Reader's Comments - Index of - Free

Tripods
I recently bought a Gitzo G80 Limited Edition tripod. It's now out of production
but you can still find this model in some shops, including B+H (I believe) for about
$390 including the G1275M ballhead, which is terrific value. The G80 is
practically identical to the G1228 mountaineer specifications - same folded size,
same maximum height without center column extension, etc. The main difference
is in the weight and price. The G80 weighs 1 lb more, but is less than half the price
of the G1228 i.e. it cost approx $260 if you discount the price of the G1275M
ballhead.So if you like a G1228 but can't afford the $500+ price tag, look no further
than the G80. But you had better hurry as it will disappear from all stores before
too long, since this is a limited edition production to commemorate Gitzo's 80th
anniversary.I sold off the G1275M head as soon as I bought the G80 as I am using
this legset with a FOBA Mini Superball with quick release, and I think this is a
GREAT combination for outdoor photography. The FOBA Mini Superball does not
come with a panning base, but I don't need it with the G80 as the tripod center
column wing lock sits just below the platform, so the tripod platform serves as a
panning base!
-- Bobby Tan, July 5, 1999
The more I use a tripod and hang around this forum, the more I understand Phil's
introductory remarks about real photographers. I settled on the ubiquitous Bogen
3021 legs and have found that raising the center column even halfway defeats the
purpose if there's any wind at all, just like he said.
I wonder if preferences for and against ball or pan/tilt heads don't depend more on
the way our individual minds work than anything else. I personally like being able
to adjust only one aspect of a composition while having the others nailed down.
When I typically compose a landscape (on relatively level ground), for example, I
start by panning to get the horizontal framing I want. Then I adjust vertically to get
the right amount of foreground vs. sky. Finally, with those two locked, I adjust the
horizon line if necessary.
I work best using that very disciplined, structured approach. To me, adjusting
everything at once with a ball head seems rather helter-skelter by comparison
(although I will freely admit to never having spent $400 for a good ball head). And
I can also see how my approach might seem awfully rigid and confining to
someone who wants to get everything adjusted and get on their way.
Anyway, for those reasons I went with the Bogen 3030 head, the one with a small
rectangular release plate and shorter handles than the 3047 (to get caught on fewer
things). It's rated the same load capacity as the 3021 and holds my 'Blad with a 250
or my Nikon with 400 mm lens rock steady. At around $40 from B&H, I think it's
http://www.photo.net/equipment/tripods/philg (24 of 53)7/3/2005 2:21:13 AM