Reader's Comments - Index of - Free

Tripods
you are into nature photography. For less than the price of the individual pieces,
you get a legset with hand warmer grips, spikes with retractable rubber feet to
cover them and a shoulder strap which is very useful when carrying it into the field.
The size and weight is a practical compromise between ultimate stability and still
being able to get it there without a pack mule.
-- James Horne, June 7, 1999
Regarding ball heads and in particular the NPC product. First of all, the
manufacturer says it's not a ball head, as if there's something inherently wrong with
the concept of ball heads. If you study the product, it appears to begin life as a ball
and the material (delrin?) is sliced up and then reassembled. Unlike ballheads,
which tend to add or subtract pressure at one point ( via a locking knob or handle ),
the NPC "ballhead" offers a more even distribution of clamping or locking force. If
the NPC mechanism were better designed, their system would work better, but
there is no mechanism in their handle to govern the "loosening" process. Thus, if
you have a long lens or heavy camera and you're not careful, the whole thing can
nosedive forward or sideways with very little warning. Looks are deceiving with
this product. At arm's length, it's pretty, in a retro sort of way. The "engineering" of
it reminds me of many items produced in the old Soviet Union, in a word-
PRIMATIVE ! Just look at the other things this company makes and you'll see
what I mean. I owned one of their Probacks for 35mm cameras. At $700, it's one of
the most overpriced and poorly made photo items I've ever owned. The fibreoptic
lens is mounted in place by a mechanism that looks like it was designed by Rube
Goldberg. 'Nuf said on that topic. A final word on tripods and ball heads. It amazes
me that people are willing to spend in the neighborhood of $1000 for a tripod and a
head, for their little 35mm & medium format cameras and lenses. For that kind of
money you could buy something really useful: a used gyro ! Once you work with
one, you'll never go back to using three sticks with a bag of bolts mounted on top.
-- Sal Trutta, June 21, 1999
I was interested in a moderately priced tripod/ballhead set up with quick release
and after much research went with the Stroboframe FL-2 ($69 at B&H) with its
QRC Quick Release set-up ($56) and anti-twist plate ($11). I believe this offers a
much cheaper alternative for the 35mm photographer who doesn't require the
weight capacity of the Arca Swiss category of ball-heads. The FL-2 is lightweight,
has a friction knob, and its quick release is very well made. For legs, I bought the
Bogen 3021 ..its height vs. weight ratio worked best for me (I'm 6'1").
http://www.photo.net/equipment/tripods/philg (22 of 53)7/3/2005 2:21:13 AM