Found browsing internet:
http://sunwayfoto.com/e_goodsDetail.aspx?gId=1338
Anybody is using this tripod ? Opinions ?
RRS-243 users, what do you think ?
Very nice price, half of RRS-243....
Sunwayfoto T1A20 vs RRS-243
Moderators: rjlittlefield, ChrisR, Chris S., Pau
I don't own any of these two tripods, but I can tell you, that devil is always in the details.
Sunwayphoto is a knock-off company. It cuts costs and simplifies the design. Sometimes, they can't be sure, why original product has particular feature. It can make them thinking they can skip it somehow.
Therefore, I wouldn't be surprised, if, for example, friction pairs are less than effective there, bushings are missing and so on.
Certain photos on their website giving me clear understanding of their machining culture and level of precision.
For example, right here http://sunwayfoto.com/upPic/130850274775000000.jpg you cans see, that fillets between top flat portion of the head and leg mounting features were produced by the ball end mill which had its zero set about 0.3mm deeper than other tool bits.
Their production workflow illustration also reveals some details about it - they don't use live tooling on a CNC lathe to machine holes for leg pivots, but they have manual mill with indexing table or CNC mill with rotary axis and three-jaw chuck, which means, precision is compromised by design.
All that means, you have to test this piece of equipment thoroughly to determine, if this particular tripod you've got fits your quality standards and if it has all necessary features and parts. Repeatability of parts is not guaranteed, therefore, someone's experience with a single tripod of the same model can't be considered representative.
Sunwayphoto is a knock-off company. It cuts costs and simplifies the design. Sometimes, they can't be sure, why original product has particular feature. It can make them thinking they can skip it somehow.
Therefore, I wouldn't be surprised, if, for example, friction pairs are less than effective there, bushings are missing and so on.
Certain photos on their website giving me clear understanding of their machining culture and level of precision.
For example, right here http://sunwayfoto.com/upPic/130850274775000000.jpg you cans see, that fillets between top flat portion of the head and leg mounting features were produced by the ball end mill which had its zero set about 0.3mm deeper than other tool bits.
Their production workflow illustration also reveals some details about it - they don't use live tooling on a CNC lathe to machine holes for leg pivots, but they have manual mill with indexing table or CNC mill with rotary axis and three-jaw chuck, which means, precision is compromised by design.
All that means, you have to test this piece of equipment thoroughly to determine, if this particular tripod you've got fits your quality standards and if it has all necessary features and parts. Repeatability of parts is not guaranteed, therefore, someone's experience with a single tripod of the same model can't be considered representative.
Hi Kirill,Bushman.K wrote: devil is always in the detail
Thank you for your technical expertise !
Time is coming for me for new macro tripod, RRS TP-243 is one of the candidates, Sunwayfoto T1A20 does not look bad though.
Saul
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OK, I cannot use Russian letters
, inserting photo...
Thank you for your kind words, Saul.
I have to make it clear: I'm not saying Sunwayphoto stuff is bad. It's not. Sometimes even noname two-bucks stuff from eBay is not bad. You just have to watch for flaws and keep in mind the way you are going to use this thing (and make sure you can send it back).
I own several pieces of equipment like that (QR plates, arm, QR clamp, thread adapters) and it saved me, probably, a hundred dollars. But these are carefully selected pieces and I'm always ready to use file, grinder, taps, drill and mill on them.
I have to make it clear: I'm not saying Sunwayphoto stuff is bad. It's not. Sometimes even noname two-bucks stuff from eBay is not bad. You just have to watch for flaws and keep in mind the way you are going to use this thing (and make sure you can send it back).
I own several pieces of equipment like that (QR plates, arm, QR clamp, thread adapters) and it saved me, probably, a hundred dollars. But these are carefully selected pieces and I'm always ready to use file, grinder, taps, drill and mill on them.
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rjlittlefield
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I have an RRS TP-243, purchased new about a year ago and very lightly used since then. It's a nice piece of gear, but I don't see or feel anything about the mechanism that seems like it requires great precision. This is a case where I would expect a knock-off to work just about as well as the original.
One nice feature of the Sunway, not present in my TP-243, is the locking screw that comes up from underneath to secure the plate of whatever is mounted on the tripod.
The above is speaking strictly about the tripod. I also have an RRS BH-40 ballhead, which is beautifully made and feels like that's a requirement. For that I would be cautious about a knockoff.
Then there's the RRS B2-40 LR lever-action clamp that I bought with the ballhead. That clamp, while beautifully made, suffers from the limited tolerance that is typical of lever-action clamps. It works great with RRS plates, but is not trustworthy with rails and plates from other manufacturers. In fact that expensive and beautifully made clamp is now living in my spare parts collection, having been replaced on the ballhead by a bargain-basement screw-type clamp that meets my particular needs far better.
--Rik
One nice feature of the Sunway, not present in my TP-243, is the locking screw that comes up from underneath to secure the plate of whatever is mounted on the tripod.
The above is speaking strictly about the tripod. I also have an RRS BH-40 ballhead, which is beautifully made and feels like that's a requirement. For that I would be cautious about a knockoff.
Then there's the RRS B2-40 LR lever-action clamp that I bought with the ballhead. That clamp, while beautifully made, suffers from the limited tolerance that is typical of lever-action clamps. It works great with RRS plates, but is not trustworthy with rails and plates from other manufacturers. In fact that expensive and beautifully made clamp is now living in my spare parts collection, having been replaced on the ballhead by a bargain-basement screw-type clamp that meets my particular needs far better.
--Rik
Let me try to explain, what I mean by "precision".
For sure, tripod is not a clockwork. But any mechanism has its tolerances for a reason.
Sometimes, problem with coaxial holes (position tolerance or perpendicularity tolerance) leads to uneven or increased friction. Wobbly couplings do the same. When minor diameter of some threaded hole is too large (say, drilling was too fast, bad chips evacuation, lack of coolant fluid), strength of thread is compromised.
Tripods are the one of a few mechanisms used in photography, where large forces are applied to parts. Therefore, any bad design or bad machining can easily lead to excessive wear and so on. Even major brands suffer from it. For example, Manfrotto cam locks for tripod legs have crappy design, relying on adjustment, made by plastic shims of different thickness. That's why you have to reassemble your tripod with cam locks for cold (I mean, with snow and ice) winter use or ditch it in favor of one with twist locks. Otherwise it will just crack apart (that's why Manfrotto sells replacement lock bodies).
Knock-off companies tended to have more problems like that.
For sure, tripod is not a clockwork. But any mechanism has its tolerances for a reason.
Sometimes, problem with coaxial holes (position tolerance or perpendicularity tolerance) leads to uneven or increased friction. Wobbly couplings do the same. When minor diameter of some threaded hole is too large (say, drilling was too fast, bad chips evacuation, lack of coolant fluid), strength of thread is compromised.
Tripods are the one of a few mechanisms used in photography, where large forces are applied to parts. Therefore, any bad design or bad machining can easily lead to excessive wear and so on. Even major brands suffer from it. For example, Manfrotto cam locks for tripod legs have crappy design, relying on adjustment, made by plastic shims of different thickness. That's why you have to reassemble your tripod with cam locks for cold (I mean, with snow and ice) winter use or ditch it in favor of one with twist locks. Otherwise it will just crack apart (that's why Manfrotto sells replacement lock bodies).
Knock-off companies tended to have more problems like that.
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bobfriedman
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Yes ! And it looks good and I'm happy with it ! Ebay seller agreed on 180$
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Sunwayfoto-T1A2 ... SwQTVWBchI
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Sunwayfoto-T1A2 ... SwQTVWBchI
Didn't used too much yet, but there are couple minor things:
I have to depress all the way down (it takes some efforts) in order to avoid catching edges ( maybe it will go away with time)
I do not like that hollowed-out thing, I would prefer solid, like on the RRS (please see Kirill's comment (Bushman K.))
I have to depress all the way down (it takes some efforts) in order to avoid catching edges ( maybe it will go away with time)
I do not like that hollowed-out thing, I would prefer solid, like on the RRS (please see Kirill's comment (Bushman K.))
