Reader's Comments - Index of - Free

Tripods
$600 for a new set of legs and an equal sum for ball head & quick release.
The rotatable collar on the Canon zoom made it possible to get accurate horizontal
and vertical alignment quickly, and I didn't have the bother of trying to support a
duopod. I could leave the tripod and camera combination unattended whenever I
needed to attend to the recording gear.
For next Spring's trip, most probably W Himalayas again, then Kathmandu &
(maybe) Lhasa, I'll probably try the Velbon carbon fiber tripod. The ancient Bogen
rig is way too heavy for this kind of travel. The light weight of the Velbon tripod is
attractive, and the comments of a user given above make it sound appealing. Again,
a lightweight pan & tilt head should meet my needs, so the Velbon magnesium
assembly sounds right.
-- David Lewiston, December 4, 1999
Bogen makes those clever straps that screw into its tripods (I have a 3021) but also
some nylon bags that are not that much more expensive.
The bag looks to me like it doesn't add much weight, does a better job protecting
the tripod and keeping it from snagging on things as you carry it, and maybe can
hold some accessories (I have the 3059 side arm). So at least from looking at the
CWO website picture, the bag looks like a better choice.
Has anyone used both? Is there a reason to get the strap instead? Does the bag have
a shoulder strap of its own? If you use the 3021 bag, is there enough space inside
for an accessory like the sidearm (think of it as a spare centerpost with a bulge in
the middle)? Thanks.
-- Paul Rubin, December 23, 1999
The bags Bogen makes for thier model 3021 (and 3221) comes with a shoulder
strap and a zippered pocket on the exterior. Inside the bag along with the tripod you
can easily fit a sidearm and other items.
The bag protects well from scratches and such, but is not padded like my Gitzo
padded bag so I don't expect much protection in a drop onto a hard surface. I use
the Bogen bag to protect the tripod during travel by car trunk, etc., but use only the
screw-in strap once I'm at a location and need the tripod ready-for-action.
If your walking through the woods though, the bag would definitely help to keep
the legs from snagging on bush.
http://www.photo.net/equipment/tripods/philg (31 of 53)7/3/2005 2:21:13 AM