Reader's Comments - Index of - Free

Tripods
However, I've not bought one yet, as I was hoping that MAYBE someone here can
point out a downside to these things. The "lack of rigitiy at low camera angles"...
well, I didn't quite understand the meaning of that - anyone care to elaborate?
Currently my equipment is fairly lightweight - Heaviest combo would be a Minolta
X700 with autowinder and Sigma 70-210 f4.5 (yep, i am living at the lower end of
the market) and it seemed to be solid enough (better than the Manfrotto 190B)
when I had a play in the shop. SO - anyone wanna point me in the direction of a
comparably priced superior?
Thanks Kenny
PS don't take my "you're all richer than me" comments as being sourgrapes - i think
this site is great and it's interesting to follow all your comments - i just really can't
afford a Gitzo mountaineer!
PPS my college photographic society has a rock solid big Manfrotto in the studio,
so I do have access to a heavy whopper when needed.
-- kenny watson, August 5, 1999
Old Broomstick handles. That's all I have to say. I am the hand me down owner of
several relatively well functioning older tripods, each with a unique problem or
two. My favorite appliance is a "monopod" made of an old broomstick that was cut
and drilled to hold screw type mount. Extremely low tech, but affordable.
-- Pook LaRoux, August 9, 1999
I just purchased Bogen's3401 tripod with the 3030 head, my first "real" tripod. Up
to this point I had been using a phony lightweight video tripod that I purchased at a
local department store. It was great for surveillance of my driveway while I was
asleep at night, and a whole lot better than trying to hand hold closeup shots. But, I
was missing so many shots because I just couldn't get the right position that I felt it
was time to get a real tripod.
I read in this forum that the ball head is preferable to the pan tilt and then read that
John Shaw likes a pan tilt for his closeup macro stuff. With what I am doing I think
I like the pan tilt better. The 3041's biggest drawbacks IMO are 1)It is a litle heavy
at almost 6 lbs, but then I have been using a Solidex tin foil tripod up till now. and
2) With the legs at their steepest angle and the centerpost in the horizantal position
and extended 2/3 to full, it can get tippy enough to actually cause the camera to tip
over lens first. This is easily solved by rotating a leg directly underneath the post.
http://www.photo.net/equipment/tripods/philg (26 of 53)7/3/2005 2:21:13 AM