What tripod for Pentax 6X7 in macro photography

The Slik 700DX Pro. It's cheap, and it weighs 7 Lbs, but it is rated at 15Lbs gear weight, and can carry far more with ease. I own several, and with different heads mounted. It is the lightest, and most solid tripod I have ever had the pleasure of setting up. I'm a bit over 6'4" in height, and this tripod will bring a camera to my eye level without using the extension!

The new version also has a two peice extension tube, so you can get right to the ground with the short tube, and not have to buy an accessory. Less than $130 complete with the dual level tilt pan head, or less than $100 for just the leg and column set. Awesome, and perfect up to 4x5 field camera sizes.....

It is just spectacular in it's performance. The one pictured below with the heavy duty ball mount has been on the job in commercial duty for going on four years now. Still as good as new. These aluminum/magnesium/titanium alloy gems really define the term "solid". I give them five stars out of five, even though I use other tripods made of CF for other jobs. At the current price, these things are like a gift from Slik for just paying attention......

Here is a pic of the gear I used to shoot a lunar eclipse several years ago. That is the same tripod and head. Just terriffic!

There are three main considerations when selecting a support system for taking macro photos - (1) Placing the camera where you want it and holding it steady, (2) supporting the camera so that it doesn't slip when turned to odd angles and (3) providing a means to focus the camera by moving it fore and aft precisely. Selection of the tripod is only the first part of the equation.

The Benbo 1 is arguably the best way to satisfy the first requirement. The technique (I own one) is to loosen the nut with one hand firmly on the camera, hold the camera where you want it, use one foot and the other hand to spread the legs appropriately, then tighten the nut. Nothing could be simpler. A Gitzo Explorer (and a couple of others) come close, but you have four "nuts" to tighten instead of just one. The downside is that the Benbo (and others) are just as hard to set up for a landscape or portrait as for a closeup. You quickly tire of that routine.

I have yet to find a situation in the field I couldn't handle with an ordinary (Gitzo) tripod by adjusting the leg height and angle. The Benbo stays home in the closet.

Keeping the camera from turning on the screw is best resolved by adopting the Arca-Swiss type clamp and plate QR. The plates fit the camera (or lens) exactly, which keeps them from turning regardless of the position. Arca type QR works only on ball heads (or the Arca "Cube"), which are also good for macro photography. Cheap geared heads are good for precise positioning, but don't have Arca QR.

Finally, you need to have a precise way to focus the camera by moving the camera and lens together. Focusing the lens doesn't work well once you get within a magnification of 1:4 (1/4x), and doesn't work at all at 1:1. The closer you get (the more magnification), the more precise you need to be. At 1:1 or greater, you probably need a micrometer screw. Further away and a slider will probably do the job.

Again, Arca-type QR makes it easy to assemble a rig that works for you, and keeps it safe and solid. I get along with an 8" plate which slides in the Arca clamp for focusing - nothing fancy and easy (flat) to carry. It doubles as a nodal plate for shooting panoramas.

OF the tripods you mention the only one I've heard about is the Benbo and I understand it's a good, but somewhat heavy and "different" tripod. I've never seen it in real life.
My current recommendation would be a 3-series carbon fiber Gitzo with an Arca Z1 head, which is something that costs north of $1000. Some people like a large Sachtler with a Burczynski head,but that's an even more expensive combination and not many people use it. If Gitzo + Arca is too expensive, then first look at aluminum Gitzos, then aluminum Manfrottos. If the budget is still too large, consider a 3-way pan head. The 3-way head is not as convenient as a ball head for macro, but a relatively inexpensive 3-way head doesn't have the slipping and precise framing issues that that relatively inexpensive ballhead has. Whatever you do, don't buy a legset too small and don't buy a cheap ballhead.

A 3D head, i find, is far more suited to macro work than a ball head.
Using a ball head, when you want to nudge the camera a tiny bit in one direction (something you will be wanting to do several times for each single picture you are going to take), you have to unlock motion in all directions and end up adjusting the thing in all directions over and over again.
So i would definitely recommend a 3D head.

The Manfrotto geared heads are fine, allowing to make small adjustement with very great ease. But as with all heads, only adjustments of angles. But non-geared, regular 3D heads are fine too.
For moving the camera a bit to the side or closer to or back from the subject, i mount Manfrotto macro rails on top of the head. Beats having to move the entire tripod.

I wouldn't spend money on fiber tripods, unless you are willing to sacrifice stability for ease of carrying. So money spent on an aluminium 4- or 5-series Gitzo is less money, spent better than on a carbon fiber 3-series.

I recently bought a Uniloc S1700 for my Pentax 67. Although I haven't used it yet it is stable and heavy enough to easily support the Pentax 67 in normal use (I use no more than a 200mm). At £50 it was a bargain. The Masys 1600 is even heavier according to specs with thicker leg diameters so it should be even better. The Uniloc construction is a joy to handle and set up once you understand how it works. Very quick and extremely versatile, just don't let it collapse by not tightening the 'uniloc'. How well the extendable column works in horizontal positions I cannot tell. It's seems fair to believe that it will work well if not used in the most extreme positions, especially if you're doing the "apply pressure to the finder/prism trick". I am using an ultra stable wooden Berlebach so I didn't get the Uniloc without making sure it would be a good one. The build quality is nothing short of excellent. Keep in mind, however, they're rather heavy tripods and the folded length is not that small. On the plus side, the column can be disengaged for carrying/luggage purposes.

The only problem is perhaps how to find a Uniloc. They're no longer made and I had to search hard before finding one at a good price. The Slik 700 so nicely recommended by Jim has proven a great tripod, brand new for a bargain price. It won't be as versatile as the Uniloc for close-ups/macro but for most situations it will do the job.

I get excited when the subject of tripods comes up, as I have been through many over the years, and budget has never been an issue so much as finding a tripod that is seriously solid. The Slik 700DX has been so reliable that after reading about the various $1000 solutions, I wanted to make certain that I was not pitching the 700 as a "poor mans" tripod that might do until you can afford something better... That is not the case.

Pardon my enthusiasm, but when the sun came up, I grabbed some gear, and my trusty G9 to illustrate some important details of the 700 that tend to be left to the imagination in camera store product shots.

First, this tripod with the standard pan head only weighs 7 lbs, yet is as solid as the rock of Gibralter. I prefer it for keeping vibrations away from any payload between a few ounces and 25 lbs than any other tripod I own, including CF models. There is nothing light duty about it's build. Here is the standard head that comes in the $127 box..

This is the detail of the apex of the leg set. It is fully adjustable, lockable, and strong as a bull. It will hold 30 lbs without complaint. The standard head is rated for 15 lbs, and that is a very conservative rating.

The standard head has a very secure quick release "puck" that snaps to in an instant, yet requires deliberate motion to remove. Sweet.

This Slik ballhead is detailed like a jewel, and rated for 22 lbs of load. It only costs $180, and it is as smooth as it is beautiful.

The tubular legs do not twist, and the locks are smooth to operate, as well as bullet proof. They simply do not break over time.

Last, to give you a sense of how the 700 is not only solid enough to hang a side of beef from it's crown, but that it can also reach up very high without extending the center column, here is a pic of me standing next to the 700 with ten pounds of RZ67 "photo brick" resting on top. I am just shy of 6'5" tall. It is a serious tripod, at a dirt cheap price, and all of the "ultra high end" micrometer focusing platforms will fit it as well as they fit the expensive tripods like my Manfroto that has a nasty habit of snapping it's leg locking levers off at the worst possible moment.....

I never thought I'd fall in love with a cheap tripod, but it happened, and I bought four of them over time just for heavy field, and studio work......

I am thankful for all of you helping me with your comments.
Regarding the SLIK PRO 700DX, can it be positioned close to the ground for macro photography?
Thank you.
Alvin