Tripod?

usayit · Aug 5, 2008

yes.. very surprising given the "tripod" threads of the past, the posts that state its too cumbersome, and all the other posts that claim IS or fast apertures as a replacement (its not). It took me a while to decide but I eventually voted no even though I have been a big advocate of improving your photos with the use of a tripod. Carrying a camera for me is like getting dressed to go out.. its just part of my attire. Tripod is not.

Battou · Aug 5, 2008

usayit said:
yes.. very surprising given the "tripod" threads of the past, the posts that state its too cumbersome, and all the other posts that claim IS or fast apertures as a replacement (its not). It took me a while to decide but I eventually voted no even though I have been a big advocate of improving your photos with the use of a tripod. Carrying a camera for me is like getting dressed to go out.. its just part of my attire. Tripod is not.

I found that 9-42 and 11-48 portables a very suprising remedy to the "too cumbersome" aspect.

...I'd show you how it looks folded up for carying but the bateries in my digicam just bit the shead...

but any who, it sits nicely under the barrel, almost like a rifel bayonet and can be opened up for use as shown above silently. When folded up agenst the barrel one can forget it is there...trust me on that one

tron · Aug 5, 2008

well i use a nice rule of thumb i was once told.

shoot at a shutter speed of 1/focal length

if your focal length is 18mm, the slowest you can shoot is around 1/18 of a second since a larger focal length makes camera shake more evident. so at 200mm, shoot at a slowest of 1/200.

idk i usually dont carry a tripod with me anymore, i used to. i still leave it in my car just in case though.

tirediron · Aug 5, 2008

tron said:
well i use a nice rule of thumb i was once told.

shoot at a shutter speed of 1/focal length

if your focal length is 18mm, the slowest you can shoot is around 1/18 of a second since a larger focal length makes camera shake more evident. so at 200mm, shoot at a slowest of 1/200.

idk i usually dont carry a tripod with me anymore, i used to. i still leave it in my car just in case though.

To a point; many people can't hand-hold a camera steadily enough below 1/60 for sharp images, and very few can below 1/30.

Josh66 · Aug 5, 2008

I don't carry one unless I think I'll need it, which is not that often. If I'll be away from the house for a few days, I take it just in case.

ksmattfish · Aug 5, 2008

The tripod I've been using for the last 15 years is big and heavy because I needed it to be able to hold medium and large format cameras. I definitely only carry it when I think I'll need it. It's nothing to stash it in the car, but if I'm going to be walking around I don't want to haul it unless I'm sure I'm going to use it. It's recently occurred to me that I haven't used anything but a DSLR in 2 years, so maybe I could go to a smaller, lighter tripod.

I bought a Joby Gorillapod. I don't know how useful I'll find it for my DSLRs, but it sure is cool for holding a flash.

I like using a tripod for cameras that are too big to hand hold, landscape and architecture, and lowlight situations where I want to use a slower ISO.

Bifurcator · Aug 6, 2008

HEY!

That's my tripod!

May I say you have very good taste sir!

You even use it the same way I do as shown in your second shot.

I took off that pan stick and added a friction ball to mine though. I guess it's a little wobbly fully extended with that long lens tho no?

Ever try this with it?

This pod goes everywhere with me.

Battou · Aug 6, 2008

Lol, yeah I put my tripods through hell, five pounds of camera and glass on a tiny little tripod

I have not actually tried using it at full extention.....at all, reguardless of the lens because I assume that it will be wobbly :lmao:, The most I've ever gone with is was two clicks. If I think I'll need any more than two clicks I'll bring the big one.

I've tried that with the older targus one about a year ago and found ot to not work for my cameras as well as uncomfortable and shake inducing for me.

Bifurcator · Aug 6, 2008

Yup! Even with my little 0.1 oz.

D) toy camera I feel I have to use the 2 second timer with the pod fully extended.

But I was just looking at the two again yours and mine, and mine looks an inch or so longer. There's two models with just a slight length difference by the same company? I didn't know that.

Anyway the tip in all this for you is that even though it doesn't look or feel like it that pan arm head unscrews to reveal and standard sized head mounting bolt/stub/thingy.

So if you ever want to change, you can.

Alex_B · Aug 6, 2008

tripod is in my car's boot all the time. even if i am without a camera

and so is the monopod.

on longer photographic trips walking, I always take the tripod with me. on shorter trips I decide beforehand if I will need it or not. the monopod I use exclusively for shooting sports and wildlife with the tele lens.

Battou · Aug 6, 2008

Bifurcator said:
Yup! Even with my little 0.1 oz. D) toy camera I feel I have to use the 2 second timer with the pod fully extended.

But I was just looking at the two again yours and mine, and mine looks an inch or so longer. There's two models with just a slight length difference by the same company? I didn't know that.

Anyway the tip in all this for you is that even though it doesn't look or feel like it that pan arm head unscrews to reveal and standard sized head mounting bolt/stub/thingy. So if you ever want to change, you can.

Exellent, I have been debating on that for a wile but was not sure if I could or should, I am quite accostomed to the threeway heads and opperation of that is second nature to me now. Now that I know I could, I only have the should part to worry about.

Bifurcator · Aug 6, 2008

I guess it might be different for everyone (or not) but I definitely think the should part is there. I used to hate tripods till I got this head. Now I think they're just groovy and a half. A cheaply made one won't do though. I guess you can get a good one for little money - so cheap but not cheaply made. I think I paid $200 for mine - but I didn't do any shopping or comparisons. It was allot considering the pod I ended up using it on was then and still is, around $25 Besides isn't "pan-handling" illegal?

The other head(s) I wanna try (not on my small pod tho) are like this:

http://www.adorama.com/BG322RC2.html
or
http://www.nikonians.org/html/resources/non-nikon_articles/manfrotto-222-grip-ball-head.html

Especially the 222 Joystick. It's only about $55 in the shop near my house - so sexy... and REALLY well made. Feels VERY solid with silky smooth movement. Same with my current friction ball too actually.

Image courtesy Manfrotto (www.manfrotto.com)

.

Overread · Aug 6, 2008

and if you get one of those plastic packaging ties (the sort the army and police use for binding prisoners hands together) you can place one around the grip to keep the pressure off perminantly without holding the handel - great if you want to use the head like a normal ball head for tacking something moving (like a bird).
The 322 also goes sideways which = to me - is a more secture hold I feel for a longer lens -- its also great for macro with the newer manfrotto tripods with thier horizontal arms