Here is my large tripod. I think it cost just over $100 from Ted's about 18 months ago. I am only just starting to use it regularly. The photo of the carry case has a shoe next to it to show the size. It does not weigh much and I sling it over one shoulder.
If you get one, practice with it at home for a week or more. You will need to set up quickly and without embarrassment. The legs are involved but easy. You can set it up as hight or as low as you need as the legs come in 4 segments. You can have the back higher/lower than the front. You need to practice inserting the camera into the slot at the top and onto the screw. You dont need the pressure of thinking someone is watchiing you do this as you fumble.
See the twisting handle: this is the biggest challenge. There are tighteners to keep the camera at the angle you select but this is only easy if you practise. The handle swings the camera from portrait to landscape and anything between.
The one thing that would be good with a tripod is a remote rather than having to set the delay to 10secs or even 2secs. To be able to see what is going on and press would be good I think. I have no experience on this though.
We can chat about any/all of this as the day goes on if you are at work and online.
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5 comments:
That doesn't look too bad, from your height, you probably have quite small feet. What is it made from and is it stable in a strong wind, I'll need something that will take the SLR at full zoom. Still tossing up whether to get a Gorillapod for travel but the SLR zoom one is nearly $100 so not much cheaper than a full tripod and you still need a connector head from a proper tripod to use it with (you don't with the smaller models). Got my photo course confirmation - should be interesting.
Yep, I have small feet: size 6. Slung over one shoulder, this bounces against my hip.
Made from aluminium. The tripodocity makes it fairly stable. The distance apart of the feet is also adjustable so the windyer the more splayed the feet. I often just leave the connector head on the camera although it is "caught" when on the tripod. When day-packing you end up with bakpak, camera-case and tripod case. Bit of a arm-ful I agree. But the images are so much more satisfying. The picture I have on Sydney Eye today was taken just with the camera perched on the flat top of the black fence and that worked a treat too. There is always that sort of alternative for night time outdoor shots. Why not force yourself to do night shots and force yourself to find alternatives to the tripod and see if this is a temporary solution for you?
Ann I tried a gorilla pod and took it back, it couldn't cope with the lens @ 200mm.
Think about trying a monopod which needs a steady hand still, but can be braced against a rail or post or whatever.
I've got a heavy Velbon tripod which I was given for my twenty first. I don't think they had light aluminium in those days!
A bean bag will do it or something like http://www.thepod.ca/
I had (another souvenir for that miscreant Moroccan!) a beaut mini tripod the Ultra Pod II
http://www.pedcopods.com/products.shtml
it barely supported the camera at full stretch, but it did, and I'm going to get another one. A seriously light and easy to manage thing, it just velcroed onto my camera bag strap when I didn't need it. You can also velcro it onto a rail or post or whatever in the field.
I like the look of that one that got nicked in Morocco, Peter. I have to go into Ted's again this week sometime to get some prints done so will check it out. The monkey thing sounds like a good idea but it is toooooo twistable and getting a firm position speedily is a challenge.
I think I owned my Gorilla pod for about fifteen minutes all up.
it is light. BUT, it's bulky and at the DSLR size I found it awfully clumsy as well.
Cheers,
P
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