Berlebach 3032C Wood Tripod Legs with Levelling Ball (Camouflage)

The Berlebach 3032C Wood Tripod Legs with Levelling Ball/No Center Column (Camouflage Finish) will appeal to the discriminating large format shooter. It is a beautifully finished piece of German craftsmanship, made by Berlebach, who has been making wooden ash tripods for over a century. Painted in a forest green camouflage pattern, this tripod is ideal for the outdoor observer and photographer.

Handling a wood tripod in extremes of heat or cold is quite a different experience than that of a metal or even carbon fiber tripod. But the best reason to choose wood over any other material is for its incredible ability to absorb vibrations. A wooden tripod placed in a shallow stream may be vibrating quite a bit where the legs meet the water, but up at the column it is rock steady.

The 3032 is an ideal solution for a large format shooter. Instead of a center column it features a levelling ball with a bubble level. This provides 30° of quick correction in all directions, and combined with the independent leg spread this is likely all that you will ever need for a large format camera. The 1/4"-20 threaded camera screw is spring-loaded to naturally push up at all times, which is so fast and intuitive to use that most quick release mechanisms won't save you any time at all versus it: it is actually quicker than the popular vise-like Arca-type quick release mechanism. Just place your camera on the support platform, move it around until you feel the spring-loaded tripod screw push into the camera's tripod socket, then turn the screw clockwise from underneath the ball. The progressive tension of the ball permits settings which allow you to move the camera, but the camera will not move upon its own, even when the levelling ball has not been tightened further.