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New L-Bracket

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Basil

Basil

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After doing a bit of research I bought a new L-Bracket for the R5. I ended up with one from a company called ProMediaGear. It just came today and I must say the build quality is impressive. I was delighted to see the following stamped on the side: Made in USA.
 
And one of their carbon fiber monopods would be super for extended hiking around.
 
DrEntropy said:
And one of their carbon fiber monopods would be super for extended hiking around.
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Indeed, but I have a light weight tripod coming soon (I hope). This company Heipi had a Kickstarter campaign to develop a new CF tripod and I thought the reviews of the pre-production unit looked so good that I jumped on the campaign and ordered one at a deep discount. They have over 3000 backers and have shipped two shipments already. The people who have received theirs so far all seem to be extremely happy with the Heipi Tripod. Unfortunately, but campaign number is very high (I was one of the last to jump onboard) so they haven't shipped mine yet. They say they are trying very hard to get the remaining units shipped by the end of March. Well, were there so I'm expecting to get notification any day.

 
I recall your mentioning you intended to put your name on one. For what you're doing it seems like a good piece of kit.

Where tripods are concerned I prefer a solid, heavier one. Not exactly a 'field piece.' We have a light-weight aluminum one but it doesn't see much use. The Bogen on the other hand is a go-to. The monopod is also aluminum with a ball head & quick-release, but portable enough so that's what gets the duty for portable outdoor steady shooting. At this point the carbon fiber ones are a "nice-to-have" but not a priority.
 
DrEntropy said:
I recall your mentioning you intended to put your name on one. For what you're doing it seems like a good piece of kit.

Where tripods are concerned I prefer a solid, heavier one. Not exactly a 'field piece.' We have a light-weight aluminum one but it doesn't see much use. The Bogen on the other hand is a go-to. The monopod is also aluminum with a ball head & quick-release, but portable enough so that's what gets the duty for portable outdoor steady shooting. At this point the carbon fiber ones are a "nice-to-have" but not a priority.
Click to expand...
Bigger and sturdier is always better. I have a very sturdy Sirui Carbon Fiber that is lightweight due to Carbon Fiber but it’s rather bulky for hiking. I’d like to get some big sturdy monster for Mikyway shots where I have to put a heavy tracker on the tripod,
 
So as I thought about this tripod thing, the small one here has a pan/tilt head but it has seen better days. I would be reluctant to trust it with the heavier optics. Started looking for some heads and came to the conclusion it'd be silly to mount a fluid head on the flimsy old sticks... GAS attack! Carbon fiber 'pods ain't cheap but it looks like there's going to be some "research" ahead. Neewer has a fluid head that seems to be right for the job, just have to study up on CF legs now. The Bogen studio tripod and monopod serve well for what they're intended, but having a light-weight set o' sticks makes sense as the in-between solution.

Not sure if I've put this up before, but this is a really versatile tool for holding a camera steady or setting up a remote flash where tripods won't work. Bogen called it a "Magic Arm," and with the "ends" I chose to put on it, it can hold a camera on about anything from a tree branch to a table top. Fully articulating.

SS5_1592sc.JPG
 
Well, not CF but I trust Manfrotto aluminum to be as light yet sturdy as possible. Found a deal for one of their MT290XTA3US tripods with a pan-tilt head and the deal included a second ball head and carry bag as well. Should work well enough as a 'tote about' 'pod. I'll put the 'extra' ball head on the monopod to replace the ageing el-cheapo one. Already have plenty of "Arca-like" QR plates to work with, too. :thhumbsup:
 
You can't go wring with Manfrotto - maybe one of the best tripod makers out there.
 
Bogen has been my go-to since the late '70's, got tired of making do with flimsy or awkward others. Manfrotto is Bogen now, so every confidence this new-to-me setup will be up to our expectations. And the deal ends up being half the cost it would be if new.
 
DrEntropy said:
Found a deal for one of their MT290XTA3US tripods with a pan-tilt head and the deal included a second ball head and carry bag as well.
Click to expand...
My go-to is an older 190XB. Similar to yours. Medium size but pretty sturdy. It can get down to 3.5" as well by pulling the center shaft out. I have a 322RC2 grip ball head on it as well. I prefer that to a standard ball head because changing the angle of the camera is a one handed act. The only thing I'm not keen on is changing the head to low mode on the pod. To remove the head, I have to loosen 3 set screws on the underside of the center shaft, which requires a screwdriver. There should be a quick release on this or at least a tooless solution.
> 190X Aluminium 3-section camera tripod <
> Grip Ball Head, ergonomic handle and friction control wheel <
 
I like the grip-release ball head! Don't think it was available when I was getting my rig. When I got the Bogen 3033 (I know what you mean about the set-screws), it was primarily for indoor/studio stuff, didn't have much use for sticks outdoors. The head is a Bogen 3126 fluid head, made more for motion picture work but I liked the action and control, so got that. But not a "portable" thing at all! Now seeing them both for skinny money on fleabay. Also have a Bogen 3016 mono with a cheezy ball head, that was the traveling steady-stick. The ball head locking control offers no "drag" capability, either locked or wet noodle. Looking forward to getting the "new" 'pod and heads, the tripod only goes low to a foot but with that Magic Arm I can clamp it to a leg or center column and get down in th' dirt if necessary.
 
I don't have any huge lenses. The 180mm f2.8 is probably the heaviest at just under 2 lbs. I don't recall ever having problems composing a shot while looking through the viewfinder. There is a tension adjustment on the handle to hold the ball in place. For heavier lenses you can crank it down but the ball release become harder to squeeze. Generally, I use lenses in the range of 28mm to 105mm on a tripod.
 
GregW said:
There is a tension adjustment on the handle to hold the ball in place. For heavier lenses you can crank it down but the ball release become harder to squeeze. Generally, I use lenses in the range of 28mm to 105mm on a tripod.
Click to expand...
Understood. I'll have to wait and see if there's any adjustable drag with the ball head we're getting. Not likely it'll get used a lot with the longer, heavier optics but it'd be convenient if it does.
 
Speaking of ball heads, I'm seriously considering this Z bracket, which when used with a V bracket can be used on a star tracker in place of a ball head to provide a more stable and more easily adjustable platform for your camera when using a Star Tracker. Takes a lot of the guess work out when doing Milky Way panos.

www.moveshootmove.com

360° Flex Tilt & Pan Head - Z&V Mount Designed with Alyn Wallace, Buy Nice or buy Twice - The best gift for you and your loved ones 🎁

The Z Flex Tilt Head, also known as a Ball and Socket Head, Gimbal Head, Multi-Angle Head, Articulated Head, or Fluid Head, is a versatile and flexible tripod head designed for photographers and videographers. This head provides a wider range of movement compared to traditional tripod heads...
www.moveshootmove.com www.moveshootmove.com
 
For the astral photography it appears it'll be useful. And a Z head stout enough to hold that weight is king-o-the-hill. Most I've seen are too whimpy to do the job.
 
DrEntropy said:
For the astral photography it appears it'll be useful. And a Z head stout enough to hold that weight is king-o-the-hill. Most I've seen are too whimpy to do the job.
Click to expand...
Most of them are not sufficient but this one is made specifically for this application.
 
Well, I just pulled the trigger on a pair f Z brackets and also a laser for my polar scope. Hope I get them in time for my planned Milky Way shoot.
 
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