Reader's Comments - Index of - Free

Tripods
The standard Bogen legset is the
3021 ($85), which comes with
the spring-loaded flip locks. It
weighs about 6 lbs, rises up to a
comfortable working height for
tall people (with no center
column extension), and will
support everything from heavy
35mm through lightweight 4x5.
If you go into the wilderness,
plan to carry the supplied plastic
wrench for adjusting the leg
locks should they loosen up.
Kirk Enterprises (107 Lange
Lane, Angola, IN 46703, (800)
626-5074) will modify the 3021
somehow so that one can get
even closer to the ground, but I haven't tried this. A lot of folks prefer using a
Bogen Superclamp attached to a tripod leg, with a small ballhead at the end of the
clamp.
[If you get a Bogen, make sure you get the nifty strap that screws into the top and
wraps around the legs. You might also consider paying the extra $13 to get the
black anodized finish; the bright silver legs can turn into annoying reflections if
you are doing close-ups of shiny objects.]
I've always liked the idea of the floppy Benbo tripods but have never been able to
lock them down enough to get rigidity at a low camera angle. I think the Gitzos and
Bogens have enough flexibility that Benbo need not be investigated. If you really
want to do something weird, you might be better off with a Bogen Magic Arm.
The Head
If you are doing architecture, you want a
three-way panhead in which each axis is
separately controlled. Otherwise, you'll
probably find a ballhead vastly more
convenient.
With a really good ballhead, you can
smoothly follow an animal with a 300/2.8
lens and take your hands off the lens without having it flop towards the ground.
http://www.photo.net/equipment/tripods/philg (3 of 53)7/3/2005 2:21:12 AM