Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2004/03/14
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Eric, I am sorry to tell you that tripods are a lot like bags: and you know what the LUG does whenever we get on a bag topic. Tripods are a very personal decision that requires hands on experience to determine what works for you. For example, the locks on the Manfrotto series drive me nuts whereas the nuts on the Gitzo seem perfection. Take your time making your decision, hopefully your choice will be with you for the rest of your photographic journeys. General clues would be, if you frequently hike more than a couple of km's then go for a lighter tripod. If you choose a light tripod then make sure it has a hook on the bottom of the center column to hang weight which will make the whole think more stable. Purchase a tripod that will extend above eyelevel without using the center column so the tripod is useable on uneven terrain (only valid for eyelevel cameras). Definitely insist on legs that will spread independently and allow the tripod to go flat to the ground so you can shoot low level images. Think through what kinds of things you photograph and with what equipment before you decide on a head. For studio use a pan tilt head can be very useful. If you work in the field a lot then most have settled on a ball head. Generally speaking the Arca B1 has been the go to head, especially if you use some really heavy equipment. However, with time, other heads have become attractive: these would include the Arcatech which is much lighter, the Novaflex heads, and the Gitzo magnesium heads. If you use a wide variety of equipment then compatibility with Arca Swiss plates would be a plus. Generally, spend more money on the head than the legs as your primary interface will be with the head. Hopefully, you have stuck with me so far. If you use a tripod infrequently then check out a Tiltall or one of the many clones. I have seen these for about $100 at camera fairs and they provide a good portable tripod. New, I would look into the Velbon series especially the Carmagne series, any Gitzo, look at the Benbo set up and if you can deal with the center nut these are ideal for field work. What works for me using 35mm, Hasselblad, small Linhoff, and Fuji GL690's are a Gitzo aluminum 3 section leg that goes to 72 inches with an off center Gitzo magnesium head, a Gitzo Studex Performance with a Bogen grip ball head or an NPC head, or a Leica table top with the large head. Unfortunately, only the Leica was less than $200. Don dorysrus@mindspring.com - --Original Message----- From: owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us [mailto:owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us] On Behalf Of eric Sent: Sunday, March 14, 2004 6:34 AM To: leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us Subject: Re: [Leica] TRIPOD: you recommend it- I buy it. wowsers - you guys blew my budget of $200 pretty quickly. How about something more like the Bogen 3021 Pro series? Price seems more in my range. Eric - -- To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html - -- To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html