which tripod do you use?

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Mike B in OKlahoma
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Joined: Fri Aug 04, 2006 10:32 pm
Location: Oklahoma City

Post by Mike B in OKlahoma »

Epidic wrote:
nzmacro wrote:Besides that, monopods make great defence weapons :wink:

Danny.
Especially with a heavy camera on the top. :wink:
I recommend the Canon 1Ds for this purpose. It is bulky and has a titanium armor coating over the body that gives it a nice heft. Plus, with the durable construction, after you have knocked the bear (or dingo, in Adrian's case...) out, you are still able to take its picture!

I personally prefer whirling mine by the strap as if I were firing a sling stone, but the camera-on-the-monopod is certainly a legitimate technique!
Mike Broderick
Oklahoma City, OK, USA

Constructive critiques of my pictures, and reposts in this forum for purposes of critique are welcome

"I must obey the inscrutable exhortations of my soul....My mandate includes weird bugs."
--Calvin

Ken Ramos
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Joined: Thu Jul 27, 2006 2:12 pm
Location: lat=35.4005&lon=-81.9841

Post by Ken Ramos »

Well I have a Manfrotto 680B mono. Great defensive weapon and doubles as a WMD, in the event a SPIDER happens to cross me. :lol: Great hiking tool too. :wink:

Danny
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Joined: Fri Feb 02, 2007 11:07 pm
Location: New Zealand

Post by Danny »

LOL Mike, its times like that you wish you were into large format and then you could make one heck of a mess 8)

A spider Ken, a SPIDER :wink: , ya big chicken M8t :D :wink:

Danny.
Worry about the image that comes out of the box, rather than the box itself.

twebster
Posts: 442
Joined: Wed Jul 26, 2006 8:02 am
Location: Phoenix "Valley of the Sun", Arizona, USA

Post by twebster »

I'm sorry, tripods and cameras are too inefficient (not to mention too expensive) as a defense weapon. I, on the other hand, carry an accurized .40 Smith & Wesson automatic pistol. Quite persuasive without even having to fire it. :wink:
Tom Webster

Phoenix "The Valley of the Sun", Arizona, USA

The worst day photographing dragonflies is better than the best day working! :)

DaveW
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Joined: Fri Aug 04, 2006 4:29 am
Location: Nottingham, UK

Post by DaveW »

Mine is a Benbo Mk1, the first tripod designed to stand in water without it getting into the joints. there is one shown on this link getting down to ground level if you scroll down it:-


The company was sold off and split into two one making a version called Benbo and the other Uniloc

http://www.warehouseexpress.com/index.a ... niloc.html

http://www.warehouseexpress.com/index.a ... benbo.html

All are heavy enough to use as weapons!

DaveW

Ken Ramos
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Joined: Thu Jul 27, 2006 2:12 pm
Location: lat=35.4005&lon=-81.9841

Post by Ken Ramos »

Why is this post so W I D E :?: :roll: Must be because Tom is packing heat 8)

DaveW
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Joined: Fri Aug 04, 2006 4:29 am
Location: Nottingham, UK

Post by DaveW »

Sorry Ken,

It was my pasted in top link. It seems to extend forever and doesn't fold itself up into sensible line lengths. Delete it if you want.

DaveW

Danny
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Joined: Fri Feb 02, 2007 11:07 pm
Location: New Zealand

Post by Danny »

Thanks Dave, I couldn't work it out either :D All fixed thanks.

Danny.
Worry about the image that comes out of the box, rather than the box itself.

Adrian
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Joined: Thu Aug 24, 2006 10:27 am
Location: Australia
Contact:

Post by Adrian »

hmm never thought of it like that but i allways thought it would sure hurt geting hit by the magnesium shell of a 30D

Adrian
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Joined: Thu Aug 24, 2006 10:27 am
Location: Australia
Contact:

Post by Adrian »

i took the plunge and got a tripod last week, i went for a Gitzo GT3540LS tripod and RRS BH-55.

best peice of camera gear ive ever invested in besides the camera itself, i shot all day three days straight with it in the wilderness, so many great photos, i managed photograph over 20 different species of fungi.

now i cant imagine not using a tripod, i took a day off today and went to the library to try to do alittle research on the subjects ive photographed, in an attempt to identify them.

Leif
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Joined: Tue Oct 09, 2007 12:06 pm
Location: England

Post by Leif »

The threads a bit old but ...

Uniloc 1600. For macro work there is little to beat the Uniloc design. They do not seem that popular, and I suppose that is because of the use of old fashioned aluminium, and the load ratings not matching the much more expensive offerings from Gitzo.

DaveW
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Joined: Fri Aug 04, 2006 4:29 am
Location: Nottingham, UK

Post by DaveW »

Also on a shiny floor, until you get to know how to work them Leif, they are a bit like trying to get a really drunken man to stand on his feet, as their legs go all ways! LOL

I think the original heavy Benbo Mk. 1 will carry medium format cameras with ease, maybe even large format. I don't know if they have lightened the Unilok version, since the original Benbo's are heavy to carry around?

DaveW

Leif
Posts: 59
Joined: Tue Oct 09, 2007 12:06 pm
Location: England

Post by Leif »

DaveW wrote:Also on a shiny floor, until you get to know how to work them Leif, they are a bit like trying to get a really drunken man to stand on his feet, as their legs go all ways! LOL

I think the original heavy Benbo Mk. 1 will carry medium format cameras with ease, maybe even large format. I don't know if they have lightened the Unilok version, since the original Benbo's are heavy to carry around?

DaveW
Ah yes, that is one often quoted reason why people are not keen on them. Some Americans even call them Octopus tripods.

However in my experience the Uniloc/Benbo is easier to use than a normal tripod as there is only one control to loosen/tighten when making height adjustments. But, it is essential to hold the camera and/or centre column when loosening the main control, otherwise an expensive camera and lens could crash to the ground.

The Uniloc 1600 weighs 2.5 Kg and can support a DSLR + 200mm micro lens + flash with ease: I get pin sharp images. I've used a 400mm F5.6 lens too. I am told it can even support a 500mm F4 lens given a suitable head, though I am not sure if vibrations are damped properly.

The Benbo Mark 1 is a larger and more stable tripod than the Uniloc 1600, but it is also heavier. The Uniloc 1600 is okay weight wise, and I have often carried it many miles along with a backpack.

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