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http://www.siba.se/Products/Product.aspx?id=148509
> 7
Thom's Maxim #2: You can spend US$1700 to buy a good tripod and head, or you can spend US$1000 and do the same thing. (Corollary: eventually you'll do one or the other.)
Here's the usual sequence that most photographers go through in getting to a stable platform:
* First they try handholding. Eventually, they realize that their results aren't as sharp as those of others.
* So the next step is to work on improving technique. Elbows get tucked, the camera is braced against stable objects, they stop holding their breath, etc. But that doesn't solve every problem or work in every situation. And it certainly doesn't always work for very long lenses.
* Next comes VR. After all, it's designed to take equipment movement out of the shot. It does, but it's not infallible, nor does it solve every problem, especially as you start trying to take two-second shots of waterfalls to get milky water action.
* Now we find our photographer at the store buying a tripod. It's one of those low-cost tripods with braces between the legs (that's gotta make it stable, right?) that weighs a couple of pounds and has nice looking aluminum legs (US$75). This solution seems to help with the middle focal lengths, at least. But eventually the bottom section of one of the legs gets a bit bent and doesn't collapse back into the other sections easily. And with long or heavy lenses, the head "creeps" when the camera is pointed downward. The whole thing shakes in the wind, and you can't get down to ground level for shots. In fact, the photographer finds that they're spending way too much time fighting the tripod rather than taking pictures.
* Since it seemed the light legs had to be part of the problem, the next step is buy a heftier pod (US$125 min; US$200 spent so far). That usually turns out to be one of the classic Bogen legs (3021 is popular; these days also the 3001) with the two handle pan/tilt head. This solves one of the problems: the bottom leg section doesn't get bent with use. And used correctly, it solves the basic stability problem, as the 4-pound weight and sturdy legs at least give the whole thing a solid base. But now the problem seems to be that our photographer is constantly fiddling with the head (pan/tilt heads were designed for video cameras, not still cameras). Getting the camera level becomes a chore. Getting a scene locked down doesn't always work the first time, either (that head sag, again).
* So we start the procession of the heads (US$50, US$75, US$125, US$200, plus eventually some proprietary quick plates at US$25 or US$50 each; US$700 spent so far). The first attempt at a new head will usually be a "better" variant of what they had, or perhaps a very small, cheap ball head. Neither will fix the problems our user has, and the primary problem will still be getting the camera level quickly, so the next head is usually the "pistol grip" type, because it seems to be "faster." Problem still not corrected (and verticals are now a bit of a problem), so we start the ball head parade. The first "decent" ball head will be one of the Manfrotto (Giotto) heads, perhaps with a built-in plate system of some sort. That starts to work better, but the photographer still finds that the camera moves a bit when they turn the knob to lock the ball. And some of the plate systems have just enough slop in them that the compromise the stability of the entire system (another problem is that few of them "grip" the camera bottom in ways so that they can't be turned; they eventually work loose and end up marring the camera bottom's finish). So we try another, larger ball. Still, our prototypical photographer doesn't "go all the way" just yet because it seems ludicrous to spend US$350 on a head that mounts onto a set of US$125 legs, right?
* The legs are starting to make their shortcomings known. They don't let you get down to ground level (or, if you've got the Bogen with the "trick" centerpost, the stability isn't great in some positions). And the whole concoction is starting to get a bit on the heavy side (depending on the legs and head, perhaps as much as 7 pounds). So a set of Gitzo carbon fiber legs is next on the list (US$550; US$1250 spent so far). Upon acquisition of decent legs, it immediately becomes clear that the head is the sole remaining problem point, so...
* Our photographer breaks down and buys a Kirk, Really Right Stuff, Markins, or an Arca Swiss ball head (US$350 plus US$100 or more for plates; total spent: US$1700 or more). A few folk take a short detour here and buy something like the Linhof Profli II ball head (US$250). And they find that that head fixes every problem except one: the darned thing won't stay firmly screwed onto the legs without using Locktite on it.
