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Author Topic: Tripod  (Read 4057 times)

davaglo

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Tripod
« on: June 22, 2006, 10:43:37 pm »

Greetings;

I'm about to purchase a tripod and ballhead. An option is to purchase a center column. If the tripod is high enough without the center column is there any compelling reason to purchase one?
Your input is greatly appreciated.  Thanks

Jerry
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jrg

Sheldon N

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Tripod
« Reply #1 on: June 22, 2006, 11:35:07 pm »

I'd say no. I shot with a Bogen for quite a while, and never vertically extended the center column for stability reasons. I now shoot with a carbon fiber Feisol tripod, without any center column. It's lighter and more stable than the Bogen.
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Sheldon Nalos
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DarkPenguin

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Tripod
« Reply #2 on: June 23, 2006, 12:06:55 am »

It can be nice to adjust the tripod a little without having to futz with the legs.  I usually use my feisol without.  (Although right now it has both the center column and an acratech leveling base.)
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Paul Sumi

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Tripod
« Reply #3 on: June 23, 2006, 01:42:11 am »

Ditto on no center column (on my Gitzo 1348).  Better stability, and lets one drop the tripod to virtually ground level without having to remove a center column.

Paul
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davaglo

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Tripod
« Reply #4 on: June 23, 2006, 07:41:05 am »

It's interesting that two of you mentioned that you use a Feisol tripod as that is exactly what I'm looking at.  Does it work well for you? I'm leaning towards the CT-3301N. Comments pro or con and what ballhead?


thanks

Jerry
« Last Edit: June 23, 2006, 07:44:24 am by davaglo »
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jrg

DarkPenguin

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Tripod
« Reply #5 on: June 23, 2006, 09:34:33 am »

I'm using the original ct-3401 with the upgraded center column kit.

No complaints other than I wish the legs wouldn't rotate when they aren't locked.

I'm using a Kirk bh-3 ball head.  Also no complaints.
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Jayhawk

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Tripod
« Reply #6 on: June 23, 2006, 10:52:54 am »

Wow I'm in the same boat too.....I'm leaning towards the Feisol 3401N, no center column, but with a RRS BH-40 ballhead.
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DarkPenguin

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Tripod
« Reply #7 on: June 23, 2006, 11:36:36 am »

Feisol selling a leveling base for those things yet?  I'd asked them a few times and they indicated they were going to but I broke and bought the acratech instead.
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Tim Gray

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Tripod
« Reply #8 on: June 23, 2006, 11:52:09 am »

I usually have the centre column in my gitzo 1228, but also have the markins adaptor that lets me remove it.  If you're going to dispense with the centre column, then invest in an angle finder c (assuming canon stuff).  If you end up pointing the camera at a high angle then getting your eyeball to the viewer is a pain without the angle finder, or getting the camera high enough to get under it.

I have a hard time believing that the centre column, fully down, has anything other than a completely trivial impact on stability.
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Sheldon N

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Tripod
« Reply #9 on: June 23, 2006, 08:53:44 pm »

The center column on my Bogen 3001 did compromise stability, even when fully down because it added in several joints that did not quite lock tightly. The overall flex in the system was worse, even if the center column was all the way down. This is probably not true with nicer tripods such as a Gitzo.

I'm currently using a Feisol CT-3301N with no center column and a Kirk BH-3 ballhead. I really enjoy the combo and have had great results with it. I considered the RRS BH-40 and Markins M10 as possible alternative ballheads, but ruled them out because of price.

I've since noticed that Kirk is selling new BH-3's on Ebay with slight factory blemishes for $235. That's a great value, if you ask me.

I haven't been bothered by the rotating legs, you just have to learn which order to open them in. I've found that I'm just as fast with my Feisol as I was with my Bogen. Actually - to be a complete nerd I just timed myself setting up and collapsing my Feisol. It takes me 12 seconds to go from folded to full height, or to collapse all three legs back again and fold the tripod up.
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Sheldon Nalos
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