Tripods

Many photographers enjoy having a large camera stand in their camera room. A camera stand is usually a 6 or 7 foot tall column with a crossbar that raises and lowers with a camera mounted to one side and an accessory tray mounted to the other side. I think this is just fine. You can get quite high and quite low with these heavy and expensive stands. In my case, I have a fairly small studio and space is always a consideration. I have elected to stay with a tripod for all of my work. In the studio it is on a dolly so that it may easily be rolled around the camera room. My feeling about the larger camera stands is that while they offer some very real advantages, they might be a little more difficult to move over muslin backgrounds and cables than a lighter tripod on a dolly. In addition, you must have tripods for your location work which is an added expense.

The tripod that I discover very early on has been one of my most loved pieces of equipment. It is a Bogen 3050. I would hate to guess how many of these I have sold for Bogen just by letting other photographers see how it works. It is a large tripod and fairly heavy to carry long distances so there may be a situation where a medium duty tripod is also justified. I don’t walk huge distances with mine so the weight has never been a factor. The most unique thing about the tripod is the single lever adjustment. Near the top of the tripod where the legs attach, there is a lever in each of three locations between the legs. Move that lever to the right and the entire tripod relaxes and can be adjusted with one hand! There is a thumb screw that tightens on each leg support once you have it into position and wish to be sure that it won’t collapse. This is especially necessary when on slick floors but less necessary when outdoors where the terrain is usually soft grass. Each leg has a round rubber foot that may be extended by twisting. When it is left in the higher position, it exposes a metal spike that will dig nicely into the earth. If you are on hard gravel or dirt that is pretty smooth, it is always best to tighten the thumb screws on the leg supports to keep the tripod from collapsing. The tripod also has an elevator to raise the head up about 16 inches. The elevator works with a crank and may be locked into position.

Working with this tripod is tremendously fast and efficient. Most location work that happens on grassy areas includes nearly no tripod setup time at all. The tripod can be adjusted up, down or at some other odd angle with a single touch and release. It is very impressive to see if you are used to working with a tripod that requires screwing and unscrewing of each leg to make even a small adjustment. The Bogen 3050 is one of my favorite pieces of equipment. The current version of my tripod is the model 3051.

If you wish to visit the Bogen web site, their address is www.bogenphoto.com.

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Tripod Heads                            

I use the Bogen 3047 tripod head. It has the usual three control knobs that you grip and turn to loosen, adjust and then tighten back. It works well but might require more pressure than is possible from a ladies smaller hands and arms. My wife cannot adjust these knobs so I have to do it for her.

Many photographers these days are choosing a ball head rather than a conventional head. The ball heads are just what the name implies, a ball in a socket that you release with a single control, adjust your camera position and then re-tighten. They tend to be expensive and heavy. Many photographers swear by them. I have never owned one because I have never tested one that felt good to me. My fear is that if I loosen the head and forget to hold the camera with my other hand, that the camera will crash down into a different position possibly causing damage. I am sure it is something that you just get used to. There are also pistol grip ball heads that are a bit lighter and less expensive but they tend to seem a little too light for a larger camera and lens. These pistol grip heads seem more suited to 35mm cameras but I have seen photographers using them for medium format.

Tripod heads are in great supply. I suggest that you try out many different heads prior to making a decision. Since it is the part of the tripod that you will be using the most, you need to feel quite comfortable with it. Take your time and select the one that feels best to you. Be sure to test its range of movement. You don’t want a head that will not let you point your camera reasonably high or reasonably low. Test it’s full range of movement before you buy. Also check on the quick release feature. The Bogen that I use provides a platform that attaches to the bottom of the camera. It then attaches to the top of the tripod head and is held in place with a lever that moves into place with a locking device. Having a locking device that will prevent the accidental release and probable destruction of your camera is not an option in my view. It is essential.

If you wish to visit the Bogen web site, their address is www.bogenphoto.com.

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