Swisspace wrote
>
> okay now to the reason of posting, I have been taking some close up
> "macro" shots with just the 180f2 and 1.4x converter and I can see the
> lens settling from the mirror vibration, so I have been experimenting,
> such as using fill in flash to freeze it etc. The tripod is a cheap one
> so it is mostly to blame, but should I buy an expensive tripod or
> another OM body which has mirror lock up (self timer would be usefull as
> well) and if so which body would you recommend - I have been looking at
> OM4's on thingybay but reading various lists, this seems the most fault
> prone of the bodies, so maybe I should wait until I can afford a second
> hand Ti version.
>
> OR any recommendations for a decent tripod and what sort of price range
> covers decent eg do I need to pay 2-300 dollars for a ball head, etc.
Some 20 years or so ago I had the same problem and there was not a single
solid tripod to be seen in any of the local photography shops. The people in
the shops seemed to be morons as far as tripods were concerned.
Then I found John Shaw's books. E.g. "The Nature photographer's complete
Guide to Professional Field Techniques" and "Closeups in Nature".
He is the ONLY photography author I have EVER read who made specific
recommendations about tripods. In the first book his prime recommendation
was just three tripods. In the second, manufacturers must have got to him as
he recommended one more.
They are:
Gitzo 320 as standard;
Gitzo 224 (as light as he would recommend) for back-packing
Slik M322 (comes with a good pan-tilt head)
Bogen 3020 ( a little short if you are 5' 10" or taller)
Heads:
Two good pan-tilt heads:
Bogen 3047 - uses quick-release mounting plates
Bogen 3025
Some ball and socket heads;
Bogen 3055 (uses same QR plates as 3047)
Slik Pro-Ball (these two the smallest ball-heads he recommends)
Arca-Swiss - the best but very expensive.
At that time I used to buy Popular Photography with all those delicious
advertisements at the back, and I ended up ordering the Gitzo Studex 320
and the Bogen 3047.
These both came from B&H ( I think it was ) in New York, by surface post
12,000 miles to New Zealand, and of course I had significant customs duty
to pay in those days.
The tripod weighs 5.5 lbs (2.5 kg) and the head comes to 4 lbs (1.8 kg).
One of my brothers turned me a short centrepost out of a solid rod of
aluminium, and it is great as well; it lets me sit the base of the head right
on
the ground if I want to.
For nature photography I thing this is a tops combination.
The only negative comments I have relate to the tripod; the round legs
clamps are very hard to move sometimes and a lever clamp like some of the
Linhof tripods had would be much better. Secondly, as I discovered to my
surprise about 6 months ago when I was photographing a street avenue of
trees in a slight but constant wind of about 10 - 15 mph, the legs quickly set
up a quivering vibration under the influence of the wind. I considered I had to
lean hard on the camera to reduce the effect of this vibration.
I have never regretted buying either.
The books are available 2nd hand via abebooks, alibris, bookfinder and other
places and I recommend those too.
Lastly, for that long lens combination you mentioned, you should get a
Bogen / Manfrotto 293 long lens support as used by Gary Reese.
Brian
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