I need a new tripod and head. I will be shooting mainly architecture, so it needs to be quite sturdy and have accurate leveling abilities

Any reccommendations?

You don't mention budget. I recently got the Arca Swiss C1 Cube geared head. I like it very much, it offers a lot more precision than any ballhead, but at the same time I feel that it's overpriced. There just doesn't seem to be any real alternative in an Arca-compatible geared head so I guess they feel they can charge what they want for it.

For tripod, I have the Dutch Hill P-900 that I'm happy with; it is very sturdy, but not very portable. Excellent bang for the buck compared to a Gitzo though.

The Manfrotto 410 geared head is great for the money and a HUGE step up from any pan/tilt or ball head for arch. work.

Ditto on the Manfrotto 410. I added an A/S style plate on top.

That looks great. Is there a non-QR version of it, or can you remove the Manfrotto QR clamp and replace it with an Arca-compatible one? Or do you have to screw the Arca clamp onto the Bogen QR plate?

Nill
~~
www.toulme.net

Hello guys

My first post here though I've been a lurker for a couple of years in which time I've learned a lot. Thanks for all the info.

I'm very interested in buying a manfrotto 410. I'll be using it with a 20D, EFS 17-85 and a 70-200f4L for photographing stained glass windows and some interiors ( yeah I know I need a better wide angle for this - I'm working on that ). Any opinions on how the 410 will deal with longer / heavier lenses ie Canon 100-400L or Tamron 200-500.

Graeme

I have been using the 410 for many years and just bought a second one. I also have the huge Manfrotto geared head for large format ( I can't remember the model number off hand ) but the 410 offers everything that head does at a fraction of the weight. Very precise and I use if for all sorts of photography as its a great tool for fine tuning composition.

After years of using pan tilt heads for architecture (which is how I make my living), a friend showed me the 410 geared head and I was sold. I've used it on both my everyday tripod (3051) as well as my lightweight field tripod (055MF3) for two years now and they are superb.

thank you all so much, looks like the manfrotto410 head is the way to go, what about the legs, some of you have mentioned a few but who makes not who makes it?

thanks

Thanks for the suggestions about the 410 head, everybody. I just bought one yesterday and am very happy with my purchase. Ball heads are compact, but you get so much more control with this head for only a little more size and weight. This seems to be a well thought out design, and the scale for horizontal rotation is a nice plus that I wasn't expecting.
-Ron H.

It depends on the use . I have a 055B Manfrotto for lightweight field and location use( second one after ten years of thrashing the last), a 058 medium Manfrotto with central column leg control for general purpose and studio use, and really big one - 161mk 2 for getting up high for landscape and things like large groups with cars and machinery( step ladder recommended ). The 058 probably gets the most use but its very heavy for outside the studio - which can be a good thing sometimes as it means its not affected by wind , its very quick to change height and has a central geared column whick makes it a good match for the 410 - but did I mention it was heavy?
There are other brand possibilities but I have been pretty happy with the set so far. The only other brand I have used was the benbo ( are they still around?) which was good but didn't offer much that the new model 055b manfrotto has , and the Manfrotto is much more rugged.

I use the Manfrotto 410 for architecture, as well as any other work requiring precision framing. Otherwise I use a Markins ball head.

A very useful device for architectural photography is a levelling base for your tripod. Levelling can be done in a couple of seconds when you set up, and since the base is level, you can pan the camera around and still maintain level. Very good for panoramas as well.

I used one with a 6x7 outfit and its sturdiness was adequate BUT as far as being precise goes, it is not infinitely adjustable because of the geared drive and settles in increments which presumably equate to the pitch of the gear teeth. This caused me problems when trying to do accurate rostrum work or similar otherwise great

Bob P

Thanks for the replies and advice. I've just received my Manfrotto 410.

Seems very impressive - smooth, precise and easy to use. Now I just have to go and take some real photos with it.

Cheers

Graeme

I wondered the same thing. I use the Kirk/RRS Arca L Plates, & don't want to stack two QR's together.

Don Shreve
http://www.shreveimaging.com

I picked up a 410 used recently (and very happy with it indeed, thanks to all for the recommendation...), and I'm resigned to putting an Arca-style QR clamp on top of the Bogen QR, which seems to be integral to the design. I didn't find a non-QR version of this head. In the good news department, this particular Bogen QR design provides a large base and seems to be very secure.

I don't have the new (used) Kirk clamp for it yet, but it doesn't seem like it will be much of a problem. In the meantime I've just been screwing the Bogen QR base onto the tripod holes in my RRS L-plates, which is a little tedious but works well enough.

Nill
~~
www.toulme.net