zeusbheld Posted December 6, 2006 Report Share Posted December 6, 2006 that thread (can't remember whose it was--kitschiguy's?) about buying a camera generated some interesting photo-related info. time to go a little more exotic... now that i have a 'real' camera, i'm gonna get a 'real' tripod. ultralight but strong enough to hold my d80 with a fairly long lens is the order of the day. i know all about the advantages of an old-school wooden tripod, sturdier is better, etc. but i want something i can frigging CARRY. tripods are not much use if they sit in your apartment while your'e out shooting. it also has to fit in a carry-on bag. this *might* mean a 4-section tripod, but i'd prefer 3. i'm pretty well sold on carbon fiber rather than aluminium. i used to do sound for film and video, and aluminium boom poles vibrate like a tuning fork compared to carbon. and vibration in a tripod means photos that aren't sharp. also, a little bit of extra weight is REALLY noticeable when you're holding a microphone at the end of a long 'fishpole' all day. now, i have some grasp of the obvious and i've figured out that quality tripods are F***ING EXPENSIVE... i was set to get a gitzo, probably one of the ones made from basalt fiber. they're slightly cheaper than gitzo carbon tripods. basalt is nearly as rigid as carbon, very humidity-resistant, lighter than aluminium but heavier than carbon. it's relatively new as a tripod material though. having used a i like the twist-locks, they're just like on gitzo boompoles. gitzo are extra f***ing expensive though. i don't like the snap-locks on manfrotto tripods, and they add weight, so bogen-manfrotto are out. i did find something interesting on the net, a carbon-fiber tripod from a taiwan company called feisol. they're taller than gitzos, fold up nicely, and cost half as much as gitzo. they're not direct gitzo copies like benro tripods. they cost about half as much as gitzos if you order direct from the company. anyone tried one? i'm also interested in anyone's experience with heads, although i'm almost sure i'm going to get a ball head from really right stuff.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
i_love_som_tam Posted December 6, 2006 Report Share Posted December 6, 2006 i'm perfectly content with my cheap ass aluminium, 3 section tripod. it's holds my nikon, my camcorder and my ancient olympus om10 with various lenses just fine. it cranks up to about 6' high and has a pretty sturdy hook underneath to hold about 10 pounds of weight to keep it anchored in windy situations. good luck in your search Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neo Posted December 6, 2006 Report Share Posted December 6, 2006 Have you checked out Velbon? I have an ultra-maxi which has twist lock legs so it's really quick and easy to deploy. It's lighter than a gitzo, sure it won't take quite the same weight but it should be enough for your darling Nikon plus a monster lens. The best news is it's very solid and it's cheap! About 2000 baht I think. Also you can mount the camera underneath the tripod. The only bad news is the crappy no quick-release head, so I stuck a manfrotto on it. Total weight just under 1kg. Oh and definitely get a ball head. I've used both with SLR's and there's no comparison. I think pan-tilt is really only useful for film or video. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zeusbheld Posted December 6, 2006 Author Report Share Posted December 6, 2006 i like to shoot long exposures at night. i'd like to blow them up to larger sizes. you don't notice the effect of vibration until it's gone, and your pics are sharper. i noticed this when i used to shoot with the 180-baht (or thereabouts) chunk of metal and plastic like i have now, and then started using the bogen manfrotto. i'm not sure that vibrations would be all that noticeable and i've never shot stills with anything but an aluminium tripod (sold my heavy bogen, i think it was a 3021, before i moved over here). it worked fine, for both video and long exposure stills. but it was BIG. movies often use wooden tripods for good reason--when you're blowing things up HUGE, every little bit of sharpness counts--and you have grips to carry the damned things! i'm definitely more interested in something i can carry EVERYWHERE, that is light enough so i WILL carry it, even up a mountain. i'll see what they have in mbk, but i'm probably gonna go with the feisol. US$165 ain't bad for a carbon tripod that stands up to 122 cm without a center post and folds up to 43 cm. it weighs 1.2 kg without a head. i'll probably get the lightweight rss ball head which costs $100 without a clamp. i can get a center post later, if i want one. they give you some height but they can be a bit wobbly (won't fall, but pics less sharp). rather than get something i'll want to replace in a few years i'll get one good one and be done with it. ROB: definitely a tripod would be the ticket for macro stuff. some fairly affordable ones have a reversible center post, so you can put the camera on it upside down and get close with a decent macro lens. won't help with bugs etc but you shoot a lot of flowers, and they tend to not run away (and many are up reasonably high, an added bonus). if you got a macro slider attachment for the head you could focus by sliding hte camera back and forth, which would allow you to keep your composition as you tweak focus. ILST: a better solution than hanging a bag of rocks from the center post is to hang a strap from it and then step on the strap, pulling it tight when you shoot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aomazon Posted December 6, 2006 Report Share Posted December 6, 2006 yes tripod!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kitschiguy Posted December 6, 2006 Report Share Posted December 6, 2006 I use a Manfrotto 055PRO 3 section alluminium with a Manfrotto 141RC head. Couldn't ask for more. You can carry it, but it's no good for travel in my opinion, but I travel light. Personally I prefer a 3 way pan and tilt head rather than a ball head. I find it's easier to handle and more accurate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yeahrightdennis Posted December 6, 2006 Report Share Posted December 6, 2006 I use a monopod...but if i would get a tripod it'd be a carbon fiber one and of course I'd get a niffty ball head. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
STB Posted December 6, 2006 Report Share Posted December 6, 2006 I use a cheap @ss 300 baht tripod, and I'm quite happy with it. It only extends to 8", but that's enough for me. As an added bonus I can fold it to about a 4" package, quite handy to carry. And don't think 'neeehhhh', I've used it plenty of times, for nice sundown pics, great pics in half light, or even stable pics in full light. It helps Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zeusbheld Posted December 7, 2006 Author Report Share Posted December 7, 2006 I use a Manfrotto 055PRO 3 section alluminium with a Manfrotto 141RC head. Couldn't ask for more. You can carry it, but it's no good for travel in my opinion, but I travel light. Personally I prefer a 3 way pan and tilt head rather than a ball head. I find it's easier to handle and more accurate. the carbon version of that tripod is awfully heavy! i guess htey probably didnt design it as carbon fiber through and through, just replaced the tubes i'm still considering a pan and tilt head, only because it could then do double duty for video. with a slider plate it might be easier for panoramas than a ball, but there are some good panorama attachments for a ball too (hideously expensive though). a good ball head can be as accurate or moreso, according to the (many) advocates. they are frigging expensive though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Treborz Posted December 7, 2006 Report Share Posted December 7, 2006 I sometimes go by the nickname of tripod!! The above statement may not be entirely true Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zeusbheld Posted December 7, 2006 Author Report Share Posted December 7, 2006 I sometimes go by the nickname of tripod!!The above statement may not be entirely true it was a slippery slope to this comment, given talk of long exposures and ball heads ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Treborz Posted December 7, 2006 Report Share Posted December 7, 2006 Taxi for Treborz!!!!! :wink: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Undercover Posted December 7, 2006 Report Share Posted December 7, 2006 I love my Gitzo and would recommend it if you can afford it. I've got the G1227 Mountaineer MK2 which I use with the Magnesium ball-head. I love it! It was exhorbitantly expensive but worth every penny. It's super lightweight (3 pounds), easy to use and you can even set it up with one hand if you're working alone on a shoot (and have a camera in your other hand) which I find very convenient. http://focuscamera.com/camera-store/gitzo-g1227-mk2-mountaineer-carbon-fiber-tripod--legs-only--g1227.html For video I have a Sony video tripod that has a pan tilt head with some fluid damping and LANC capability. I have an old Manfrotto that I have never used for shooting after buying the Gitzo. So that's become a big heavy flash stand. And I have a small cheapo throwaway tripod that I sometimes take with me if I am traveling. It's not that great but it's cheap enough where I would be willing to dump it if I don't want to schlep it back from somewhere and don't have room for the Gitzo in my backpack. I do night (time) exposures all the time, both film and digital with the Gitzo and never have any problem at all, even when using an RZ67, which is a hell of a lot heavier than a D80. Yes, the Gitzo is very expensive but you will never regret buying it. The main advantage that I see in it besides the weight is the ease of operation in set-up (and no pinched fingers!). I can guarantee you after you use the Gitzo you will never use any other tripod. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr_Sassy Posted December 7, 2006 Report Share Posted December 7, 2006 Been changing many tripods yet haven't been satisfied with any yet - sway in the wind, locks, panning, etc. The latest one, I thought my tripod legs were locked tightly and wouldn't budge, my baby fell on the ground and UV lenses turned to small pieces LOL numbed for a few mins. The previous one - when I panned my cam, the locking mechanism accidentally released my camera and fell down on the sand, fortunately. It can't even fit in my suitcase! Ball heads have been upsetting me. Using Manfrotto.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
koolbreez Posted December 7, 2006 Report Share Posted December 7, 2006 I use a Giottos MT 9170 with a Manfrotto 488rc2 ball head. Quick release plate on the head is the only way to go. The versatility of this combination make it worth packing the extra weight all over the place. I could go lighter by getting the carbon fiber model, but it's too expensive for the gain. I shoot mostly with a Nikon D70, with big telephoto, and small wide angle lenses. Just a thought koolbreez Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zeusbheld Posted December 7, 2006 Author Report Share Posted December 7, 2006 stopped by some camera shops this morning... in addition to playing with some really cool lenses (i am ass over ears in love with the nikon f1.4 50mm, i've been shooting this camera for a little over a month and already the one-lens-fits-all concept is starting to chafe, although the 18-200 is GREAT for shooting candid stuff very quickly) i played with some tripods. the gitzo 1297 basalt feels a LOT heavier than the 12whatever carbon ones. i've therefore ruled out basalt, except maybe one with smaller tubes. anyone played with an ultralight gitzo, like this 1057? one thing i really really like about the newer gitzos is that they are designed so the leg tubes don't roll, so you can tighten/loosen more than one clamp at a time. and i really, really hate manfrotto snap clamps, more than once the web of my thumb turned purple from being caught in there. i looked at a velbon carbon, it was quite solid but too bulky for my purposes, although i'm quite convinced it could handle a big bulky view camera. quite sturdy, probably sturdier without a center column. one shop also had a benro gitzo 2220 aluminium knockoff, with a benro swiss arca-style ball head knockoff on it. that's benro, not benbo--benro from what i can tell are a chinese company specializing in copying high-quality tripod gear. the build quality was surprisingly good. the head was probably a copy of the actual swiss-arca-brand head, tension was good and it locked rock solid. but it was way too big and heavy for me; i'll probably get the tiny bh-25 rrs head (US$100 with a platform, US$175 with a swiss-arca quick release, lever style release only works with rrs plates though). bottom line is, after playing with even a copy of a good one, two things are apparent: 1) don't write off ball heads until you've played with a really good one, and 2) a good ball head is smooth enough, and tension is adjustable enough, to pan for video in a pinch, although you'd have to eyeball the horizon line. UPDATE: just found out benro stuff is being distributed in the US under the "induro" brand name. the list is getting wider rather than narrower. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zeusbheld Posted December 8, 2006 Author Report Share Posted December 8, 2006 i did notice that about singapore when i was looking for "electronics bargains". seemed very overrated. there sure isn't much competition here in bkk either, from what i can tell. at least bangers isn't saddled with the 'electronics bargain mecca' that spore is stuck with (and utterly failed to deliver on, as far as i can tell). if i don't find better prices i'm just gonna wait and mail-order stuff from NYC and have it sent to my mom's house (to avoid the 8.25 percent sales tax). adorama has benro stuff under the "induro" name. prices on the benro stuff seem pretty good here though. i may mail order the feisol, though. and rrs, kirk and markins ball heads are only available mail order as far as i know. anyone with first-hand hong kong camera and/or audio shopping experience? has a good reputation but i've been quite disappointed singapore. how about tokyo for japanese stuff? any areas/shops to recommend? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zeusbheld Posted December 8, 2006 Author Report Share Posted December 8, 2006 the feisol head may well be alright, but ii haven't seen anything pro or con discussed on sites like www.dpreviewcom and www.nikonians.org (nik onions?). and i haven't found any feisol stuff around here to play with. it looks like a swiss arca copy. price, size and weight on the small one--the cb50hn--look good though (US$139, comparable with the really puny RSS bh-25). the other heads are heavily reviewed and each has their own rabid following (which sometimes gets into the silly territory of canon-vs-nikon or mac-vs-windows territory--they're just tools, people!). markins seem to have *no* detractors. it also places all the knobs on the left, which is good ergonomics since camera controls are on the right. the acratech is also very light and an interesting design with most of the ball exposed--in other words, easy to clean after a trip to the beach or the desert. i like the design of a couple of the clamps from really right stuff, especialy the one with a lever instead of a knob. rrs and kirk also make an L-bracket for the d80, it probably works with any arca style clamp but i'll probably get the bracket and clamp from the same company, if only out of anal retentiveness. i will likely pass a couple more shops today, if i see anything dazzling i'll make note of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neo Posted December 8, 2006 Report Share Posted December 8, 2006 how about tokyo for japanese stuff? any areas/shops to recommend? Akihabara is *the* area for electronics (and odd little cafe's with life size dolls in sexy dresses). Haven't compared prices between BKK and Tokyo but there are hundreds of cool gadgets available in Akihabara that never see the light of day outside Japan. I can find out the best camera shops if you're interested. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Undercover Posted December 8, 2006 Report Share Posted December 8, 2006 how about tokyo for japanese stuff? any areas/shops to recommend? Akihabara is *the* area for electronics (and odd little cafe's with life size dolls in sexy dresses). Haven't compared prices between BKK and Tokyo but there are hundreds of cool gadgets available in Akihabara that never see the light of day outside Japan. I can find out the best camera shops if you're interested. From my experience, Yodobashi Camera is the best place to buy new photo gear in Tokyo, particularly the main store in Shinjuku. Akihibara is better for weird electronic parts and gizmos. The Ginza district has the best used camera shops that I've ever seen in the world. But the main Yodobashi in Shinjuku (there are at least 3 branches there but the main one is about 5 stories) is incredible. They have everthing in stock and I mean everything. Way better than say B&HPhoto in NYC. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zeusbheld Posted December 8, 2006 Author Report Share Posted December 8, 2006 how about tokyo for japanese stuff? any areas/shops to recommend? Akihabara is *the* area for electronics (and odd little cafe's with life size dolls in sexy dresses). Haven't compared prices between BKK and Tokyo but there are hundreds of cool gadgets available in Akihabara that never see the light of day outside Japan. I can find out the best camera shops if you're interested. From my experience, Yodobashi Camera is the best place to buy new photo gear in Tokyo, particularly the main store in Shinjuku. Akihibara is better for weird electronic parts and gizmos. The Ginza district has the best used camera shops that I've ever seen in the world. But the main Yodobashi in Shinjuku (there are at least 3 branches there but the main one is about 5 stories) is incredible. They have everthing in stock and I mean everything. Way better than say B&HPhoto in NYC. how are prices? worth the trip? anyone done HK? flights are cheaper than tokyo, although i could use airmiles to get to tokyo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zeusbheld Posted December 8, 2006 Author Report Share Posted December 8, 2006 more on benro, a rumor from dpreview: > Rumor has it that Gitzo tried to parter with Benro, somehow the > relationship soured, but Benro got all the blueprints and tooling. > You may notice that many of their tripods and heads (but no the one > the OP is interested in) are Gitzo knock-offs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zeusbheld Posted December 8, 2006 Author Report Share Posted December 8, 2006 looked at some carbon benros today. they looked pretty solid. got the brochure too. might as well post this link, everyone does on the photo dweeb boards: thom hogan's tripod advice. also, this morsel from a poster on dpreview: I am thinking of the Benro too. A friend lives in China and he is an structural engineer. He said the Benro is built as well or better than the Gitzo. I would only be a little concerned about getting spare parts if I were to break something. i have yet to see a gitzo carbon and benro carbon side by side. i expect the gitzos are a bit nicer, but prices on the benros are in the 6,000 to 8,000 baht range--about half of what the gitzos they copied cost. also something for Rob to consider: the "hvc flexpod" has a center column that can be arranged into odd positions, this'd be good for macro (i believe the gitzo 1220 has something similar). the benro system seems pretty straightforward. you'd have to put counterweights on the other end of the center column for stability though. i didnt see any of the ultralight carbon ones, but i did play with an aluminium one. for something standing on pencils it was pretty stable. i am seriously considering going against thom hogan's advice and getting something light enough that i'll actually want to take it everywhere i take my camera. it's smaller and lighter than recommended but... that has its upside, too... say this for benro, at least they copy good stuff--solid gitzo copies, with some of the highlights of gitzo like the non-rolling legs, with a few of their own nice touches. they even have knockoffs of the basalt tripods. (and before anyone starts complaining about knockoffs, if your'e on a windows computer... think about it first.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zeusbheld Posted December 9, 2006 Author Report Share Posted December 9, 2006 looking forward to the report. that's the feisol i'll get if i go feisol. no doubt service is the same here for benro. the benros are also a bit heavier than comparable gitzos and feisols. benro heads got a few rabidly positive reviews but also reports of QC issues--some bad eggs in the bunch. price is right though, and if i bought it at a shop i could try it out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zeusbheld Posted December 9, 2006 Author Report Share Posted December 9, 2006 i wanted to go to HK anyway, as every time i've been there i havent' had time to explore, so it's an option. i want to visit the fast food joint from the wong kar-wai film "chungking express." probably can't 'live the film' and stay at a dodgy rat trap in chungking mansions though, coz i'd have camera with me and be shopping electronics. i'd agree it's not worth it for legs though given the prices on benro stuff here, assuming i go benro. may even get a benro head, they looked nice (the ks and kj ones anyway) but i'd like to get it without the clamp so i can install a rrs lever-style clamp. anyone know of a place that carries markins heads anywhere in asia? they're made in korea. i have a friend in seoul, but haven't heard back from him about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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