Camera Tripods ?

swebb99 <[email hidden]> wrote

Quoted message said:

Hi,

I tend to take a few pics on my walks. I was wondering if anyone could
recommend a good tripod for the camera. I'm looking for something
light, easy to pack on the side or in a smallish back (30 litre ish).
I've seen a few for 200-300 but I really don't want to spend that kind
of money.

Oh and by the way I have a monopod at the moment but its not really
much help when its windy or when I need a fairly slow exposure 🙁

Thanks

Well i have a carbon fibre tripod AND i wouldn't take it too far walk
wise; its bloody heavy funnily enough
How about a) bean bag
b) really small tripod BUT you would have to be flat on
the ground- one with bendy legs- could then place on a rock- look on
Warehouse Express website for a visual of device.
c) I note you say you have a monopod well my suggestion
would have been a walking pole with screw attachment. So screw into base
of camera.. You also get a pole to help while walking. Kill two birds
with one stone.

If you are doing Macro photography while windy your results wont be
terribly good and IF the light is an issue how about change of ISO
upwards
(i realise that too high and noise is a problem) but compromises have to
be made.
--
dave hill

swebb99 said:

I tend to take a few pics on my walks. I was wondering if anyone could
recommend a good tripod for the camera. I'm looking for something
light, easy to pack on the side or in a smallish back (30 litre ish).
I've seen a few for 200-300 but I really don't want to spend that kind
of money.

Don't then! Like Dave says, carbon fibre tripods are still pretty heavy.
Don't be too concerned about getting a good tripod, get a really small cheap
light one. I've got a small light tripod from Jessops, cost very little,
weighs about a pound IIRC. It's the Atlantic Alfa 3 Q/R, but anything
similar should be fine.

No, it's not a great tripod, it's very flimsy and wobbly, but on the other
hand, it's light enough to carry everywhere. Used with care, it's just a
steady as the heaviest tripod. I've done plenty of long exposure shots with
it.

There are two caveats, firstly you need to avoid wind. It's not a good
tripod if it's windy, a strong breeze makes it wobble. So you either need to
find a sheltered spot or use your body to shield it from the wind. Secondly,
use the mirror lock and self-timer feature on your camera. Pressing the
shutter release will cause shake, and even the mirror slap will cause shake.
Otherwise, you can take perfectly steady pics with it.

I carry a heavy tripod when I plan to do a lot of serious tripod work, but
for general carrying around a light tripod is ideal. If you need any more
convincing, Galen Rowell used to use a flimsy light tripod too!

Oh, and one of those teeny tripods with bendy legs are great for when you
want to travel ultra-light, but you're buggered if you can't find a rock or
a fence post to stand it on, so it does limit your compositional options.

Finally, a for serious wind a bean-bag is great. You can improvise one from
some dried meals if you're backpacking. Rock solid in a gale.

Paul
--
http://www.wilderness-wales.co.uk/
http://www.wilderness-wales.co.uk/weblog/

In message <[email hidden]>, Paul Saunders
<[email hidden]> writes

Quoted message said:

Finally, a for serious wind a bean-bag is great. You can improvise one from
some dried meals if you're backpacking. Rock solid in a gale.

Paul

7dayshop have a lot of cheap supports, including a bendy wire one for
less than a quid (P&P will push it over the pound though):

http://www.7dayshop.com/

Look under 'Photography' - 'Tripods & Support'.

I've used them quite a few times with no problems.

Regards,
--
Neil Pugh

Paul Saunders said:

swebb99 said:

I tend to take a few pics on my walks. I was wondering if anyone could
recommend a good tripod for the camera. I'm looking for something
light, easy to pack on the side or in a smallish back (30 litre ish).
I've seen a few for 200-300 but I really don't want to spend that kind
of money.

Don't then! Like Dave says, carbon fibre tripods are still pretty heavy.
Don't be too concerned about getting a good tripod, get a really small cheap
light one. I've got a small light tripod from Jessops, cost very little,
weighs about a pound IIRC. It's the Atlantic Alfa 3 Q/R, but anything
similar should be fine.

No, it's not a great tripod, it's very flimsy and wobbly, but on the other
hand, it's light enough to carry everywhere. Used with care, it's just a
steady as the heaviest tripod. I've done plenty of long exposure shots with
it.

There are two caveats, firstly you need to avoid wind. It's not a good
tripod if it's windy, a strong breeze makes it wobble. So you either need to
find a sheltered spot or use your body to shield it from the wind. Secondly,
use the mirror lock and self-timer feature on your camera. Pressing the
shutter release will cause shake, and even the mirror slap will cause shake.
Otherwise, you can take perfectly steady pics with it.

I carry a heavy tripod when I plan to do a lot of serious tripod work, but
for general carrying around a light tripod is ideal. If you need any more
convincing, Galen Rowell used to use a flimsy light tripod too!

Oh, and one of those teeny tripods with bendy legs are great for when you
want to travel ultra-light, but you're buggered if you can't find a rock or
a fence post to stand it on, so it does limit your compositional options.

Finally, a for serious wind a bean-bag is great. You can improvise one from
some dried meals if you're backpacking. Rock solid in a gale.

Paul
--http://www.wilderness-wales.co.uk/http://www.wilderness-wales.co.uk/weblog/

Thanks for the responses guys. Sounds like my first port of call
should be to visit Jessops or somewhere similar and check out the
lightweight stuff. I supose I could put a loop through the bottom of
the tripod and tie my bag to it to keep it solid when taking a shot if
it won't get swung round too much by the wind.

If I can find something around the 0.5-0.8kg kinda weight which
extends to more than waist height I think I'll be happy.

Steve

Message-ID: <[email hidden]> from Paul Saunders
contained the following:

Quoted message said:

No, it's not a great tripod, it's very flimsy and wobbly, but on the other
hand, it's light enough to carry everywhere. Used with care, it's just a
steady as the heaviest tripod. I've done plenty of long exposure shots with
it.

One thing that does help is weight. If the tripod has a hook at the
bottom of the centre pole (of if you can make one), you can help
matters a bit by suspending a bag or rocks underneath.

--
Geoff Berrow (put thecat out to email)
It's only Usenet, no one dies.
My opinions, not the committee's, mine.
Simple RFDs http://www.ckdog.co.uk/rfdmaker/

Paul Saunders said:

swebb99 said:

I tend to take a few pics on my walks. I was wondering if anyone could
recommend a good tripod for the camera. I'm looking for something
light, easy to pack on the side or in a smallish back (30 litre ish).
I've seen a few for 200-300 but I really don't want to spend that kind
of money.

Don't then! Like Dave says, carbon fibre tripods are still pretty heavy.
Don't be too concerned about getting a good tripod, get a really small cheap
light one. I've got a small light tripod from Jessops, cost very little,
weighs about a pound IIRC. It's the Atlantic Alfa 3 Q/R, but anything
similar should be fine.

No, it's not a great tripod, it's very flimsy and wobbly, but on the other
hand, it's light enough to carry everywhere. Used with care, it's just a
steady as the heaviest tripod. I've done plenty of long exposure shots with

I've got a lightweigt Velbon that is prone to wobble if you even so
much as look at it, but that is at full height. I almost never use it
for slow shutter speed work at more than 2/3s height and never with
the column extended.

This http://mysite.wanadoo-members.co.uk/phil_spix/bb/9.htm was taken
with the camera on a walking pole colapsed to minimum height and
planted in the ground. It was taken on a Pentax ME without a cable
release in near darkness; I used the old trick of using the B setting
and shielding the lens with my hat.
--
Phil Cook, last hill: Angletarn Pikes via Beda Fell.

Quoted message said:

c) I note you say you have a monopod well my suggestion
would have been a walking pole with screw attachment. So screw into base
of camera.. You also get a pole to help while walking. Kill two birds with
one stone.

Only problem I have found with these is that you still have to secure the
pole to something and that isnt always as easy as you might think. They
also have a habit of tilting over when you have jammed them in the ground.

swebb99 said:

I supose I could put a loop through the bottom of
the tripod and tie my bag to it to keep it solid when taking a shot if
it won't get swung round too much by the wind.

You might think that, but most of the wobble actually occurs in the head of
the tripod, so even if the legs are rock solid, the camera can still wobble
on the head.

Paul
--
http://www.wilderness-wales.co.uk/
http://www.wilderness-wales.co.uk/weblog/

In message <[email hidden]>, d hill
<[email hidden]> writes

Quoted message said:

c) I note you say you have a monopod well my suggestion would
have been a walking pole with screw attachment.

Just a cautionary note:-

If you do use a monopod and want to actually push the point into the
ground ( e.g. for a self portarait ) DONT do it with the camera
attached - it's the same as banging the camera on the ground.
--
Bill Grey

Phil Cook said:

Paul Saunders said:

swebb99 wrote:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I tend to take a few pics on my walks. I was wondering if anyone could
recommend a good tripod for the camera. I'm looking for something
light, easy to pack on the side or in a smallish back (30 litre ish).
I've seen a few for 200-300 but I really don't want to spend that kind
of money.

Quoted message said:

Don't then! Like Dave says, carbon fibre tripods are still pretty heavy.
Don't be too concerned about getting a good tripod, get a really small cheap
light one. I've got a small light tripod from Jessops, cost very little,
weighs about a pound IIRC. It's the Atlantic Alfa 3 Q/R, but anything
similar should be fine.

Quoted message said:

No, it's not a great tripod, it's very flimsy and wobbly, but on the other
hand, it's light enough to carry everywhere. Used with care, it's just a
steady as the heaviest tripod. I've done plenty of long exposure shots with

I've got a lightweigt Velbon that is prone to wobble if you even so
much as look at it, but that is at full height. I almost never use it
for slow shutter speed work at more than 2/3s height and never with
the column extended.

Thishttp://mysite.wanadoo-members.co.uk/phil_spix/bb/9.htmwas taken
with the camera on a walking pole colapsed to minimum height and
planted in the ground. It was taken on a Pentax ME without a cable
release in near darkness; I used the old trick of using the B setting
and shielding the lens with my hat.
--
Phil Cook, last hill: Angletarn Pikes via Beda Fell.

I was looking at the Velbon Maxi F or SF today both look very good for
what I need. I like the height of the F but the ball head on the SF.
Also the ball head would be lighter. Does anyone know if its possible
to buy a F and then fit a ball head the same as the F later ?

swebb99 said:

On 8 Jun, 15:33, Phil Cook <[email hidden]> wrote:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I've got a lightweigt Velbon that is prone to wobble if you even so
much as look at it, but that is at full height. I almost never use it
for slow shutter speed work at more than 2/3s height and never with
the column extended.

Quoted message said:

I was looking at the Velbon Maxi F or SF today both look very good for
what I need. I like the height of the F but the ball head on the SF.
Also the ball head would be lighter. Does anyone know if its possible
to buy a F and then fit a ball head the same as the F later ?

http://www.velbon-tripod.com/ultra_maxi.htm

Presuming you mean SF later...

Almost certainly. I'd get a better ball head though. The one on the SF
looks similar to the PH243 on my Maxi 343E and though it works there
are better ones out there.
--
Phil Cook, last hill: Angletarn Pikes via Beda Fell.

swebb99 said:

I was looking at the Velbon Maxi F or SF today both look very good for
what I need. I like the height of the F but the ball head on the SF.
Also the ball head would be lighter. Does anyone know if its possible
to buy a F and then fit a ball head the same as the F later ?

I've got the Velbon Ultra Maxi SF. It's very light and quite strong
enough for my Olympus E500. I strap it to the back of my Lowepro
Slingshot 100.

Jim Ford

Jim Ford said:

swebb99 said:

I was looking at the Velbon Maxi F or SF today both look very good for
what I need. I like the height of the F but the ball head on the SF.
Also the ball head would be lighter. Does anyone know if its possible
to buy a F and then fit a ball head the same as the F later ?

I've got the Velbon Ultra Maxi SF. It's very light and quite strong
enough for my Olympus E500. I strap it to the back of my Lowepro
Slingshot 100.

Jim Ford

Sounds like I'm looking at the right things then thanks guys. So are
the heads on these tripods interchangeable ? Must admit I've never
really looked at them. I think I'll go for a SF but for long treks I'd
like to dump the normal head and go for a small light ball one.

swebb99 said:

Jim Ford said:

swebb99 said:

I was looking at the Velbon Maxi F or SF today both look very good for
what I need. I like the height of the F but the ball head on the SF.
Also the ball head would be lighter. Does anyone know if its possible
to buy a F and then fit a ball head the same as the F later ?

I've got the Velbon Ultra Maxi SF. It's very light and quite strong
enough for my Olympus E500. I strap it to the back of my Lowepro
Slingshot 100.

Jim Ford

Sounds like I'm looking at the right things then thanks guys. So are
the heads on these tripods interchangeable ? Must admit I've never
really looked at them. I think I'll go for a SF but for long treks I'd
like to dump the normal head and go for a small light ball one.

The Velbon Ultra Maxi SF comes with a small, light ball head. I did
quite a bit of research into a small, light tripod for trecking, and the
Velbon was the one I came up with in the end.

Jim Ford

swebb99 said:

Hi,

I tend to take a few pics on my walks. I was wondering if anyone could
recommend a good tripod for the camera. I'm looking for something
light, easy to pack on the side or in a smallish back (30 litre ish).
I've seen a few for 200-300 but I really don't want to spend that kind
of money.

Oh and by the way I have a monopod at the moment but its not really
much help when its windy or when I need a fairly slow exposure 🙁

Thanks

Steve

Friend of mine uses a monopod, a walking pole with a camera thread in the
top.

As he carries two walking poles anyway he came up with an idea. Rather than
carry the poles and a tripod he borrowed a third walking pole and makes a
tripod using a large rubber band to hold them together at the top.

He seems to get good results even though the whole thing sound a bit daft.
He swears it's every bit as stable as a cheap tripod.

I'll leave it to you to decide if it's a good idea or you think he's a
complete fruit loop but it's something you can probably try for nothing,
providing you can borrow a couple of poles to use.

--

Regards
Nick