I will be purchasing the Canon 500mm f4 and a Wimberly soon. I was wondering if my tripod would be good enough for this setup. I own a Feisol CT-3342. The tripod head is rated as a max load of 22lbs. I plan to use a 7D and or a 5D MKII with the lens setup. Now I know this tripod is not the same as a $1000 Gitzo, but its pretty stable and I love it because its easy to hike with.
If this tripod is not good enough, can someone please provide some suggestions? I am wanting something I can lug around while hiking so the lightest weight I can get is very important.
Hi Shane, although the 3342 would support the weight I would have though you would have been better off with one of the Feisol large Tournament Class tripods. I have the 3372 with which I only shoot a 300/2.8 + converters but I know of a few people who use it with a 600/4 and are very satisfied with it and say it compares favourably with more expensive Gitzos that they have owned.
Hi Shane, I have two Benro carbon fiber tripods and an very happy with them both. I got both thru B&H and the 358 supports 40 #. I use it with by D700 and 500 f/4 which weigh in at about 11 pounds. It has gone up in price but is still less than $500.
Shane,
When I bought my 500 mm f/4 about a decade ago, I did not have a carbon fiber tripod. I had a bogen 3021 aluminum tripod. It was not up to the job. I currently have a gitzo 1325 and 1228 CF tripods. The 1228 is closest to your feisol CT3342. But the 1228 weighs 1.54 kg versus the 3342 at 1.03kg. The difference is likely the leg thickness and thus stability and vibration damping. refs:
Now I consider the 1228 barely adequate to hold the 500, especially when used with TCs. In my opinion the 1325 is fine for the 500 with TCs, but feel the next tripod up in the series would be better. (1325 and 1228 gitzos are no longer in production--not sure what the newer equivalents would be.)
So based on the specs for the 3342, I would say it will work, but you'll probably find you need to upgrade in the future. Once you get the 500, mount it on the tripod and lock it down, then tap it and watch the vibrations. Does it damp down quickly?
Congratulations on your near purchase of a 500/4 and a Wimberley II. You will love your new lens so much, you'll want to keep it by your bedside on its tripod all night. But better yet, the Wimberley II is the most amazing piece of camera gear I've ever owned. Now......why not just go ahead and pay $724.95 for a Gitzo GT3530LS tripod to pull it all together??!! It is a beast of a tripod that will handle your rig with ease, but its not heavy at all. By the way, I have a Feisol CT-3301 for some of my lighter gear so I know they make good tripods, but you'll never be as happy as you would with the Gitzo. Also, you'll be just like the guruji and that can't be a bad thing :). Good luck with your new gear.
Shane I shoot with the 3342 , canon50D and 7D with battery grips, 1.4x and the 400DO F4 lens.Wimberly head
I am confident it will hold your 500 f4 without a problem, its only a 4 lbs more than my setup
and mine is plenty solid. Only had it 6 mos. I think they are rated at 29lbs. I'd certainly give it a shot before
I'd get a more robust tripod.
Will my tripod support this?
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