Reader's Comments - Index of - Free

Tripods
You have to wait to get your plates from RRS because they won't take an order
over the phone, and they won't take credit cards. Aside from this aggravation, their
plates really do function better than the manufacturer's official plates. One other
thing about RRS plates. You have to have a 5/32" allen wrench to install and
remove them. You can order a special tool from RRS, or you can just buy the
standard 5/32" allen wrench from the hardware store for around $.40.
The Arca Swiss B1 is definitely a wonderful piece of gear, and the RRS mounting
plates allow it to reach its full potential.
-- Glen Johnson, January 15, 1997
Subject: WIMBERLEY TRIPOD HEAD for long lenses. I appreciate your
comments and recommendations on tripods and heads. I was happy with my gitzo
320 while using it with my studioball and a nikon 200~400, but found the setup
inadequate for a 600 f4. I purchased a gitzo 410 which helped tremendously,but
after using a new head designed especially for long lenses, I will never use a ball
head again for my telephoto work. This new head is called the Wimberley Tripod
Head, and because of its radical design, true balance can be achieved. It will never
flop over on you and you can leave all of the adjustments loose so panning along
with your subject is effortless. The price of the head and shipping seems a bit steep
at $402 but after using it with my 600 F4, I could never do without it. Wimberley
Design can be contacted at 974 Baker Lane, Winchester, Va. 22603. Tel. (540) 665-
2744. They are a small family operated business and I know they will do well.
-- Brian P. Bower, February 16, 1997
I recently discovered that you can make an excellent tripod head for 35mm and
medium format photography by attaching the Bogen #3229 QR Swivel Head (http://
www.manfrotto.com/en/products/monopods.html), which was designed for
monopods, to the #3160 XL Fluid Head (http://www.manfrotto.com/en/products/
videoheads.html), which was designed for video, by means of a #3157A QR plate.
The resulting combination has the pan-and-tilt smoothness of a video head but also
allows the photographer to turn the camera 90 degrees for portrait or landscape
(actually -90 to +45 degrees). This combination head stands 15 cm (= 6 in) high,
weighs 0.9 kg (= 2 lbs), and costs about $90.- (B&H or CWO). I find it to be a real
pleasure to use: very stable and much easier to adjust than three-axis heads which
are specifically designed for still photography (e.g Bogen 3025, 3028, 3029, 3030,
3047), especially when it comes to the fine pan-and-tilt operations that most
photographers (or at least I) constantly need to do to frame an image. I also prefer it
to any ball head I have ever used. No more fooling around with levers or knobs
which clamp the ball in place while changing the position of the frame from what
http://www.photo.net/equipment/tripods/philg (7 of 53)7/3/2005 2:21:12 AM