Tripods (add your own compliment/sarcasm) and the color red

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BarkingBeans Coffee

BarkingBeans Coffee

Michael H
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I am finally getting off my ....chair... well you know what I wanted to say,
I have delayed replacing my tripod and now I am ready....well I will be after the new NAS is set up this week.
I went to look at the RRS website. Reminded me of reading the tax code when I worked. Lots of words and even pretty pictures. The tax code lacks pictures. But it does have lots of periods too.
RRS has lots of tripods, with lots of numbers and letters. The numbers mean something - just not sure what. Must be an RRS for Dummies book to interpret all of this.
I did find RRS Tripod Guide but by that time, I was trying to decide between a Shanahan's Colorado Whiskey and some Mescal that we have because my head hurt more than when I was reading the tax code for a living.

So by now you are probably wondering about the color red.

Alas I have a ProMedia Gear Monopod which I really like so I decided to stop by there next. They too don't have a great starter page but they do give some general background if you make a size choice and choose either the 34mm or 42mm. I know I want the long version. So now I am wondering do I get the compact version apex or the modular apex? The latter allowing the addition of a leveling base at the apex, or a raised one for more height, or a center column. I don't think I need any of those as I will be using a Flexshooter Pro which levels and I won't need a center column with the tall model. So why not just get the compact version with the fixed apex that folds up with less diameter (weight is close enough to call it no difference) Well RED of course the modular comes in Red.

When my daughter got a bike in high school I told her the most important thing was the color as if you liked the color you want to ride your bike.

So am I crazy? Unless you ask my wife which would be a yes, or ask the cats, and that would depend on when I last fed them. Which apex will I get - don't know yet?

Feel free to share and joys and regrets of your tripod purchases. Have a great day. Michael
 
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probably doesn't help with RSS specifically, but Hudson Henry has some decent coverage of tripods in general on his youtube channel.

it seems that each brand needs it's own decoder ring, so you pretty much have to search for one about the brand you want. i've had ok luck with finding this kind of thing on youtube
 
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This site has pretty good rankings on tripod stability vs things like price, height, etc.

thecentercolumn.com

Rankings

The reasoning behind the rankings page and calculation of the score can be found here. The reported stiffness is the harmonic mean of the stiffness measured at full height in the pitch and yaw dir…
thecentercolumn.com thecentercolumn.com
 
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John Navitsky said:
probably doesn't help with RSS specifically, but Hudson Henry has some decent coverage of tripods in general on his youtube channel.

it seems that each brand needs it's own decoder ring, so you pretty much have to search for one about the brand you want. i've had ok luck with finding this kind of thing on youtube
Click to expand...

Yes - He does some good tripod work. I won't buy an Leofoto - don't respect intellectual property rights. What puzzles me is why they don't have at least a Cracker Jack level decoder statement to point you in a direction and help you figure it out.
DRwyoming said:
This site has pretty good rankings on tripod stability vs things like price, height, etc.

thecentercolumn.com

Rankings

The reasoning behind the rankings page and calculation of the score can be found here. The reported stiffness is the harmonic mean of the stiffness measured at full height in the pitch and yaw dir…
thecentercolumn.com thecentercolumn.com
Click to expand...
Yes I used them to get some ideas. Thanks.
 
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BarkingBeansCoffee said:
I am finally getting off my ....chair... well you know what I wanted to say,
I have delayed replacing my tripod and now I am ready....well I will be after the new NAS is set up this week.
I went to look at the RRS website. Reminded me of reading the tax code when I worked. Lots of words and even pretty pictures. The tax code lacks pictures. But it does have lots of periods too.
RRS has lots of tripods, with lots of numbers and letters. The numbers mean something - just not sure what. Must be an RRS for Dummies book to interpret all of this.
I did find RRS Tripod Guide but by that time, I was trying to decide between a Shanahan's Colorado Whiskey and some Mescal that we have because my head hurt more than when I was reading the tax code for a living.

So by now you are probably wondering about the color red.

Alas I have a ProMedia Gear Monopod which I really like so I decided to stop by there next. They too don't have a great starter page but they do give some general background if you make a size choice and choose either the 34mm or 42mm. I know I want the long version. So now I am wondering do I get the compact version apex or the modular apex? The latter allowing the addition of a leveling base at the apex, or a raised one for more height, or a center column. I don't think I need any of those as I will be using a Flexshooter Pro which levels and I won't need a center column with the tall model. So why not just get the compact version with the fixed apex that folds up with less diameter (weight is close enough to call it no difference) Well RED of course the modular comes in Red.

When my daughter got a bike in high school I told her the most important thing was the color as if you liked the color you want to ride your bike.

So am I crazy? Unless you ask my wife which would be a yes, or ask the cats, and that would depend on when I last fed them. Which apex will I get - don't know yet?

Feel free to share and joys and regrets of your tripod purchases. Have a great day. Michael
Click to expand...
I'm an avid collector :) and have many of the tripods on that (excellent) list. My favorite is the RRS Versa Mk2 TVC-34L. I actually owned the Mk1 but it failed the test (being run over by a backing 4 ton Toyota Land Cruiser). I have the Gitzo Systematic but I find the RRS to be better, simpler, and lighter.
 
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If you want stability you definitely do not want a center column. In my opinion RRS is overpriced, but they do make good stuff. Their customer support can be, er, interesting.... I do have some old RRS legs, but I've found I seldom use a tripod anymore. Too bad you don't like Leofoto.
 
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groob said:
What will you be using the tripod for (wildlife, landscape, both)? Are you going to travel with it? Hike with it? What lenses will you use with it?
Click to expand...
I am purchasing the ProMedia Gear 34 Series with the long legs. Looks similar to the RRS Versa Mk2 TVC-34L. The question I posed was do I get the modular apex which I could get in red but makes the diameter folded larger, or the compact flat apex. I don't need a leveling head with the Flexshooter.

I need the long legs for the the desert around me as it's rather hilly and I am tall. I don't have super heavy lens. I will likely do as you asked both wildlife and landscape. I am looking for flexibility, with a quality product, that I can travel with if needed. I am open to other suggestions if you consider as well though. My post was more about me musing about the color of the apex after sorting out the differences.

Maybe from looking at The Center Column I should look more at FLM before I finally decide.

Thanks for asking
 
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BarkingBeansCoffee said:
I am purchasing the ProMedia Gear 34 Series with the long legs. Looks similar to the RRS Versa Mk2 TVC-34L. The question I posed was do I get the modular apex which I could get in red but makes the diameter folded larger, or the compact flat apex. I don't need a leveling head with the Flexshooter.

I need the long legs for the the desert around me as it's rather hilly and I am tall. I don't have super heavy lens. I will likely do as you asked both wildlife and landscape. I am looking for flexibility, with a quality product, that I can travel with if needed. I am open to other suggestions if you consider as well though. My post was more about me musing about the color of the apex after sorting out the differences.

Maybe from looking at The Center Column I should look more at FLM before I finally decide.

Thanks for asking
Click to expand...
Reconsider the leveling base. For someone who uses multiple heads, I find it indispensable, for example for a fluid video head. If it'll be married to a Flexshooter forever and ever, probably not necessary.
 
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BarkingBeansCoffee said:
Yes - He does some good tripod work. I won't buy an Leofoto - don't respect intellectual property rights. What puzzles me is why they don't have at least a Cracker Jack level decoder statement to point you in a direction and help you figure it out.

Yes I used them to get some ideas. Thanks.
Click to expand...
What makes you say that Leofoto doesn't respect IP?
 
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RecalcitrantRon said:
What makes you say that Leofoto doesn't respect IP?
Click to expand...
As @Nimi said:

It's a direct RRS knockoff.
Click to expand...

There have been many threads on this at dpreview.com. One thing you can see is they sell more goods in other countries where the IP fight is too difficult.
I don't have direct proof but from what I read and who posted I trusted the information. I do agree that they continue to innovate. I just have drawn a line at Chinese theft of IP and am happy to pay more for items made in other countries at this point.

Compare these two products. We all know RRS was first. A change of one letter. Sure at $249 vs $560 people will buy Leofoto, but I will not. I am sure you can replicate this type of comparison.

Leofoto

RRS
 
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For working out of the car I bought a mint Sachtler DA-100L then a Manfrotto short half ball and absolutely love it. Got it from KEH for $600 with the hard case a few years ago. That stupid case is worth half the price of the tripod. Would do it again in a heartbeat.
 
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Speaking of red, if Leica produced a black tripod with a red dot, they could charge five thousand dollars for it!

I use a tall Really Right Stuff tripod and ball head which I love. I had a decent Manfrotto carbon fiber before that (still have it actually), but since I got RRS the Manfrotto feels like a toy. I am over six feet tall but I can use my RRS without bending over and with no center column to raise, which is much more steady than when I had to raise the center column of my Manfrotto. The only advantage to that center column is it had a feature where it would swing out and mount sideways so that you could shoot straight down on the ground.

Of course there are lots of choices and you will get lots of different answers. It would be like asking a group of fifty people what car should I buy? Another consideration for the head (which does not necessarily need to be same brand as legs) is what kind of quick release it uses. The closest thing to a universal standard is Arca-Swiss style. This will allow you to buy third party L Brackets (to mount camera for vertical shots) and tripod feet (for mounting telephoto lenses). If you use a different style from another manufacturer, you will be stuck adding a plate on top of the telephoto lens foot (which is less secure) and may not even be able to get an L Bracket.
 
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I do not know about much about color RED, I am more into BLUE myself. Hence no comment in that direction as it usually spawns a lot of strong opinions.

I am using simple rule for the engineering side and in general - the bigger the better - with the limiting factoring of portability.

For the last 4 years I have always chosen subjects within 1 hour walk from the car, weight was therefore no issue.
I am using Rollei XL.
 
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BarkingBeansCoffee said:
I am purchasing the ProMedia Gear 34 Series with the long legs. Looks similar to the RRS Versa Mk2 TVC-34L. The question I posed was do I get the modular apex which I could get in red but makes the diameter folded larger, or the compact flat apex. I don't need a leveling head with the Flexshooter.

I need the long legs for the the desert around me as it's rather hilly and I am tall. I don't have super heavy lens. I will likely do as you asked both wildlife and landscape. I am looking for flexibility, with a quality product, that I can travel with if needed. I am open to other suggestions if you consider as well though. My post was more about me musing about the color of the apex after sorting out the differences.

Maybe from looking at The Center Column I should look more at FLM before I finally decide.

Thanks for asking
Click to expand...

Got you. That’s the tripod I have. Personally, I wouldn’t get the modular apex, even if it will make you look cool. The ability to fold down more compactly would outweigh everything else.
 
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The Center Column list is pretty good, but it leaves out some popular mid-priced models such as Benro. I also found the ranking overly simplistic. Testing was always done at maximum height, which meant a short tripod had less vibration than a tall tripod and was ranked higher. For me, height is a priority and I could deploy a tall tripod at a lower height for less vibration, so my weights changed. The Center Column ranking also placed a premium on lower weight, but at some point lighter weight means compromises in functionality or durability. I also considered travel tripods with weighting for a lighter desired weight and shorter height. So I created my own ranking using some of their data and my priorities.

Here is my ranked list of full size tripods. I have only used the Gitzo and RRS tripods.
  1. FLM CP38-L4 II
  2. RRS TVC-34L
  3. RRS TVC-24L
  4. Feisol Elite CT-3472 M2
  5. Gitzo GT3533LS Sytematic
  6. RRS TVC-33
  7. Gitzo GT4533LS Systematic
  8. RRS TVC-33S
  9. ProMediaGear TR343L
  10. RRS TVC-23
  11. RRS TFC-33S
  12. Leofoto LN-404C
I also looked closely at tripod design and specific features. For example, the hub and leg castings on the Gitzo CF tripods are cast, and in my experience vulnerable to cracking or fracturing. The casting on the leg tubes are very thin. In contrast, RRS, ProMedia and others use CNC milling for the hub and other components. I also like the teardrop foot on the RRS tripods - particularly for rocks and streams. And I found customer service for replacement parts was much better with RRS than with Gitzo.

If you are shopping for a tripod or ballhead, be sure to check eBay and KEH for used stock. Used RRS gear is still expensive, but you can likely save 10-15% off retail. The gear is incredibly durable. My RRS ballhead is 15 years old and still works perfectly.
 
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