Reader's Comments - Index of - Free

Tripods
used, everything that has been said about Arca Swiss quality is an understatement!
The extra $$$ will be soon forgotten, but the smooth and precise operation will be a
pleasure for years to come. The combo is rock solid and will be fine for any of my
35 mm needs.
-- Tony Zipple, November 11, 1999
with a good Quick release ball head and a long and large telephoto lens, , consider
the Wemberly side kick. You just leave the pan control slightly loose, insert the
SIDEKICK into the QR head, adjust so it is vertical and you have a lightweight
version of the large Wemberly and at a $200 more or less discount. The sidekick is
small and unobtrusive when just using the ball head. It is worth evaluating. I found
out just how good it is on a recent trip to Kenya. It surprised me pleasantly.
-- Dr. Steven Bein, November 13, 1999
Hum. Yes. Well..... Just back from another trip to the W Himalaya.
Over the past two years I've tried two different duopods with the same small ball
head to support a Canon a2 with the 70-200 2.8.
Well, it worked, sort of. But not to my satisfaction.
When I'm shooting at my favourite Tibetan monastery the principal situation where
I use the zoom is to shoot the sacred dances, using K25 or E200 as the spirit moves
me. With the duopod it worked but felt clumsy. Not the easiest thing to use since
I'm also making sound recordings of the proceedings. Had to find a chair to lay the
assembled camera and duopod onto while I attended to the recorder etc.
For the past quarter century I've kept a heavy old Bogen tripod (3020 with pan/tilt
head 3028)in India, stored with friends until needed for mountain trips. Its weight
isn't a problem, since I don't carry it myself. Stowed in a canvas bag with
lightweight light stands (which I use for microphone supports) its bulk and
relatively heavy weight aren't problems, since everything travels with me either in a
taxi, or a plane as excess baggage (not too costly in India). At the monastery I've
used it basically for static shots, either of thangkas (religious paintings) or of
temple interiors.
This Autumn I used it to shoot the sacred dances, and found it by far the easiest
combination to date. Since I had been considering the purchase of a lightweight
Gitzo, ball head and quick release system, it was a relief to realize that a much
simpler rig worked perfectly for my kind of shooting. No need to lay out $500-
http://www.photo.net/equipment/tripods/philg (30 of 53)7/3/2005 2:21:13 AM