Reader's Comments - Index of - Free

Tripods
I used to be a Bogen hex plate user but Bryan Geyer persuaded me with his
reasoning and his superbly machined products. I leave his plates on my cameras all
the time and they never get in the way. I miss the positive "snap-in" that I got with
the Bogen system, but not as much as I thought I would. If you want to get into the
ARCA Swiss-style system you have to either buy a ballhead that comes with it or
get a whole setup from Bryan.
If you want something cheap that works, Bogen sells a range of Q/R systems, the
biggest of which is their old hex plate system. It is big enough to carry a 4x5 view
camera with ease ($30 plus $12 for extra plates). There are a bunch of more
expensive ($70-130) systems out there that look potentially better than the Bogen,
but I'm not yet convinced that any are. The Linhof one looks nice. When I was
looking for something lightweight, I've tried cheap systems such as the Cullman,
but they are inadequately rigid.
References
The Really Right Stuff catalog (available from P.O. Box 6531, Los Osos, CA
93412, (805) 528-6321) contains a fairly comprehensive comparative test of
ballheads. The short story is that the ARCA Swiss B1 crushes the competition.
Reader's Comments
I wrote to you once before to tell you that the head, camera and tripod should be
tested as a complete unit before a purchasing decision is made. It has been my
experience that this is the only way to prove the utility of the tripod and head with
the actual camera being used. I think you would be surprised that some systems
that you think are "solid" with one camera system, are wobbly with another. It is
only my experience talking, but I've tested many combinations over the last 8 years
with no real bulletproof way to predict the optimum results in advance.
-- mel dorin, December 17, 1996
Regarding the quick release plates - if you go with an Arca Swiss style quick
release and you are shooting with a Canon set up, don't waste your money on the
Arca Swiss quick release plates. Buy your quick release plates from Really Right
Stuff. The RRS plates are far superior to the Arca Swiss plates in terms of their
ease of use and lack of wiggle when properly installed.
The only reason to buy the Arca plates is "instant gratification." If you absolutely
have to have a plate on the same day as the ball head arrives, and if you don't mind
wasting $60, go ahead and get the Arca plate.
http://www.photo.net/equipment/tripods/philg (6 of 53)7/3/2005 2:21:12 AM