[Leica] Light tripods and electronic first curtain

[kcarney1 at cox.net (Ken Carney)]

Paul,

Just back from a workshop on panoramas.  Which Gitzo was this?  I have a 
Canon 5DMk outfit with lenses up to 70-200 2.8, and lighter Fuji X 
cameras and lenses, plus a pano articulating head.   Thx for any info, 
I'm looking for lighter is better with no compromise in quality :).

Ken

On 10/24/2015 7:07 PM, Paul Roark wrote:
> Since the issue of tripods came up, I decided to do a quick and limited
> test of the Sony with the Canon 70-200 f/4 L zoom attached -- set to 200mm.
>
> It's still sunny here, so 1/60 at f/8 was the "best" I could do for now.
> Of course, all was on self timer release.
>
> The baseline was a heavy Tiltall tripod with the center pole down.  The
> first question I had was whether the Sony IS decreased sharpness, as the
> Canon does, on a tripod.  It did slightly on the Tiltall.
>
> I now carry a Gitzo carbon fiber Traveler tripod -- one of Gitzo's
> lightest.  My main question was how this light tripod would do with the
> 200mm lens and the electronic first curtain on.
>
> All I tested was center sharpness at 200% enlargement, 1/60 and f/8, with
> the camera in a horizontal position.  So, this has to be taken as just a
> first and quick look.
>
> That said, with e-front curtain activated, the Gitzo Traveler with the pole
> up or down matched the Tiltall in sharpness.
>
> Interestingly, the image stabilization did not decrease the sharpness with
> the Gitzo. It may have even increased it in one shot, possibly due to some
> wind hitting the tripod.
>
> The point is that the electronic first curtain release option of the latest
> cameras may allow light tripods to be surprisingly effective,in at least
> some situations.  This option on a camera may be a significant one.
>
> FWIW
>
> Paul
> www.PaulRoark.com
>
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