Canon 800/5.6L IS + Mongoose 3.5

[Pao Dolina]

Hello all!

I am currently using a Manfrotto 393 Gimbal and a Manfrotto tripod. After a few months using it I am looking for a lighter & more stable setup. After reading Art Morrison's review I am partial to getting a Mongoose 3.5 + Gizto CF tripod but I have a few questions I hope that can be answered.

What's the actual weight capacity of the Mongoose? I read it to be 8lbs making it too fragile for a 6-7kg lens setup.
Do I replace the feet of the lens with an arca-type plate or does arca-typle plates attach to the feet that comes with the lens?

[Doug Brown]

The 800 weighs a couple of ounces more than a 500 f/4 with a 1.4x. The Mongoose should handle that amount of weight with no problem whatsoever. You can buy a replacement foot or you can attach a plate to the Canon foot.

[Pao Dolina]

Yikes! That means I cannot anymore carry the lens using its current feet. :(

[John Chardine]

Yikes! That means I cannot anymore carry the lens using its current feet. :(

Not a problem Pao. First, it is recommended that the existing foot is replaced with one supplied by 4th Generation because it brings the lens centre of gravity over the top of the tripod, therefore providing more stability. I have a 4th Generation replacement foot on my 500 and you can still use it as a handle to carry the lens- not quite an comfortable as the original Canon foot but still pretty good. However, if you had very big hands you may have trouble with the replacement foot.

[Maxis Gamez]

I would go with the Wimberley II for sure!

[Alfred Forns]

Pao Weight wise it will be no problem I have used the 3.5 with a 600 when walking long distances on the beach. Personally would use the full Wimberley Much safer balancing lenses !!!

[Charles Glatzer]

For 800mm...get the Wimberley head, it is safer when securing and removing the lens, and more stable at lower shutter speeds, etc. Both heads will require an Arca style lens plate or foot.

Best,

Chas

[Joe Milmoe]

Hi Pao,

I use a 1d3/800 IS mounted on a Wh-200/3530LS. I was recently tempted to go for the weight reduction (3.5a) as well, having seen an influx of the "red knob heads" (mongeese) at Bosque this past February.

I recently got a chance to try one out locally, and decided against it for the following reasons:

1- as you mentioned, the OEM Canon foot provides a terrific handle / support for handholding. I am 6', 220lb and prefer to handhold about 1/2 the time. The clearance on the 4th gen 800IS foot is a good bit wider than that of the 500/600 feet, but still very uncomfortable to hold for more than a few minutes.

2- stability, drag and balance on the mongoose. After a few years with the Wimberley v2, it's hard to imagine taking these steps backwards in performance with the mongoose. Don't get me wrong, it is definitely do-able and managable (lots of folks use them with heavier setups), but as Chas mentioned, the wh-200 is rock solid. I never have to lock the knobs, even when shooting the 800 manually focused @ 1600mm on the wimberley.

An interesting observation, I've noticed the mongoose 3.5 heads have undergone multiple (i.e. 4) major revisions / necessary updates. I have yet to see any updates with the wh-200.

Just my $0.02, but I can't justify the weight savings for the drawbacks.

[Pao Dolina]

Just when I thought I figured it out the M3.5a...

I like the M3.5a because of the following reasons
- Artie Morris uses it
- Steve Cirone also uses it
- The kind folks on this thread are using it
- Someone offered me a sweet deal
- It's half the weight of a Wimberley v2
- Cheaper by $100++ (Gotta cut corners somewhere ;))
- Still looking for an online store that will accept my non-US Visa or Mastercard. Still trying to figure out a way to get PayPal to work in my part of the world.

What I like about the Wimberley
- Artie Morris uses it & still lists it as something he still uses
- The kind folks on this thread are using it
- Pretty much the defacto standard when it comes to gimbal. Even Canon uses it during shows
- Can still retain the lens feet with a lens plate (big issue for me seeming my other gimbal and monopod uses the same lens plate)
- Available on BHPhoto whom I've dealt with before.

I may skip the Gitzo 3 or 5 series for now and go for a Manfrotto 055CX3 for now. I know some here will call me crazy but I've used a 7kg capacity tripod for a few months will no ill effects other than frustration with some shots. If a 8kg CF tripod still doesnt deliver will go Gitzo. No problem with having too much tripods seeming got 4 bodies and some long lenses. ;)

I'm running on a sorta hard deadline of May 7th

[Joe Milmoe]

Interesting rationale...go for it :)

[Pao Dolina]

Joe the BS-100 3/8" to 1/4" Brass Reducer Bushing w/ Recessed Flange of Wimberly doesn't show on BHPhoto's site so I am looking for a generic reducer bushing on BH

So which should it be?

General Brand



Tripod Reducer Bushing 3/8" to 1/4"-20



Gitzo



G-1141 Reducer Bushing 7.5mm 3/8"-16 to 1/4"-20




Arca-Swiss



Adapter Screw 8mm 3/8"-16 to 1/4"-20 Reducer Bushing

[Pao Dolina]

Better question would be... are all reducer bushing for tripods the same? I have two lens plates that can has a reducer bushing built in for the tripod head mount.

[Joe Milmoe]

They're all the same product.

I've heard folks mention one being made of a softer metal, but can't recall which that was.

edit: I imagine you'll be using a QR plate, mounted to the tripod foot, in which case the reducer is included, as you mention. Otherwise you are confusing me :)

[Pao Dolina]

you saved me $3 + shipping... lol argh... i hate posting at 130am... i cant talk straight.

[Pao Dolina]

Many thanks for the input. Went with Wimberley because the two sites I tried to transact gave me problems.