Tripod recommendation for low,low shots.

Rockshifter

Rockshifter

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Charles
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Hi All
Looking for some advice on pod for very low shots.

Have a pod which I'm reasonably happy with for general use, but need something for shooting at ground level. Don't want a bean bag.
A small pod just for this job would be fine or general low / high pod.
Also any comments for reverse(?) central column user - easy to use / pain in ass ?

Don't want to spend much more than £100.
Also must take weight of d700+ wide prime.
Cheers
 
I was going to say benbo or Uni-loc

Sold my uni-locc a few years ago and still kick myself.
 
the red snanner 238 with ball head is great. you can invert the centre column and have the camera at ground level. the ball head is great as it has nothing to really get in the way. on landscape the picture will be upside down (not a major issue), but portrait will be the right way up. Camera controls can be a little awkward on a d90 upside down though, as can be the shutter release, but IR shutter release takes care of this.

this should be well within a £100 budget.
Al
 
Lots of tripods, most even, have legs that can be splayed right out to horizontal. Only the height of the head above ground level. Reverse the centre column and you can shoot right on the deck.
 
I use a Gorrilapod for shooting at ground level - great for wildlife shots where it's a pain to carry a full tripod while you crawl through the undergrowth!
 
Have a look here http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=157807

3792256626_682539d50b.jpg


Flash in the pan sells these mini pods :thumbs:
 
After years of frustration with conventional tripods I decided to have a look at Benbo. No one stocks them locally so rather than drive into a big scary city I ordered a used one off ebay, the theory being that if I didn't like it I wouldn't lose too much.

Anyway...I love it. I had heard terrifying stories of drunken octopus's but I haven't suffered from anything like that, perhaps because I have the additional column bracket that allows independent movement of the column and the legs.

I think it's a joy and a bonus is that I'm sure that it's actually more stable than my previous and (for me) very frustrating Manfrotto 055.
 
Another vote for Manfrotto from me. I have the 190XPROB and its brilliant, you can put the center column sideways really easily, or with a tiny bit of farting around, it goes upside down too.
 
HoppyUK said:
Lots of tripods, most even, have legs that can be splayed right out to horizontal. Only the height of the head above ground level. Reverse the centre column and you can shoot right on the deck.
Click to expand...

Reverse the centre column and you can get below ground level!

Reversing the column on my Manfrotto 190 PRO (not the newer X series) isn't instant but isn't a real pain and the column can be left inverted if that's the way it's normally used, although a bulky head will leave the legs splayed a bit.
 
Bloody hell.
Thought I'd get the odd reply over the next few days.

Thanks to all the posters on ideas / advice - much appreciated :thumbs:

A lot to consider.

Just from the pic (Dogfish_magnet), that looks pretty much what I'm after.
I've got a head for my manfrotto mono, so would save a bit there.

BalSanghera
I want the pod to be stand alone, so a mono is not what I'm looking for.

incapete
The Gorillapod was one I was thinking about. Which model do you use and can it handle a heavy camera ?

Oh, not too keen on camera being upside down as I have enough trouble messing around with setting the right way up.
 
I use a Gorrilapod SLR Zoom with my D700 and it's happy with a Sigma 12-24 on the front - hell, it's even OK with a Sigma 150-500 on! Not when it's windy but on carpet, it didn't budge with the 150-500 over a 30 second exposure (shot of a pinhole in a piece of foil lit from behind to show up any creep). That's using it as a tripod. Wrap the legs around something solid and it's just as good. I use a Manfrotto ball head on mine to give as much adjustment as possible. The Gorrilapod Focus is supposed to be even more stable but is also mare expensive.
 
I've just brought a Giottos Tripod from Jessops for £99.99 its the 9351b with 3 way head, it goes very low and it amazing for the money feels very strong and robust!

PIC BELOW:

http://meecamera.com/http_images/931.jpg
 
This is the Gitzo G2228

2489275102_c6bda4ee83_o.jpg


Light and portable and capable of supporting my 500mm f4 easily. It's discontinued now but you need to look at the Explorer range for it's replacement.

Defiinitely avoid the upsisde down centre column which is pretty uselsss.

Any tripod which has the offset rotating centre colimn and legs which splay right out would be the way to go though.
 
Thinking outside the box a little, how about one of these - http://www.velbon.co.uk/newvelbon/pages/ultramaximini.html?

I've shot quite successfully from it using a gripped 50D and 100-400 lens + 1.4X teleconverter, admittedly with a different head fitted, and it will fit in a (large) jacket pocket for convenience when wandering around.

More pics in this post - http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/forums/showpost.php?p=2056711&postcount=3

Even though the ratings are modest (1.5Kg), it seems easily up for a bit more (at least when fitted with a different head) and I can't see a D700 and wide prime being much of a challenge, since there will be little in the way of leverage forces trying to slip the head or topple the tripod.

I do have a Manfrotto 055MF3 for more heavy duty work, but the little Velbon is brilliant for travelling light. I also have in intermediate size/weight Slik.....

20091105_065052_0699_LR.jpg


When at minimum height, and using its own supplied head, the top of the supplied QR plate stands 14cm or 5.5" above the surface.

20091116_181101_0707_LR.jpg
 
Rockshifter said:
Bloody hell.
Thought I'd get the odd reply over the next few days.

Thanks to all the posters on ideas / advice - much appreciated :thumbs:

A lot to consider.

Just from the pic (Dogfish_magnet), that looks pretty much what I'm after.
I've got a head for my manfrotto mono, so would save a bit there.

BalSanghera
I want the pod to be stand alone, so a mono is not what I'm looking for.

incapete
The Gorillapod was one I was thinking about. Which model do you use and can it handle a heavy camera ?

Oh, not too keen on camera being upside down as I have enough trouble messing around with setting the right way up.
Click to expand...

The Gorrilapod Zoom is probably the best for what you're wanting - the basic SLR model is a little flimsy unless you've only got a small lens on.
 
I'm afraid its a Benbo or Uni-lock, all the talk of gorrillapods, manfrotto's and minipods, doesn't disguise the fact that they just can't do the low down stuff anything like as well.

As CT points out, anything that gets you out and away from the traditional position directly above the legs, has a lot more going for it than a few low down shots.

I'll take one V a conventional tripod any day of the week, much more versatile.
 
some pics of the 283c and ball head for the record.

one tripod to do everything.as a rank ameteur it suits me fine for the occasional low shot.

16112009044.jpg

16112009045.jpg

16112009046.jpg


cheers, Al
 
Rockshifter said:
Ok,
Thanks for the advice.
Looks like almost every pod under the sun's been suggested and I still don't know which way to jump :shrug:

Now thinking about Benbo Trekker MK3 Tripod Kit - £109
http://www.morrisphoto.co.uk/ProductDetails~productID~7454~categoryid~149.html
Thoughts
Click to expand...

I had one of those but couldn't get on with it - far too much much mucking about and off it went onto evilbay. If you've got any shops nearby it may be worth going for a play and take your camera.
 
It's a fine choice - the Benbo Trekker is a bloomin good tripod.
I've been devoted to my Uni-Loc (near as damn it the same thing) for about ten years and have been a strong advocate for it's go anywhere do anything versatility.

But once you have lived with it for a while you will notice the head has an annoying small amount of play which makes precise positioning a challenge - took me about four years before I swapped my original head for a Manfrotto ball head.

And you will eventually notice that when you reposition the camera pushing against friction set in the head that the whole tripod flexes and this may also start to annoy you. Took me ten years to do something about this, I now have the 055.......

It's a learning process. My Uni-Loc has taken me from a complete noob to someone thinking about a photography related career - you won't go wrong with a Benbo Trekker.
However, my 2p is that you will grow out of the Trekker where as the Manfrotto 055 will last you for life.
But either is a sound choice.
 
I've got a trekker, had it for many years, but also got a manfrotto 055, awsome bit of kit and an mg460 3 way head, that allows me to have the camera the right way up litterally on the floor
 
have a serious look at the Giottos 9351b with head from jessops its a lovely tripod!
 
If you want to try one of the Manfrottos (I've got the 055 and 190) give me a shout, I'm just down the road from you :thumbs:
 
I had a Trekker for quite a few years and it was great so decided to replace it with another. However the newer one seemed to have gone down hill quality-wise. For example, there was a new 90 degree bracket just below the head which was made of plastic and just added wobble.

Since then I've gone the Gitzo route and have the 2531 Explorer. It is a fantastic tripod and I thoroughly agree with CT. (if you can afford it (£400)).
 
I have the redsnapper as my main pod (283C), that can be used as shown above to get good ground level shots.

But I also have a Gorrilapod Focus, which is aluminium as opposed to plastic and can take alot of extra weight, mine was £70 and well worth it!

Its overkill really, the Gorrilapod SLR Zoom probably would have been sufficent, but the focus is built really well and my kit feels secure on it.

Gorillapod%20Focus%20(2).jpg
 
Thanks guys for all the advice / help and a special thanks for those taking the time to post pix and links.


Flash In The Pan said:
If you want to try one of the Manfrottos (I've got the 055 and 190) give me a shout, I'm just down the road from you :thumbs:
Click to expand...

Hi Flash
Thanks for offer :thumbs:
I'm in the city centre tomorrow so hope to pop into Jessops and have a look at what they have.
Think I'm now leaning towards the 190XPROB so if I can't have a play with one tomorrow will get back to you - Cheers.
 
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