Lightweight and Capable Camera Support System

Intro

For many years I have been following the 'classic' approach to stabilize cameras for long exposures. It consisted of a photo tripod with a central column and a ball head. While doing its primary job alright, this approach has two shortcomings. First, shooting frames for panoramic images happens to be a more involved process than I'd like. The thing is that for panos, the ball head's base needs to be leveled precisely, or the resulting panorama ends up skewed after stitching. Leveling a tripod by re-adjusting the lengths of individual legs, especially when the said tripod is on uneven terrain, is a big pain. One solution would be to pad a ball head with a dedicated leveling base, but then there goes point number two...

Second, I hike with my camera in the great Pacific Northwest, where most of the trails go up the mountains. So my sensitivity to how much weight I carry is pretty high, and each extra ounce is counted. Some time ago, I even started to question whether my tripod really needs a central column. On the one hand, the possibility of extending the vertical reach seemed like a good idea. On the other, common wisdom advises against it because of compromised stability. So in practice, I rarely extended the central column but still hauled the extra mass around. (To be clear, it is not so much about the weight of the column itself: a piece of carbon fiber tube on its own is not the issue. But combine it with supporting hardware - tightening lug, etc. - built into tripod hub, and it starts to add up.) Having said that, adding more hardware like leveling bases is absolutely out of the question.

So had begun my search for a better tripod rig. Then a couple of years ago, Thomas Heaton, whose YouTube channel I follow, started going through his camera support system reevaluation, which clicked with me too. While I can not claim to pioneer this approach, I am happy with my version of the system. I have been using it for about a year now with great results, and at this point, I consider it proven and worthy of sharing with you.

My Hiking Camera Kit

For reference, below is the camera gear making my kit:

Sony 7RM3 + L-Bracket (1.68 lbs | 764g)
Tamron 28-200mm f/2.8-5.6 Di III RXD (1.38 lbs | 626g)
Tamron 17-28mm f/2.8 Di III RXD (1.07 lbs | 484g)

Support System Components

Legs

I chose Leofoto LS-284CEX Ranger Series Carbon Fiber Tripod with 15-Degree Leveling Base. But before we go into the details, let me say that I am thoroughly impressed with the quality of Leofoto products. I own a couple of Gitzo tripods, and in my opinion, Leofoto delivers the same level of craftsmanship and function at a considerably lower cost.

So as the description states, the LS-284CEX comes without a center column but with a built-in leveling base. That means that I can plant it on a chosen spot, adjust legs’ length to make it somewhat vertical, then fine-tune the leveling (up to 15° in whichever direction) by tilting the base.

Built-in Leveling Base of Leofoto LS-284CEX tilted to the maximum 15°

Another benefit of not having a central column is that this tripod goes really low and close to the ground.

The LS-284CEX is rated for up to 22 lbs (10kg) load, which is more than sufficient to support my camera with the heaviest lens mounted. The legs weigh reasonable 2.73 lbs (1240g).

Leofoto LS-284CEX Ranger Series Carbon Fiber Tripod with 15-Degree Leveling Base

Head

Now that the LS-284CEX provides precise leveling, there is another choice to make. That is between a traditional ball head or a more specialized 2D design. 2D heads restrict movements to yaw and pitch only (to borrow aviation terminology). Even though many modern cameras have a built-in electronic level assist helping to control roll movement (aviation term again), personally, I appreciate the simplicity of 2D heads. So I went with Acratech Long Lens Head. This product has three variants: Panoramic & Tilt Head; Long Lens Head with Indexable Clamp; and Long Lens Head with Fixed Clamp. The name of the last one is somewhat misleading. It has to do with the ability to change the clamp's orientation relative to the tilt axis of the head. It becomes an important feature if you plan to use it for mounting both l-brackets and lenses with Arca-Swiss collars. But "Fixed Clamp" actually is not fixed; all you need is a hex key wrench to deal with the screw, meanwhile Long Lens Head with Indexable Clamp allows you to achieve the same without tools. Switching the clamp's orientation in the field is not a priority for me, so I chose the third version, which also happens to be the lightest at 0.87 lbs (394g) while supporting 25 lbs (11.4kg). This is a great product. It is made in the USA; movements are smooth, the finish is perfection. I would highly recommend it to anyone.

Feet

Leofoto LS-284CEX arrives with two sets of feet: rubber feet come pre-installed, and spikes are included in the package. That is what I have been using until recently. My latest upgrade is the addition of Leofoto TF-02 Titanium Rock Claws. I have been debating between RRS TA-3-FRC and Leofoto TF-02. Both are not cheap, yet the TF-02's are made out of lighter and corrosion-resistant titanium, so I pulled the trigger on Leofoto's offering. Once again, I was impressed with all the aspects of the product. The set came in a nice box, and the claws resided inside a dedicated storage case. The feet are meticulously crafted with milled-out shapes and, honestly, look more like pieces of art than functional articles. I do not have much experience with them beyond just a couple of photo shooting outings, but I plan to have these claws permanently mounted to my tripod from here on.

The Whole Thing

The Rig: Acratech Long Lens Head with Fixed Clamp + Leofoto LS-284CEX Ranger Series Carbon Fiber Tripod with 15-Degree Leveling Base + Leofoto TF-02 Titanium Rock Claws. Total weight: 3.68 lbs (1670g)

A Data Point From The Field

While not exactly an expedition to the wilderness, I could not pass on an opportunity to shoot Strawberry Moon, the last supermoon of 2021. The conditions that night were perfect for the subject, with clear skies over Seattle. So I headed to Kerry Park. I include two photos from that night taken with the same Sony 7RM3 but much heavier Sony FE 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 GM lens.