Flashpoint Tripods from Adorama

[Fotoguy20d]

Anyone have any experience with these? Are they any good? My application would be with a large Canon SLR and 70-200 f2,8 lens or with a 4x5 Graphic View.

Thanks,
Dan

[r-brian]

I bought the middle size one last Christmas but still haven't had a chance to get out in the field with it. I bought it to use with my 4x5 Tachihara and it seems like it should be fine with it. But then, the Tachi only weighs 3.5 lbs. I think it will also be fine with my Bronica SQA with the wide angle lenses I normally shot. I doubt if the middle size will work for you.

You would have to go to the larger size but with the jump in price between the two, I'd look at a Giottos for about the same price. I had looked at them when I was buying and would have like to get one but the cost and the extra 2 lbs were more than I wanted. My middle size Flashpoint with my Bogen ball head comes in at 3 lbs., just what the doctor order for the New Mexico mountains.

[Fotoguy20d]

I bought the middle size one

Do you know which model you have? From their website, the middle one is a F-1228, which they claim can support 17lbs.

[r-brian]

Yep, the 1228 is the one I got. It says it supports 17.6 lbs but I'm not sure I'd want to try it with the tripod fully extended. Your Graphic View is similar to the Calumet C-400 I had at one time. It's a pretty heavy camera which is used a Bogen 3021 with. I bought the Flashpoint to replace the Bogen because of the weight. My little Tachihara only weighs 3.5 lbs but I still feel I will need to hang some weight off the center column when I'm in the field. With your cameras, I would definitely look at the largest model.