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Tripods
very satisfied. I compared it to similarly sized Gitzo (?) & Bogen (3001) tripods,
and it was the hands-down winner regarding ease of set-up (an important
consideration for a follower of Zipf's principle of least effort). Gitzos, though wellmachined,
are mystifying, while Bogens seem a little stiff and (as someone
mentioned above) to ooze grease. The release lever allowing the legs to open at a
wider angle is much easier to operate on the Slik than on the either Gitzo or the
Bogen. & the supplied pan-&-tilt head (which I prefer over ballheads, esp. for
macro work) & quick release plates I find to be excellent, & much more compact
than a Bogen 3047. Grain of salt: I use nothing longer than a 135mm lens (though I
regularly use a bellows, & have stuck a Pentax 67 on it with good results). Overall,
it's pretty close in size/weight to a Bogen 3001 w/ 3047, but much cheaper (esp.
considering it's black finish) at $100.
-- Steve Smith, July 19, 1998
There are many comments about the Bogan & Gitzo leg sets, but none about the
Ries tripod. So here are my counter experiences.
There are 2 things which will render a Gitzo or Bogan leg set inoperative. They are
sand and salt water. Needless to say, my vacations always seem to wind up with
them.
Of course where there's sand, there is wind. The fine grit just seems to find its way
into the locking mechanisms and after a day or two, the locks stop securing the
sections tightly. It's not just me, every workshop I taken, I've seen this happen over
& over.
In contrast, the Ries has "no moving parts". Just bang the legs if you get hung up
and off you go.
The wood is much nicer to handle in the summer heat and the winter cold,
something I didn't appreciate until I had the tripod for a bit.
The Ries has 2 sections rather than 3 so it is not as compact when folded.
With respect to weight, heavier is better. I've seen and had happen to me, lighter
tripods blown over in gusts. It's mandatory to hang your bag at the crown to
provide more stability.
If I am going to clean anything in the field, it's going to be my 4x5 film holders, not
my tripod.
http://www.photo.net/equipment/tripods/philg (16 of 53)7/3/2005 2:21:13 AM