Do You Hate Tripods?

Looks like you would need a tripod to put it on or there would be lots of close up shots of grass roots and the base of fences.

Roy,

I'll probably keep my old metal bogan/manfrotto for now, that looks like I'd kill myself using that,

Rich

A workout in the gym and later accidentally on purpose punch out a politicians bodyguard

I have a tripod .. it is new..... the last one collapsed whilst I was in the process of setting it up to shoot narrowboats going past and I could nto keep my balance as it went and landed in the canal.

I have a new tripod now

That looks cool but........ seriously?

with the exception of not being able to see where your going, it's pretty cool. not terribly compact though. i wonder how steady you can really get it - like a long exposure (a movie isn't the best), how heavy is it? and does it fold?

i've had a number of pods, mostly they are tripping hazards and don't let you get around a corner .


---Mike Savad

Imagine carrying that on a back country trail! I'll stick with my Manfrotto, thanks.

actually how would one take a picture while holding that thing?

---Mike Savad

Screw it onto a tripod.

I thought the same thing-you can't focus and shoot if both hands have to hold that.
I'll stick to either my monopod or holding my breath.

Yeah, because that thing is so much easier to use. LOL. Maybe for video.

I like tripods and have a very sturdy one. It will last forever and a day. That's the good news. The bad news is that I have to use it while I am sitting, and that usually only works when I am doing home studio work (not very often). My back stiffens up if I stand at the tripod.

I don't hate tripods at all. In fact, I love them.

And they have stabilized gimbals like this (but much smaller) for unmanned aerial vehicles.

This is just one. The first I found in about ½ minute on Youtube.

I hate tripods and rarely use them, but that thing...um...I think I might hate it worse! LOL

@ Louise

Automatica Robotica

The SteadyCam for a visit to the moon

Love my tripod and use it most of the time.

@Jai

Do you find they fall forward?

i wonder if you can wear it like a hat. that would make it all kind of work. its swell for movies, provided you don't have to wipe your nose or anything. i saw a guy with a steady cam in a parade, he had an slr in in one hand, and the vid cam in the pod, and it just sat their on his belt. it looked like a total moron, but the rig was pretty neat.

---Mike Savad

@Michael

From the Cartier-Bresson school - only ever used them to make a tent if it was raining

I like tripods when the need exists. I've got three of them. The oldest is a Quickset Husky that I bought for studio work in 1970. It's big, heavy and rock steady. The newest is a [pro]master XC528 which collapses very small and also converts to a monopod, that I just bought.

To answer Geordie's question, tripods can't fall forward if you point one of the legs forward.

I use tripods, mono-pods, and that would have it's uses, but like everything, is it enough to buy one? That would be up to each photographer. A very nice idea based off from the equipment used on movie sets.

@ Murray

On a hill?

Still shouldn't happen Geordie. Modern tripods have adjustable leg spread. Even of they don't, as long as the camera's center of gravity is within the triangle defined by the base of the legs, it can't fall. Wind is another story, so you should then hang your camera bag, a sack of rocks, or anything heavy from the base of the elevator column. Many tripods provide a hook for this purpose.

http://sale-fire.com/Gimbal%20Stabilizer?p=gcb&gclid=CjwKEAjwjN2eBRDbyPWl0JLY5lYSJACPo0Uiwe8P8nKeknLMbsGuzJI1-y-_4L9StAZldoqynGmeQBoCh0Lw_wcB
A friend of mine attached his ,45 pistol to one of these using a bicycle brake cable system to pull the pistol's trigger and gets excellent target groupings.

@ Murray

Um I'll take that in mind

The next time I happen to be in among a riot a sack of rocks might come in handy

If I had thought of that, I would not have lost my good tripod. Saved my big camera, but lost the tripod when a wind guest came out of nowhere... Plus diving after your camera off a shallow ledge hurts like heck!

Murray,

Here's what Ive got left. I had a wonderful Cambo Studio stand once,loved it!



The top of the smaller tripod is probably at close to 6 feet, to give you an idea. And the center goes up about another 2 feet on the big one!

Rich

I hate them. By the time I get it set up I've forgotten why I wanted to take the photo.

@Rich

With stepladders as well I would guess

I wonder if you can tell me, though I once trained as a photographer I no longer take photographs, way back when I would push the film to increase grain - can that be done with a digital camera?

I don't know - I don't own a camera these days.

Been there - done that - got the t-shirt

And burnt it

Love my tripod, it's flashes I hate. That thing looks like a very cool solution looking for a problem : )

Why use something so bulky and probably heavy, when a tripod is virtually hands free?

Geordie,

Yes, you can make digital images look "grainier" using filters,many are free or by increasing the ISO, which,digitally is now called "noise". A filter is probably better, since the "noise" from increasing the ISO,also increases bad stuff, and then you need to deal with that now,

Rich

TA-DAAAAAAAAAAAAA... :)

http://www.ken-lab.com/

good article on material for DIY tripod makers:

http://www.canadiannaturephotographer.com/tripod.html


Imagine macro-photography in the field, not only is a very sturdy , very heavy tripod essential one also needs a tent. The tent is where the pvc tubing becomes useful because no matter how robust you weighted tripod is ,that tripod is only holding the camera steady. A tent will shield your subject from
breezes and gusts of wind. Lots of equipment to lug into the field and a quad is also very handy.

Hello Rich

Thanks for the Info.

Here is one I made in 2011 that definitely needs a tripod to look at.

http://comedy-cat.blogspot.co.uk/2014/07/music-break-with-geordies-choice_13.html

I would have liked to have had something like that back in my TV days. Tripods on live shots never really work well.

With all the movement he did, he never really demonstrated changing the angle of the camera view. Price? Does it fold up?

the gimbal shown in the youtube video is $3000.00 USD.

If you arer planning to build your own tripod. You can get metal and carbon fiber tubing, rails , connectors and hadware from many online tubing supply outlets. Remember all tripod manufacturers
mill their parts to odd usually metric sizes so go with a larger OD tubing in standard or metric.
The hard part is the head, unless you have a milling machine.
To make a tripod head an alternative to buying a good robust heavy duty head is to make one from robot parts.
Wrap you imagination around this site and there are better and lots more robot part sites:
http://www.robotshop.com/en/tubing-hubs-connectors.html

Hey is it my imagination or is Sharon Vaknin's right eye disproportional larger than her left? Maybe it's just the lighting?
Sharon also has great legs not thin and spindly like a lot of cheap tripods.
Will we be arguing over Sharon's legs in this forum- I hope so. It wouldn't be an FAA forum without an argument. over something trivial.
Don't get me wrong beneath Sharon's seriously tight slacks there are seriously great legs.


Imagine doing macro in the field. Not only do you have to lug a heavy weight tripod, you also have to build some sort of tent to shield your subject from the wind.
The tripod is designed to keep the camera steady and with macro, such as a bellows system or even rings you have to keep your subject still as well.
This situation is where a quad comes in handy, with the engine switched off.

Here's a dandy of tripod for cine and stills.
Sachtler 3012 System 30 EFP 2 MCF Tripod
Sachtler's fluid head Cine 30 HD features a sideload mechanism for the camera plate. A key advantage of this technology is that the fluid head can be side-loaded together with its camera set-up - quickly and easily. The mechanism is compatible with camera plates from OConnor and ARRI. The operating elements, manufactured according to 2K processes, are especially convenient. If you need a front box for all sorts of utensils or tools, it is simple to mount an adapter which is exceptionally practical for film and HD shooting.

Carbon fibers are an increasingly popular choice for tripod materials. Our fast-action clamps (as on EFP 2 CF) secure the legs in next to no time, and users can immediately see they are locked in place. Sachtler double extension carbon fiber tripods deliver the best of both worlds - lightweight operation for heavy-duty action.

EFP 2 - Stable, even in tight corners
The EFP 2 tripods are two-stage extendable and feature fast-action clamps. In addition to the already familiar ground spreader, an adjustable mid-level spreader for tripods with 150 mm bowls is available. EFP 2 tripods use twin tubes that stretch from the top right down to the bottom, which helps ensure unsurpassed stability.

Specifications:
Payload: 35 kg / 77 lbs
Weight: 12.2 kg / 26.9 lbs
Height min.: 77 cm / 30.3 in
Height max.: 173 cm / 68.1 in
Transport length: 95 cm / 37.4 in
Item Includes:
Cine 30 HD Head: Order code 3006
EFP 2 CF Tripod: Order code 6386
Mid-level spreader 100/150: Order code 7007
Rubber feet 100/150: Order code 7004

$12,105.00

It only weighs 77 pounds!

The DJI Ronin is a video stabilizer for use in walking/tracking shots. You would not replace a tripod with one of these, especially if you were shooting stills. Tripods and motion stabilizers are two different tools for vastly different jobs.

http://youtu.be/7AnZ0oF2X2A
Check the above out.
There's just no replacing a good heavy tripod or studio post.