What zoom to buy?

[Norm53]

I put up a bird feed at the edge of a woods about 80 feet from my lunch table behind a french door. My Canon EOS Rebel T3i with EF 75-300 mm 1:4-5.6 will not bring into focus the birds, large and small.

What lens do I need to buy that will do the job? Cost is no object.

Thanks, Norm

[Norm53]

Just keep in mind that tripod/head kits always compromise on something, unless you spend top dollars.

I've scratched Manfrotto because it is not Arca-swiss compatible. How about I buy one of the Induro gimbal heads (Biggs says that the Sigma 600 is too unwieldy for a ball head.) Which of the 3 shown will give me the most bang for the buck?

http://www.indurogear.com/products/induro-ghba.aspx

Norm

[Norm53]

I wasn't referring to remote triggering.  I was concerned about battery life if you spend several hours shooting.  You may want to have spare batteries on hand, or even use an AC adapter to run the camera off of line voltage.

Understand. Yes, A/C adapter is a must because the gear will be fired up all day long.

Norm

'

[Norm53]

I see Wadizzle posted photos.  I happen to own the very gimbal head pictured in that photo (it's made by Induro Gear.)

See my reply to him. Need to make a decision on which of the 3 shown. Biggs thinks I need the gimbal head because of the Sigma 600 weight. Will buy that instead of a ball head.

Norm

[Waddizzle]

I happen to like the Induro/Benro gear.  The gimbal head was correctly identified as Induro.  The ball heads are the Benro B2, which is a best buy, IMHO. 

The second ball head was an Induro, the BHL2, I think it was.  I scrubbed away the model numbers, so I'm not sure anymore.  Both Induro and Benro include very good cases, and tools, with their better tripods.

I use the Induro PDH3 3-Axis Pan/Tilt on my heavy duty rig.  The QR bracket employs a double action knob to release the plate.  In other words, the plate will not release just because you turned the knob to loosen it.  It will stop before the plate is clear to release from the plate.  The knob must be then be pulled, and further turned, in order to fully release the plate.  All of the better Induro/Benro heads use this feature.  I love it.  I'm clumsy.

[ebiggs1]

I know of no gimbal head that is not Arca-Swiss compatible.  Not that it really matters but there could be one out there that isn't.

Also, not that it matters either, but if you get any editor that doesn't say Photoshop or Lightroom, I will be of little to no help.

After all the comments by you and relies from everybody, my recommendation has evolved.  The original list is the best outfit but for you at this point, it is not the best for right now.

Buy the lens.  Buy the tripod.  Buy a gimbal head.  That's all.  Don't go further until you learn more. No dock (beyond you at this point). No Ac converter (the camera goes to sleep). No trigger (almost worthless).

What I understand now is you want to set this thing out in the yard.  Camera/lens on the tripod.  Hope it gets a bird in the lens path.  Shoot (pray) for the best!  Or is it from inside of the house through the French doors?  Perhaps you can clear it up a bit for me.

[TCampbell]

Ballhead mounts come in sizes -- as do tripods.  

Lots of companies make these heads.  While a camera or lens typically requires a 1/4" 20 thread-per-inch thread to attach, the bolt that the tripod uses to attach to the head is a bit beefier... it's a 3/8" bolt (and I think it's 16 TPI).

In any case... what this means is you can use any head from any manufacturer as long as it has the correct bolt size.  It's common to have a tripod from one vendor but a head from a different vendor -- just so the bolt size is correct (but everyone generally uses the same bolt sizes so that's usually not a problem.)

So for example, I have a Manfrotto brand tripod with a Benro brand head.  My head is a "B-3" head -- which is fairly large.  It holds nearly 40 lbs (39.68).  But they make a B-00, B-0, B-1, B-2, B-3, B-4, and B-5.  The B-5 holds just over 48 lbs.  

The Sigma 150-600 "C" lens is 4.25 lbs.

A Canon 7D II (which is built like a tank) weights about 2 lbs WITH the battery and memory card inserted.

So that's about 6 lbs.  Even if you loaded up a few other accessories on the tripod, it would be a struggle to get over 10 lbs of weight.  Even the smallest heads can handle a 10 lb load.  But there's handling the weight as in "not breaking or bending" and then there's handling the weight as in "not being springy and vibrating".  I prefer to have the extra strength so that it's not wobbly and that's why I have a B3 head.  But on that B3 head I can attach my Canon 5D III with the battery grip, both batteries, and my 300mm f/2.8 lens which weighs 5 lbs 5 ounces all on it's own.  This would be a little heavier than what you're thinking of doing (perhaps an extra 2-3 lbs of weight) and yet that things is rock solid on my B3 mount and frankly even the B2 can handle it.

If you're thinking you need a gimbal head because you don't think a ballhead can handle the weight... I don't think weight will be a problem.  

[Norm53]

If you're thinking you need a gimbal head because you don't think a ballhead can handle the weight... I don't think weight will be a problem.  

Biggs thinks that the gimbal is better than the ball because of Sigma 600 weight. He also wants the lens, not the T3i, connected to the head for the same reason. I don't know enough to decide on gimbal or ball. That's why I want you pundits to recommend something specific for me. (Don't worry; I won't blame anyone here if the system won't work because of user error.) Only thing that we have to consider are the setups:

1. At lunch table behind french door with main feeder 64' distant. Hummingbird feeder at about 30' slightly to the left of line of sight to main feeder.

2. At birding platform at coastal Jersey flyway in May and October located at Cape May Point lighthouse park. Also, walking along the beach with the migrants feeding (w/o tripod, of course).

Gentlemen, I'm overwhelmed with tech info. At this point, I need a recommendation on which tripod and which gimbal or ball head (or both) that attaches to the lens (not the camera) to buy.

Norm

[RobertTheFat]

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@Norm53 wrote:

Gentlemen, I'm overwhelmed with tech info. At this point, I need a decision on which tripod and which gimbal or ball head (or both) that attaches to the lens (not the camera) to buy.

Norm

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We are not the decision makers. You are.

[Norm53]

I changed "decision" to "recommendation". There's one in every crowd.

Norm

[RobertTheFat]

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@Norm53 wrote:

I changed "decision" to "recommendation". There's one in every crowd.

Norm

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I guess that's me. Have it your way, Norm; but upwards of a half dozen people have given you their recommendations in a thread that now stands at 78 messages. If you're not ready to make a decision, you probably never will be. I wish you luck; but I, for one, have absolutely nothing left to add.