Luminous Landscape Forum
Equipment & Techniques => Cameras, Lenses and Shooting gear => Topic started by: IcelandAurora on July 26, 2014, 10:58:46 am
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I was shocked after the first time using my expensive Gitzo on the beach at Jökulsarlon. The sand and salt in the screw joints, made it sound like a $1000 pepper grinder.
I am only mildly competent at engineering, but I came up with this simple solution which almost anyone can make at home for a few bucks... I call it the tripod snake, because it is based on the concept of a snake swallowing an egg.
(http://photoblog.icelandauroraslf.netdna-cdn.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/RD7A1287.jpg)
Made with vitamin containers and a bicycle inner tube.
(http://photoblog.icelandauroraslf.netdna-cdn.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/RD7A1294.jpg)
The full story here. (http://icelandaurora.com/blog/tripodsnake/)
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Ruined a Giottos tripod at the same beach a few years ago! That fine black sand gets everywhere! This year I purchased a set of tripod leg covers from www.tripodcovers.com - like condoms for tripod :o They are heavy duty polythene tubes that slip over each leg and fasten with a Velcro strap at the tripod yoke. Worked a treat! My only disappointment was the lack of ice on the beach! In previous years the beach has been flooded with chunks of all sizes, this year it was bare of ice for two whole days before I moved further east?? There also seemed to be less ice in the lagoon for March too?
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Hi Paul, that was disappointing for you. What time of the year did you visit? In the Summer, the ice on the beach can come and go with a single tide.
Glad you like your tripod condoms though. Do you have a picture?
What I like about my Tripod Snake is that they are lightweight and very quick to apply.
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Hi Tony
I've been lucky enough to visit a few times! In 2013 I visited in March/April and conditions at Jokulsarlon were exceptional. I visited same time of the year this year and conditions were the complete opposite with next to no ice on the beach and the lagoon was full of slushy stuff and few bergs ???
Prefer your tripod snake if I'm honest - but my tripod has flip-lock legs which would make them difficult to apply?
I used your magic cloth technique this year too - awesome!!
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I've used a Gitzo 1325 for years on beaches and in seawater with no issue. The Gitzo leg locks are annoying but a total strip down for a run under a tap takes seconds. Are the new ones somehow different?
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I think the premise "prevention is better than cure" applies here ;) If you have access to facilities to strip down and clean a tripod in the field then I suppose there's no need for this type of precaution. But if you find yourself on a multi-day trip then its sometimes difficult to have the space/time to do this.
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I have a Benbo tripod (http://www.patersonphotographic.com/benbo-tripods.htm) which can be placed in water/sand without bothering with condoms or snakes, as demoed by this user.
(https://3.bp.blogspot.com/--7rwJv8anOk/UjWTpLvJj5I/AAAAAAAAAGY/bVuldSqgamg/s1600/BenboMkII_water.JPG)
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Tried a Benbo many years ago .. like wrestling an octopus ::)
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Tried a Benbo many years ago .. like wrestling an octopus ::)
Hold tripod head where you want it to be, release legs, kick into place, tighten legs.
There's a quick octopus wrangling lesson for you. ;D
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:D