You can buy a wood screw that becomes a 1/4 x 20 machine screw. Cut
yourself an interesting walking stick from a good piece of green wood.
Dry it out for two years indoors. Wrap copper wire around the bottom 2
inches. Attach a cane rubber foot (drug stores) that fits very tight.
Buy several, as they get old and crack. Wrap wet leather (rough side
out) around the top 6 - 12 inches, attach ends with a brass brad or
two and let it dry. You could substitute heavy fishing line at both
ends for the brads. Wrapped to cover the ends, and varnished into
place after the leather dries. Now take the 1/4 x 20 wood screw and
drill a pilot hole, not too large, straight down into the top of the
stick. Thread two nuts onto the 1/4 x 20 wood screw and counter
tighten so they won't turn. Use a nut driver to screw the assembly
into the pilot hole until the wood screw threads disappear. Unlock the
two nuts and set them to allow just enough of the machine threads to
attach either a camera, or a tripod head (couple more threads
available if a head). You can them either screw the ass'y in further
to get the nuts flush with the top of the wood, or not.
Now you have a hiking stick, and you don't need a monopod that fits in
your pack. Instead, carry a Super Clamp or a multipurpose thing that
looks like a "C" clamp, has a tiny ball head, three tiny legs that fit
inside of the "C" part of the unit, and perhaps a 1/4 x 20 wood screw
inside as well. There are several German units that fit that bill. I
think mine is a HAMA, but I have several, one aluminum that you can
screw into a tree trunk if need be.
http://tinyurl.com/kwmt6o (B&H has this item)(also smaller version
under the name of "Kalt")
Search B&H for Tripod Clamps
http://tinyurl.com/m2yar7
Also search B&H for GorillaPods. Pick up a couple of $5 flash shoes
for them so you can put your Pentax flash anywhere, 'cause they don't
have threads. You'd think, another few grams of plastic and a 1/4 x 20
socket and the 'free' flash stand that comes with each 540 would have
much more use.
On Jul 24, 2009, at 12:20 , Larry Colen wrote:
On Fri, Jul 24, 2009 at 02:15:00PM -0400, Igor Roshchin wrote:
Larry,
You sound too idealistic to me.. (I know you aren't that naive :-) )
Only sometimes.
After all, Adorama (unless you stop by at their store) is a mail-
order
store which has a relatively low margin and sells you what you want
to buy, and not a consulting business. Like with most
Yeah, but I figured that they'd at least have some clue about their
product line. Maybe I am that naive.
internet/mail-order serivices, you save by researching the products
yourself, and if you are not capable of that, you pay the stupidity
premium at the local BestBuy, Ritz Camera, etc.
For that type of service that you want at a reasonable level,
you pay extra bucks at a local knowledgeable store (if any).
Unfortunately the only short monopod at our local knowledgable store
is $240.
The Benro MP-66 and MC-66 also look promising, but don't seem to be
available in the US.
Likewise B&H has a few that seem to meet my specs.
I wish I could search on collapsed length.
Joseph McAllister
[email protected]
I couldn't remember most of what I know today
if it weren't for others sharing their knowledge
of my past on the Internet. Thank you…
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