Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2007/10/28

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Subject: [Leica] Wooden tripods
From: glehrer at san.rr.com (Jerry Lehrer)
Date: Sun Oct 28 19:03:31 2007
References: <002901c81902$b8505300$8201a8c0@xyw> <05958941-650F-45A6-B2DF-DFA4E07E1E84@gmail.com> <01fe01c81968$6c419670$44c4c350$@net> <010701c81976$d3be7990$8201a8c0@xyw> <a3f189160710281023p53f677b4ge5254d70f8bc8d43@mail.gmail.com> <DCD0D188-9D7B-40AD-8948-FAAFA5436011@gmail.com> <4724FE0A.7040203@san.rr.com> <9b678e0710281447q27251edblaefff6f29743ee88@mail.gmail.com>

Don,

Molten and spun igneous rock was used over a hundred years ago . It was 
called "Rock Wool"
Asbestos was found to be much stronger, but there was a bit of a problem.!

Jerry


Don Dory wrote:
> Jerry,
> Gitzo has started using Basalt fibers in an intermediate priced line of
> tripods.  Halfway between aluminum and carbon fiber in weight and price.
> Basalt does damp vibrations and will not freeze your fingers in the cold
> like aluminum.  I will second the opinion that use a light head for Leica 
> is
> more than adequate.  For example, the Leica large head...
>
> On 10/28/07, Jerry Lehrer <glehrer@san.rr.com> wrote:
>   
>> Luis'
>>
>> Basalt?  What are you talking about?  How does basalt help?
>>
>> Jerry
>>
>>
>>
>> Luis Miguel Casta?eda Navas wrote:
>>     
>>> On 28/10/2007, at 18:23, Sonny Carter wrote:
>>>
>>>       
>>>>> Actually, I was curious about the vibration and damping
>>>>> characteristics of
>>>>> wood tripods as compared to similarly sized Carbon Fiber or Aluminium
>>>>> models.
>>>>>
>>>>> I can't compare them, but one point Luis brought out is important.  My
>>>>>           
>>>> wooden tripod is very stable at full extension, and that's important to
>>>> me,as I'm 6' 4" tall.
>>>>         
>>> Wood is usually the most stable and vibration-free of similar sized
>>> tripods unless you're going to ultra heavy and big aluminium tripods
>>> made for TV cameras. Is not a casuality that they're used for
>>> theodolites in field measurement where those characteristics are
>>> critical  (mind you those only have 1 extension key if any).
>>>
>>> Once the wood is correctly treated (even all the holes) and the metals
>>> used are well thought there is no problem with water or mud and there
>>> is no tubes which are going to be filled of water if you shoot into a
>>> stream, for example. Indeed, you'll have to care the wood from time to
>>> time.
>>>
>>> Vibrations and other similar stuff depends on the unit / head / camera
>>> combo more than on a specific model, so you won't know until you can
>>> test it for yourself. The harmonic vibrations might depend of many
>>> factors, sometimes they could be easily removed with a little piece of
>>> cork, or might be a nightmare, but said this, I won't care unless I
>>> can notice them.
>>>
>>> On the other hand, a well designed tripod will deliver strong
>>> performance no matter what they used to build it, but carbon is very
>>> rigid for its weight, so theoretically you can make a taller tripod
>>> with the same stability than another one made out aluminium for
>>> example, but they are a magnet for lightning if you need to care about
>>> this. This problem is avoided with basalt which is on pair to carbon
>>> in its characteristics.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> _
>>>       
>> _



Replies: Reply from sonc.hegr at gmail.com (Sonny Carter) ([Leica] Wooden tripods)
In reply to: Message from alal at duke.poly.edu (A. Lal) ([Leica] Wooden tripods)
Message from octabod at gmail.com (Luis Miguel Castañeda Navas) ([Leica] Wooden tripods)
Message from red735i at earthlink.net (Frank Filippone) ([Leica] Wooden tripods)
Message from alal at duke.poly.edu (A. Lal) ([Leica] Wooden tripods)
Message from sonc.hegr at gmail.com (Sonny Carter) ([Leica] Wooden tripods)
Message from octabod at gmail.com (Luis Miguel Castañeda Navas) ([Leica] Wooden tripods)
Message from glehrer at san.rr.com (Jerry Lehrer) ([Leica] Wooden tripods)
Message from don.dory at gmail.com (Don Dory) ([Leica] Wooden tripods)