> Hello all,
>
> tomorrow I'm going to buy myself a new tripod. The choice is the 055PRO
> (former 455, Bogen #3021PRO), the one which offers the ability to mount
> the central column horizontally.
>
> I thought I'd take the Proball head (468RC, Bogen 3435QR) and get both
> precision and mobility but I discovered that this head is not
> reccommended with the tripod and (more important) is way out of my
> budget since it costs about twice the tripod.
>
> -The remainig options are: the smaller 308RC (Bogen 3413QR) ballhead or
> the older 168 (Bogen 3055). I think I remember not very good comments
> about the last one and the first looks a bit too light for my liking.
>
> Do you have any experience or advice?
> Should I look at standard 3-way heads?
>
> The tripod will be used mainly for macro shots, then landscape photos
> and very little studio.
>
> Thanks in advance, Flavio
Dear Flavio,
for the type of work you describe, my votes go for a 3-way head. I
have little experience with macro, but use my tripod quite often for
scenics and landscape work. Setting up a 3 way takes a bit longer than
a ball head, but it is way more precise. Especially for getting
horizons straight. You can fiddle with that without throwing out the
rest of your composition. I use the super-junior 3 way head (code:
115). I choose it because of price and compact size. It works
reasonable up to small telephoto lenses. With a 200mm this head is
clearly borderline. Not so much stability, but precision. When
locking, the image moves slightly. Up to 90mm~100mm this is not too
much of a problem, but at 200mm it starts getting irritating. I am not
sure if I would buy that one again if I had to buy a new head, but I
still might.
My recommendation is, to take the longest lens you intend to use with
this tripod to the shop and try how you get on. If you want to do
macro, having your macro lens with you can't harm either.
With respect to the tripod itself, I own the Manfrotto 190. If you
have to carry it on your shoulders for a kilometer or so, it is heavy
enough. For sure it is less solid than the one you are after and
offers less features for macro, but at least you can spread the legs
that you get quite close to the ground. In my experience it is solid
enough to carry a 200mm lens. I haven't tried anything longer so no
comment wheather it is still good at 300mm or 400mm.
I am not sure whether the last paragraph is helpful, since you seem
quite settled on the tripod itself, but I hope the first paragraphs
are. Joachim
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