So how about you? Center column or not?

Nicely done, Jeffrey. Well-explained and interesting.

Hi Jeffery. Very informative video. Thank you. Having a centre column is more convenient imo and most cameras today have image stabilization which should eliminate any shake. I'd be interested to hear your thoughts on that.

Really nice explanation, well done.

Another fine presentation Jeffrey. I have also produced very similar videos on what i think about centre columns. For me they are a no go zone.I own 6 tripods for different situations and none of them have the,what we call the Blur Maker or centre column. I am 6 ft 5 tall so I always buy tripods that can get to that height or near my height. Thanks again for this one. Cheers

Team center column here. It’s possible I haven’t had this experience as I’m just getting back to photography after a long hiatus, but I’ve not had the stability issues. On windy days, if I need to raise the column, I have a hook at the bottom where I can hang my bag that helps with weight distribution. The “get low” issue is a serious concern and I wish there was a way that didn’t involve flipping the camera upside down. I usually bring a Platypod plate with me for these situations. The ball head can screw right onto it and it’s a nice solution. I like the ability to raise and lower the camera at the center column. Feels clunky to me to do that at the leg level, especially when you have a minor adjustment to make. Great video! Informative as always.

I use both, depending on the shooting environment. High quality center columns like Gitzo will really make a difference. Center columns are so much easier for travel and for micro adjustments as you have mentioned. If I am not shooting at ground level, trying to save weight, and am not within high wind conditions, I will always chose the lighter and more flexible option of a center column. In my 30 years of shooting, I have never encountered camera blur from the column. When photographers are experiencing camera shake, it is usually from the twisting of the camera plate mounted on the camera and not the tripod itself. If I am going to be in more windy conditions, need to shoot very low, and can accommodate the extra load, of course I'll pack my RRS because of the low moment physical design. Thanks for the post and dispelling the rumor that center columns are inferior, a common misconception of both pros and amateurs.

I don't use a tripod very often and I never get away from the car for more than half a mile, so portability is of lesser concern. I just bought the Silk Pro 700DX and a good ball head. It is well built and very stable with my Nikon D7200 and telephoto lens. It does have a center column but I haven't had the need yet to extend it. I recently used for for some 50 to 100 exposure panorama shots and it worked great. Another gadget I found very useful is the L-bracket.

great video i will be checking out more

I do a lot of high school reunion photography using studio strobe lights and backdrop using a center column tripod. Center column is very important because people come in various sizes so adjusting the center column is very important. Someone please come up with a center column adjust that makes it easier for me to adjust instead of constantly fighting the center column to make my adjustments especially with a heavy camera mounted on it.

Good points on the pros and cons. I use a tripod with a center column, but it can be raised and reinserted horizontal to allow me to get lower or to get the camera closer to the subject. But this also has it's cons too. It adds a second ball to the tripod which means more parts and more weight. Also if you extend it too far horizontally, you need to provide a counter weight to keep the tripod steady. However, taking these into account, it's been an extremely good tripod for my landscape photography.

Maybe a Leofoto HC-32 center column, can be used horizontally or vertically.

Think you should of thrown in a Manfrotto 055 tripod for comparison. My 055xprob has the q90 center column to go horizontally with all 3 legs spread out flat on the ground. Never had any issues with it in the last 10 years of owning it. I do like that larger tripod you are showing, be really good for star tracking.

i myself use both types depending on where im at doinf photos

What all makes and models of tripods allow the center column to come off if you need them to to get lower? I know the rrs ascend and the gitzo mountaineer do. Any other brands?

Center column on photo tripods are inherently unstable regardless of their design or manufacture. Tripods are best with NO center column. In the world surveying tripods where instrument stability and security is most important, vast majority of these tripods have NO center column. Same applies to serious cinema and video camera tripods. The solution to possible height adjustment the center column offers is to close one eye sighting the scene to determine what height the camera/lens needs to be at before the tripod is set up. This very effectively nulls out the need for height adjustments via a center column. This also goes long ways to reducing the need to more the tripod/camera/lens set up after all that has been put in place. Center columns are perceived as a convenience feature, yet it is full of potential stability problems... regardless of design or manufacture. Tripod height is another factor often not properly considered. Too many image makers acquire then set up a tripod to comfy eye level with little to no regard to how the height of the camera/lens affects the image to be made. There are times when a really low camera/lens position is needed or times when a really high camera/lens position is needed. At best ALL tripods are a set of trade-offs with no ideal tripod for all image and environmental condition needs. Pick the tool (tripod) that is "best fit" for a given or specific need.

I enjoyed your video. What is the brand name of the tripod with no center column, and the ball head?

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