New tripod on the way!
cab.in.boston
Registered Users Posts: 634 Major grins
I am so excited... yesterday I ordered a new tripod, ball head, and L-plate for my D300, and just got the shipping info. I'm so tired of dealing with the plastic tripod I've had for years with the pan/tilt head that neither locks down securely nor adjusts with any precision.
Since I'm purely a hobbyist, I couldn't justify (or afford) the really high-end stuff, as much as I'd love a CF Gitzo pod and RRS BH-55, but I think I'll still be very happy with what I have coming. I ordered Giottos MT-9371 legs (just about the only ones I could find that are tall enough for me), and a Kirk BH-3 head & L-plate. I figured that the heaviest possible set of gear that I'm ever going to have (unless and until I win the lottery - in which case I'll be able to afford another tripod) will be somewhere in the 9 pound range, and I won't be anywhere near that heavy for the near term. I think my heaviest combo I could assemble from my current kit is around 4 pounds, so I'm confident that the BH-3 is sufficient for my needs.
Now I just have to wait for the big brown truck to show up, most likely tomorrow. :barb:barb
Since I'm purely a hobbyist, I couldn't justify (or afford) the really high-end stuff, as much as I'd love a CF Gitzo pod and RRS BH-55, but I think I'll still be very happy with what I have coming. I ordered Giottos MT-9371 legs (just about the only ones I could find that are tall enough for me), and a Kirk BH-3 head & L-plate. I figured that the heaviest possible set of gear that I'm ever going to have (unless and until I win the lottery - in which case I'll be able to afford another tripod) will be somewhere in the 9 pound range, and I won't be anywhere near that heavy for the near term. I think my heaviest combo I could assemble from my current kit is around 4 pounds, so I'm confident that the BH-3 is sufficient for my needs.
Now I just have to wait for the big brown truck to show up, most likely tomorrow. :barb:barb
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Gotta love Christmas in July! Who would have thought that Santa wears brown too! Congrats on the new "toy". You'll likely be shocked that you put up with your old tripod for so long... once you start using the new one. Enjoy!
If by "put up with" you really mean "avoided using at all costs unless absolutely necessary b/c it annoyed me so much," then I totally agree!
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Thanks, Dan. I really appreciate you letting me give yours a test drive. That really sealed the deal and assured me that I'd be good with the smaller ball head.
I'll have this all set up and ready to go for the Photowalk in Boston on Saturday.
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So far (just futzing around in the living room last night), I am very happy with the build quality and heft of the gear. This absolutely blows away my old POS. The Giottos pod is pretty neat. One can remove the center column, flip over the clamp, and remount the column horizontally (or whatever angle you choose) for macro work or shooting at odd angles. It comes with not only the normal 12-ish inch long center column, but also a stub that can be used for setting up at minimum height (still quite a bit taller than many higher-priced pods, though). The adjustable clamps can operate as a fully adjustable 3-way head. It comes with rubber tipped feet that cover up sharp spikes, so you have both options, plus a nice case that is just big enough to store the pod with the Kirk BH-3 mounted, so that's nice. It also has a strap for carrying the pod on your shoulder but not in the case. It's aluminum, so it's obviously heavier than the CF options, but really not *that* much. I think it's about 1.5-2 pounds heavier than some of the Gitzo CF pods that I spec'd out. For my shooting, I can't imagine that weight being a problem. All 3 legs have foam padding on them, which I imagine will help out in the cold. For a $230 set of legs, I think they're outstanding.
The Kirk ball head and L-plate are fantastic, but I knew they would be. Maybe not quite as fancy as the RRS gear, but certainly no slouch. I really can't wait to get out and start using this setup in the field!
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Much better to have one that goes too tall than one that is too short......use a paint pen to mark your normal level veiw on the legs,
so you can have a quick set up and not be trying to mentally measure each leg as you deploy them...........
If you do any macro work that cool repositionable center column will be fantastic......keep something to use as a sandbag
( I use one of those reusable cloth grocery bags) with you so you will have the extra stability when needed.................
Yes, I definitely agree it's better to have too much height than not enough.
Excellent suggestion on the marking. I hadn't thought of that, and was kind of dreading the "mental measurement" each time... Thanks for that!
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Also a "green" recyclable grocery bag is good to keep on had as a sandbag for extra stability.....
I'm not gonna touch that one...
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Marjohn
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Here we go taking me out of context....or did I mean that to go into the gutter...Hmmmmmm
Yup think I did.....:D:D:D:D:D