Great presentation Peter. I am in the process of making the jump to the RRS TVC-34L & the BH-55 Ballhead along with an asst. of RRS plates for my EF lenses & RRS universal plate for a small crop Canon body with a Batt. pack & the " L " brkt. for my 7D body only, unfortunately the 7D battery pack version is discontinued through RRS! There is a made in China version on E-Bay, cheap price, probably won't go there & simply remove the Canon pack & order the RRS brkt for the body, throw my extra batteries in the bag, done... The legs look rock solid & with that Sherman Tank of a Ballhead, wow... I am two years behind catching your video! Thank you, Bill Farr...
Hello Bill, thanks for the comment, you won't regret getting the RRS gear... it is rock solid. I just got a travel version TQC-14 with the BH-30 ball head and it is just as rock solid. I hear you with the L plate situation, they haven't made one for my new 5D Mark IV with the grip as well... get the feeling that aren't going to, but we shall see. Happy shooting with the new tripod, once you shoot with RRS (especially the BH-55) you will never want to use any other gear.
It is the large bag, you won't regret the purchase, I have been using it for studio and field shoots and it is spectacular. Calling RRS for advice is very helpful as well, the team there is excellent to make sure you order all the right parts. You will be surprised how small the bag is for such a huge solid tripod, that is because it fits so perfectly in the bag. Enjoy your purchase.
I agree Lala, I got the one round dovetail then ended up getting the new ones from B&H for my fluid heads... although I like the old ones better the new ones function exactly the same just less metal. Its great being able to switch from by ball head to fluid heads with the quick release... so quick and easy.
Peter..GREAT VIDEO!! Does the "plate" that you placed on the BH-55 so it attaches to the Level COME with the Leveling base or is that an extra purchase?? THANK you!
Thanks for the compliment Helen, sadly the plate is an extra purchase... I got the dovetail mount in anticipation of getting the fluid head once I decide I actually need it... not just want it 😃If you call the RRS team they are very helpful when you are configuring your tripod.
@@helencogan2187 I think you need it... lol... the great thing about tripods is that they last forever so you might as well get the best you can afford. RRS was definitely the right decision for me.
Hey Peter, great video, as Andre said, you confirmed my decision, just a question/favour if you get a chance, would you be able to weigh the bag with tripod and everything else attached, I just want to get an idea as to the weight with the bag. Thanks mate
Hi Michael, I just weighed it and it is 9.4 lbs but I have the RRS MTX Multi-tool and a few allen keys in the top pouch inside the tripod bag which would probably add 0.1-0.2 lbs. I used my Heys luggage scale to weight it, and it has been extremely accurate when I travel. Here is a picture... www.fujserver.com/transfer/TVC34L-Weight.jpg
Hi Sarge, its a great question, Steve's answer above is definitely one of the reasons I always get a levelling base... essentially it gives the full range of the ball head when you are shooting on uneven terrain and allows for a much quicker setup than trying to get all your leg lengths just perfect. In addition I got the dovetail piece so that when I get the video fluid head I will be set to go with my levelling base for video work.
I know what you mean but after using it for 2 years I have decided to only get RRS gear... totally outshines everything else I have used (Manfrotto, Benro, 3 Legged Thing, Gitzo)... Look at both levelling bases... I have been using the handle levelling base for years (that's why I selected it) and I am used to it in my workflow... muscle memory... so I went with what I know (haven't regretted it) however it does limit to some degree how low you can put the tripod. With the other levelling base you could probably go another 10 cm (4") lower. Never found it to be a problem over the past two years but worth considering if you do a lot of macro photography etc...
Rosey I got the Large size bag 35” long and it fits the tripod and head perfectly without having to rotate the ball to shorten it. The bag is well padded and I like the zip pocket in the top that holds a couple of plates and my RRS MTX tool. I know RRS gear is costly, but after over 4 years I have no regrets, in fact I am totally sold on RRS, bought a TVC 14 kit for travel.
lol 😂, you’re right, it cost a pretty penny but I decided well before I purchased it that I would simply buy the best tripod because sticks last forever. At the time of making this video I still had the first tripod (of many) I bought when I was 15, and it was in perfect working condition. Decided to give that one away when I got the RRS. No regrets about the purchase, in fact two years later I picked up the travel version TQC-14 and a BH30 which I use just as much. I figure if you only need to make a purchase once in a lifetime, you might as well get the best.
Both this and your unboxing video have been very helpful! I got the exact same setup along with a multi-row pano package. Thanks for help!
Thanks for the comment Nick, I am glad it was helpful, have fun with the pano package.
Great presentation Peter. I am in the process of making the jump to the RRS TVC-34L & the BH-55 Ballhead along with an asst. of RRS plates for my EF lenses & RRS universal plate for a small crop Canon body with a Batt. pack & the " L " brkt. for my 7D body only, unfortunately the 7D battery pack version is discontinued through RRS! There is a made in China version on E-Bay, cheap price, probably won't go there & simply remove the Canon pack & order the RRS brkt for the body, throw my extra batteries in the bag, done... The legs look rock solid & with that Sherman Tank of a Ballhead, wow... I am two years behind catching your video!
Thank you,
Bill Farr...
Hello Bill, thanks for the comment, you won't regret getting the RRS gear... it is rock solid. I just got a travel version TQC-14 with the BH-30 ball head and it is just as rock solid. I hear you with the L plate situation, they haven't made one for my new 5D Mark IV with the grip as well... get the feeling that aren't going to, but we shall see. Happy shooting with the new tripod, once you shoot with RRS (especially the BH-55) you will never want to use any other gear.
Nice video Peter. I am about to purchase a 34L myself. You video galvanized my choice. Quick question....what size bag is that? thanks!
It is the large bag, you won't regret the purchase, I have been using it for studio and field shoots and it is spectacular. Calling RRS for advice is very helpful as well, the team there is excellent to make sure you order all the right parts. You will be surprised how small the bag is for such a huge solid tripod, that is because it fits so perfectly in the bag. Enjoy your purchase.
ugh! RRS has changed the design of the dovetail plate. It is no longer round like yours, which I think looks better
I agree Lala, I got the one round dovetail then ended up getting the new ones from B&H for my fluid heads... although I like the old ones better the new ones function exactly the same just less metal. Its great being able to switch from by ball head to fluid heads with the quick release... so quick and easy.
Peter..GREAT VIDEO!! Does the "plate" that you placed on the BH-55 so it attaches to the Level COME with the Leveling base or is that an extra purchase?? THANK you!
Thanks for the compliment Helen, sadly the plate is an extra purchase... I got the dovetail mount in anticipation of getting the fluid head once I decide I actually need it... not just want it 😃If you call the RRS team they are very helpful when you are configuring your tripod.
@@PeterFujiwara Thanks for replying..hmm if I waited until I needed?? :-)
@@helencogan2187 I think you need it... lol... the great thing about tripods is that they last forever so you might as well get the best you can afford. RRS was definitely the right decision for me.
Hey Peter, great video, as Andre said, you confirmed my decision, just a question/favour if you get a chance, would you be able to weigh the bag with tripod and everything else attached, I just want to get an idea as to the weight with the bag. Thanks mate
Hi Michael, I just weighed it and it is 9.4 lbs but I have the RRS MTX Multi-tool and a few allen keys in the top pouch inside the tripod bag which would probably add 0.1-0.2 lbs. I used my Heys luggage scale to weight it, and it has been extremely accurate when I travel. Here is a picture... www.fujserver.com/transfer/TVC34L-Weight.jpg
Hey Peter, awesome, I just purchased the same kit as you, cant wait to receive it, thanks for the figures :).
Quick question. What's the point of the leveling base? Doesn't the ball head serve the same purpose?
panoramic stitching
Hi Sarge, its a great question, Steve's answer above is definitely one of the reasons I always get a levelling base... essentially it gives the full range of the ball head when you are shooting on uneven terrain and allows for a much quicker setup than trying to get all your leg lengths just perfect. In addition I got the dovetail piece so that when I get the video fluid head I will be set to go with my levelling base for video work.
Peter Fujiwara Thanks for the reply! I just ordered a TVC-34L and BH-55, I think I'll order the leveling base too. Man, this stuff adds up! $$$
I know what you mean but after using it for 2 years I have decided to only get RRS gear... totally outshines everything else I have used (Manfrotto, Benro, 3 Legged Thing, Gitzo)... Look at both levelling bases... I have been using the handle levelling base for years (that's why I selected it) and I am used to it in my workflow... muscle memory... so I went with what I know (haven't regretted it) however it does limit to some degree how low you can put the tripod. With the other levelling base you could probably go another 10 cm (4") lower. Never found it to be a problem over the past two years but worth considering if you do a lot of macro photography etc...
Hi Peter, what size case did you buy?
Rosey I got the Large size bag 35” long and it fits the tripod and head perfectly without having to rotate the ball to shorten it. The bag is well padded and I like the zip pocket in the top that holds a couple of plates and my RRS MTX tool. I know RRS gear is costly, but after over 4 years I have no regrets, in fact I am totally sold on RRS, bought a TVC 14 kit for travel.
This must have cost you a kidney 😂
lol 😂, you’re right, it cost a pretty penny but I decided well before I purchased it that I would simply buy the best tripod because sticks last forever. At the time of making this video I still had the first tripod (of many) I bought when I was 15, and it was in perfect working condition. Decided to give that one away when I got the RRS. No regrets about the purchase, in fact two years later I picked up the travel version TQC-14 and a BH30 which I use just as much. I figure if you only need to make a purchase once in a lifetime, you might as well get the best.