At 08:15 1/4/98 -0800, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
>Ernest H. Robl wrote:
>> ...
>> I own two Bogen tripods and a total of four heads. With the 300mm,
>> I most frequently use the fluid pan head.
>>
>ER-Maybe tell us something about the heads you own and use...I think we
>are giving everybody the impression that the $400 Arca-Swiss head is THE
>way to go. I don't own one...have two Bogen heads and an NPC Pro head,
>which I like very much. I have been considering the Arca-Swiss
>head...but it's alotta money and I think a fluid head might be better...
Well, it's taken me a while to get organized on this one, in the process
of which, I discovered I actually owned more tripod heads than I
remembered.
Let me begin by confessing that, having started in newspaper and news
service photojournalism, I am not a big tripod user. However, there
are times later when I look at images and know that I may have done
better, had I used a tripod.
Okay, let me start with the basics: My two main tripods are Bogen models
3021 and 3205. The larger 3021 stays in the trunk of my car most of the
time. The 3205, with its head removed, measures only 20 inches
collapsed. In that form, it fits inside the Fiberbilt hard case that I take on
most trips. It will also fit inside some of my other travel bags.
There is no question that the 3021 is a better and sturdier tripod. However,
taking it along during airplane travel requires an extra case, which can
be a pain when you're already loaded down with other stuff.
Now, to the tripod heads. I own two 3028 "Super 3-D" heads. These are
the default heads that I usually use with my tripods (and sometimes
super clamps) when using a camera with a relatively short lens. I
used to own the smaller version of this head, a 3025, which has knobs
instead of the locking levers on the 3028 and a smaller mounting
platform. I generally found this smaller head a pain to use.
The head that I prefer to use with the 300mm 2.8 and the 80-200 2.8
(in a rotating Nikam cradle) is the Bogen 3128 medium fluid head.
I highly recommend this for long lenses that have rotating mounts.
(Bogen also has a smaller fluid head, which I would not trust with
a heavy lens; there is also a larger heavy-duty fluid head for use
with heavy professional movie and video cameras.)
I did not see this fluid head listed in the B&H catalog, so this
model has probably been replaced with a newer version. B&H
lists a 3063 Mini Fluid head for $94 which is probably the
current version. (I think I paid about $75 for my fluid head a
number of years ago.) There is a smaller Micro fluid head
(Bogen3126) listed for $50, which is probably the wimpy version
for small video cameras.
The image that I currently have as the lead picture on my home page
(see the URL in the signature block below) was shot with the 300mm
2.8 on the Bogen 3021 with the 3128 fluid head. (Yes, I had permission
from BNSF to be on their property. BNSF subsequently purchased a
number of my Powder River Basin photos for their own use.) The
shot was made on a very windy day, and I was glad I had the
sturdier 3021 tripod with me.
Okay, what else: Well, I also own a 3029 "3-way pan tilt" head. I use
this head mostly with my copying setup, which is based on an older
Durst enlarger stand, which accepts a tripod head in place of the
enlarger head. The 3029 acts as a spacer to get the camera away from
the vertical column and lets me make minor adjustments for framing.
I don't particularly like this head for general use. (However, a friend
who does portrait photography with Mamiya RB67s uses this head
and likes it.) For general use, this head does not do too well for
verticals, at least compared to 3028 heads.
Finally, I also have a Bogen medium ball head, which, I think is no
longer in production and had been replaced with a newer model. I
can't find a Bogen number on it. The Manfrotto number is 108.
(Bogen tripods and heads are made by Manfrotto of Italy.) The
locking levers are hard to work without messing up the composition
of your photo. The quick release plates on this model are small and
don't provide much of a mounting surface for heavier equipment --
probably one of the reasons this model was replaced. Have not
used this head very much.
Over-all, I can recommend the fluid head for larger lenses and the
3028 for cameras (up to medium format) with smaller lenses.
Sorry if this sounds like a Bogen catalog, with all the numbers, but
trying to give more detailed descriptions of each head would take
up even more space. In general, I've used Bogen/Manfrotto tripods,
heads, light stands, clamps, etc. for many years and found them
extremely well made. Check with your photo dealer for descriptive
sheets or send in one of the product info cards in the professional
photo mags to get the full Bogen literature.
A final thought: Tripod heads are somewhat like camera bags. Certain
models work for certain situations. I don't think anyone has yet come
up with a perfect all-purpose solution for either. (Don't get me started
on camera bags.) Personal preference is a big factor.
I hope this provides some useful information. We now rejoin our
regularly scheduled discussion creative challenges of railroad
photography, already in progress.
-- 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
