Best tripod head for a 400mm f/5.6L
What tripod head would folks recommend for a (relatively) lightweight Canon 50D + 400mm f/5.6L combo? Arthur likes the Mongoose M2.3 Action Head, and doesn't like the Wimberley II for such lenses. Is that the general consensus? What about the newer Mongoose heads?
If it makes a difference, I have Velbon El Carmagne 630 CF legs I originally bought for my spotting scope. (I'd rather not buy new legs and a new head if I can get away with it.)
The M2.3 would probably do but why not just get the bigger Mongoose 3.6 head and then you can use it with bigger lenses. I have the 3.5 and it works great with the 400/5.6 but is overkill.
Another vote for the Mongoose 3.6:
I would go with the larger head for growing room. I had basically the same setup (40D & 400 f/5.6) and went with the 3.5. Like John said, a bit of overkill but works well and you do not have to upgrade for bigger glass.
Hi Elliotte--
The Mongoose M-2.3 is no longer being made by 4th Generations, so between the two Mongoose heads, the new M-3.6 is the only one available.
There are smaller gimbal heads available for your existing setup like the Induro GHB1 (which also saves you $200).
However, if you think you may get a lens larger than a 300 2.8 in the next few years, you may want to give yourself room to grow with the M-3.6.
You can read more about the M-3.6 at the OPG store and at Artie's store.
I think Arthur still has a few Mongoose 2.3's in stock, and they're about 40% cheaper than a 3.6. I figured if I went for a really large lens I'd also upgrade to the Wimberley II, though it looks like the Mongoose 3.6 might be sufficient. Do folks shooting with large lenses find the Wimberley II and the MOngoose 3.5/3.6 to be equally good, or is there a strong preference for one over the other? The Induro GHB1 also looks interesting. I hadn't heard of that one before.
However I'm really not planning on moving to any of the really big lenses any time soon. The one I might just maybe consider is the 400 f/4 DO. Probably won't buy one, but I might rent it occasionally. I'm pretty sure the Mongoose 3.6 will support it. Would the Mongoose 2.3 also hold it, or is too large?
I have a 400mm f4 DO which I use with a full-size Wimberley, and while initially I thought it was overkill, it has turned out to be just fine. Back when I got the lens, I thought the Wimberley would be too much and investigated the Mongoose 2.3, and was told that it was the perfect head for the DO... You might also consider one of the Jobu gimbals. They are very well-made and considerably less expensive that the Wimberley or the Mongoose... And something else to consider might be getting a good ballhead like a RRS or an Arca-Swiss Z1, which you can use with your other lenses for general photography, and then get a Wimberley Sidekick which will convert the ball head to a gimbal.
Hi,
Having chased ball heads and finally went to the Whimberley for large heads. I can say, my personal opinion is that there is no best, just what feels best for you. Try to get to a store and see what happens. I am lately playing with a 300f4 on a Pnasonic GH1. It becomes equivalent to a 600f4. I am looking for a 400f4.5 FD lens to add to the combo. then it will be equivalent to an 800f4.5 or with the doubler, 1600mm f9. For this very lightweight long lens alternative, I am successfully using the Giotto 1301 with Arca style clamp. It works for me with sharp images. Have fun with the images you get.
The Jobu Junior is an excellent head that was designed for lenses of this size.
If it means anything, most people use the Wimberley.Originally Posted by Elliotte Rusty Harold
When in Rome, do what the Romans do. That's what people do when they don't have enough information :)
The Wimberley is a overkill for that lens, would go with Mongoose which is lightweight !! Currently I use the Mongoose most of the time with the 500/600 ! Latest model is one works great and even locks the lens in place just fine !!
Elliotte and Doug--
I did not mention the Jobu Jr. Mark II earlier as it has been discontinued.
We just got information on the new Jobu Jr.3, which is on the way to us.
Looks like it's going to be a nice small gimbal head.
Custom Brackets makes a small gimbal now.
http://www.custombrackets.com/script...?idproduct=179
I use the Mongoose 3.5 with my 500 F4, D300s and a MB-D10 Multi Power Battery Pack without any problems. It locks down well balances easily
not sure if this lens needs a tripod at all. never used a tripod with this one.
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I got one for my wife as she uses a Nikon 300 AF-S f4 with a TC17EII for most of her photography. It is perfect for this set up.
Ditto! One of the most hand holdable Teles off all.:)not sure if this lens needs a tripod at all. never used a tripod with this one.
I use the 400 f/5.6 with a tripod frequently, obviously not for BIF. It seems to me a 400 mm lens without IS needs support in the last hour of the day. Maybe flash would let you avoid that, but I don't have much experience using flash with birds.
Given the lack of IS, a tripod can be very useful with the 400mm f/5.6L. I used mine with a gimbal head and used the tripod for around 90% of my shots. Light as it is, it can still be very tiring to handhold it while focusing on a songbird that's flitting around in the brush. I often spend 15 to 30-minutes watching on bird and taking multiple shots, hoping to get the optimal combination of head angle, light, unobstructed view, etc. Even for birds in flight with this lens, I find that my keeper rate is higher with the tripod and gimbal.
If you have to use a super tele hand-held, shooting at fast shutter speed is the key. Back then when everything was manual, the suggestion was to use a shutter speed at least 1/focal length, i.e., if the focal length is 400mm, the shutter speed to use is 1/400 at the minimun to avoid the effect of camera shake showing up in the photo. It worked back then and it still works today. I also remember both Doug and Jim also have mentioned that the use of fast shutter speed is the key in successfully shooting hand-held with 500mm or 600mm lens. IS or VR helps when the light is so bad that you cannot shoot at fast shutter speed and you do not have a tripod or any other support handy. Otherwise, if you always shoot at a shutter speed faster than as suggested traditionally, with or without IS should not be a concern, IMO. Besides, the 400 f5.6 is light, right? :)
Mongoose 2.3
I recently picked up a used 2.3 Mongoose on this forum for my 400 5.6. Fits the lens perfectly if you can find one around. And, hats off to 4th Gen Designs for doing a free checkup/adjustment as a warranty item when I'm the second owner, and the unit was several years old. I don't plan to upsize lenses anytime soon, and the light weight and easy use of this head made it an excellent choice.
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