Of course, I was rather playing dumb when I asked about "good" tripods. But
not entirely.
On New Year's Eve I took some pictures of fireworks using one of these
*cheap* tripods [at least, it looks cheap - I got from my father, and I
can't afford a better one, since I'm a poor student ;( ].
I didn't notice any problems except for one picture. Overall, it was OK.
Still, some inconveniences I saw right away. Yes, the legs do bend when I
press down on the camera, and -what's really annoying- at maximum extension
it only reaches to my chest (almost!). So I always have to lower myself when
looking through the viewfinder.
As for being able to place heavy load on its head, it's really not my case,
since I only have an OM-2 with a couple of small lenses.
Until I have some money, I'll have to get along with this tripod.
Now how can I make the best out of it?
(We Romanians like to call ourselves masters of improvising. While someone
else would probably just buy a new thing, we would probably try to find
another solution. Remnants of the ole glorious Communist period...)
Respect,
cris
----- Original Message -----
From: "John A. Lind" <jlind@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <olympus@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Monday, January 21, 2002 5:20 PM
Subject: Re: [OM] A good tripod?
> For the purpose of this posting I'll define a "cheap" tripod as one of the
> overpriced models commonly found in the camera section of Meijer,
Wal-Mart,
> K-Mart or [fill in the name of your favorite discount department
> store]-Mart. The legs flex and the tripod twists too easily. Play with
> one of their display models (but don't break it) and then go to a large
> camera store and play with a Bogen 3021 leg set or comparable Gitzo. The
> Bogen 3021 is one of the most popular, very sturdy portable tripods, it
> puts the camera at eye level *without* extending the center column (an
> extended center column is yet another source of flexing), and it's among
> the less expensive leg sets among the pro-grade tripod makers. Yes, it's
> noticeably heavier than the "cheap" variety, especially after you add a
> Bogen all-metal head, but it's also noticeably sturdier and will last
much,
> much longer.
>
> Folded up, a pro grade tripod with head also makes a marvelous
self-defense
> weapon when doing late night architectural shooting in the downtown areas
> of very large cities. I have no fear of damaging my Bogen using it in
that
> manner and I could quickly get back to making photographs. Lesser
> "consumer grade" tripods would bend or break.
>
> -- John
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