Tripods

[shawn]

Shawn, The Neewer GM29 set that you show doesn't really allow for easily tilting the camera up or down if necessary. I tried one of those "bowl-lead" things (not that brand though) but I couldn't get on with it.

I posted a different version of a leveling bowl, not the Newer. You are correct it doesn't have tilt, you put your head on top of the leveling bowl. The bowl just lets you get the head level quickly, at least within its range. I don't use the leveling bowls on tripods, no point IMO as I use a ball head and a leveling bowl is redundant since the ball head lets me get level very quickly. I do use a leveling bowl, alone, on a monopod though which is very handy.

 

[Benjamin Marks]

OP wants portable (his reason for 4 leg segments). OP wants a center brace. OP wants a geared center column. These things don't go together. They are design criteria that pull in different directions.

 

[joe bosak]

Amazon product ASIN B0C8C5R3KK
That's got 4 section centre-braced legs, removeable head, geared column and it's dead cheap.

 

[shawn]

To put some context to what I mentioned above, These are my main supports.

I mostly use the three on the left.

Arcaswiss ballhead on the Gitzo, Dolica ball head with panning head on top (ball head gets it level and then can pan above), bowl head on a monopod so I can angle the bracing with the monopod as that is more stable than straight up/down, and a pistol grip on a monopod for quick changes.

Relative heights of the setups. The twist locks are much faster than levers as you can unlock all segments at the same time when deploying and lock all segments of a leg at the same time when stowing it.

None of these use center bracing. For photography (not tripods for studio use on casters) the center bracing really seems more common on cheap/flimsy models to try and make them a little more stable.

 

[x-ray]

Get a center column for your Gitzo and a 3 way head. No need for braced legs if the tension on the hinge is set properly. And no need for a leveling base with the 3 way head. That’s all you need.

 

[Out to Lunch]

I have an expensive Manfrotto tripod -you push a button at the top of the legs and pull them down, which is giving me grief: the ball head won't come off. I've watched half a dozen YouTube clips and it appears to be a well-known problem but I've not found a solution. I got so fed up that I bought this cheap, light-weight travel tripod, instead. It suits me fine: https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/prod...r_17l_travel_tripod_with_ballhead.html?sts=pi Cheers, OtL

 

[Shac]

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1762297-REG/smallrig_4167_freeblazer_heavy_duty_carbon_fiber.html

they also have the same model with a tripod head, and also in aluminum

 

[AlwaysOnAuto]

These are the SLIK's I use. One bought new back in the day, the other used off the Goodwill auction site.

 

[Yokosuka Mike]

I recently bought a Slik SH806N tripod head and Slik's version of a Swiss Arca quick release.
I'm quite pleased with it. Just adding another 2 cents to the conversation.​

Mike​

 

[seany65]

You are missing that the crank would not be starting from level. Your leveling base is on top of the crank.

Hmmm, would I not be able to re-adjust the leveling base to become level once I'd got the camera head at the level I want?

PS. I didn't quite explain things when I mentioned the Neewer GM29 photo tha you posted, I should have mentioned that it was the ball head I was referring to as "not allowing for easily tilting the camera up or down..." as I don't find ball heads easy to adjust in one direction.

 

[shawn]

Hmmm, would I not be able to re-adjust the leveling base to become level once I'd got the camera head at the level I want?

PS. I didn't quite explain things when I mentioned the Neewer GM29 photo tha you posted, I should have mentioned that it was the ball head I was referring to as "not allowing for easily tilting the camera up or down..." as I don't find ball heads easy to adjust in one direction.

Sure, but one of your earlier requirements was to be able to raise the camera without having to "faff about reaiming the camera." Using a leveling base on top of a geared center column doesn't give you that. Only way to get that with a geared center column is if your legs are level.

Have you used a good ball head or just small cheap ones? With something like the Arca you adjust the tension on it so that you only need to turn it like a quarter of a turn to unlock it and it still holds the camera in position. You then adjust from there and lock it solid again. Small ones that lack that sort of adjustment aren't as easy to use.

 

[seany65]

Joe, thanks for the link. I'll look into it, although even for a "skinflint" like me £34 does seem on the cheap side of things.

I also read in one of the amazon reviews that if you turn the camera to the left it can start to unscrew. I'll have to look on youtube for filmed reviews.

Shawn, well, yes the ones I've tried were quite cheap.

 

[shawn]

Shawn, well, yes the ones I've tried were quite cheap.

If you get a chance, try a better one sometime.

The cheap/small ball heads ones go from locked to floppy with little warning and also tend slip/deflect when locked and weight is applied to them. Used B1s are around $100 and in a totally different league. Buy a good tool and it will last forever. They are heavy though but not sure how much more than a leveling base and pan/tilt head combo would be.

 

[Tim Murphy]

If you get a chance, try a better one sometime.

The cheap/small ball heads ones go from locked to floppy with little warning and also tend slip/deflect when locked and weight is applied to them. Used B1s are around $100 and in a totally different league. Buy a good tool and it will last forever. They are heavy though but not sure how much more than a leveling base and pan/tilt head combo would be.

Dear shawn and you as well seany,

Five years ago I bought this ballhead for $ 40.00. It's gone up a bit since then, but you could mount a .50 cal machine on it and pan level to the horizon while firing the gun and it wouldn't flinch.

Amazon product ASIN B079HN8H3V
Regards,

Tim Murphy

Harrisburg PA 🙂

 

[shawn]

Yes, there are lots of companies making ball heads now.

I'd suggest looking for a design that has the tension/stop lock on it. It will be a small rotating dial on the main lock. You tighten the ball head down to the point that the camera is secured and then set that tension/stop lock by screwing that in. You only need to set it once, unless you change to a much different weight setup. What that does is automatically stop the main lock at the point that the camera is secure so your usage gets very consistent. I set mine so that a small twist unlock of the main lock means the camera still holds position (with no hands on it) but that I can reposition it. Then twist to the stop to have it fully locked. The Arca Swiss have it, looks like some of the Sirui ball heads do and I'm sure there are others too. The Arca ball head uses an aspherical ball to help cushion the movements when tilting and to prevent any sort of flopping around.