley line (though there are several clones out there to choose from).

[David Stephens]

I used to use Manfrotto, but I got frustrated with their various proprietary quick-release attachments. They've got around four or five of them and none are compatible with the other and they don't offer adapters to go from one to the other. If you get Manfrotto legs, then use another brand of head, with an Arca-Swiss compatible release plate. I consider A-S the industry standard. I use Induro, but Gitzo, RRS and many others make great stuff that's A-S compatible. Also, the leg-ends for my Manfrotto were held on by friction, not screw-in. Mine got stuck in mud and I didn't notice that I'd lost one until I got home. I lost two out of three over a one-year period.

For my EF 500mm f/4L IS II, I use a Induro C-414 (6-ply), an Arca-Swiss Z1 ballhead and a Wimberley Sidekick. I hand hold 99.9% of the time, but you need a heavy, steady rig when it's time for the tripod. Although expensive, I like the ballhead/Sidekick combination because of it's very smooth, steady gimbal action, but the ballhead is also useful for other body/lens combination for landscape, portrait, etc.

[Craig Brelsford]

Thank you, Mike Hitchen and David Stephens.