Folks: In the ongoing discussion of long lenses for railroad photography several of you have mentioned the need for heavy-duty ball heads for these long lenses.
I'd like to suggest an alternative that may work (and actually work better) in some cases. I use a medium-duty fluid pan head designed for movie and video work. You really don't need all three axis movements for most long lenses because they have a rotating collar mount that enables you to turn the whole lens and camera unit to go from horizontal to vertical. With the fluid pan head, you can follow a moving subject without losing the stability provided by a tripod. You can, of course, also lock the camera and lens in a particular position, if you want. I own two Bogen tripods and a total of four heads. With the 300mm, I most frequently use the fluid pan head. -- Ernest -- Ernest H. Robl, Durham,NC,USA Stock photography; photojournalism; writing Specializing in transportation and travel subjects for more than 25 years. mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Phone +1 (919) 286-3845 Fax +1 (919) 286-1696 http://www.robl.w1.com "I'd rather be on the train." At =NS milepost H-52. Intermodal Container FAQ: http://www.robl.w1.com/Transport/intermod.htm -> SPORRS: Serious Photographers of Railroad Related Subjects -> Web Site: http://www.anet-stl.com/acphotog/sporrs
