Bobby2shots
New Member
Typically, your "eye-level" is 5" less than your overall height, and the height of the view-finder and heads are roughly 10" (leveller, ball-head, view-finder). If you're shooting on level ground, a tripod that gives you a "column down" height of 5 feet (60"/150cm's) should be a comfortable height for you. If you're shooting on sloped terrain, a taller tripod would be advisable, in order to allow for levelling of the tripod by extending a down-slope leg section.
With longer/heavier lenses, you'll also want a certain degree of mass for stability's sake, Personally, I would not go with less than a 3-series tripod, preferably a 4-series, and balancing the load on a robust head (preferably a decent gimbal-head) will be very useful.
Since most of these long lenses (your 600mm) are used outdoors, it would be a good idea to add a good set of extra-long stainless-steel spiked feet for your kit,,, at least 2" long,,, and drive them deep into the ground. This will be especially useful when shooting in windier conditions, as well as sandy beaches, shorelines, river-beds, and mountain slopes.