Small Heresy: i just use my Sony RX100 as a spotmeter, its smaller and lighter then a real spot meter.
Small Heresy: i just use my Sony RX100 as a spotmeter, its smaller and lighter then a real spot meter.
First tripod should always be a TILTALL -- get a used one made by Leitz ($100 on eBay).
I never use a loupe -- that's what the rangefinder is for.
Darkcloth? I use a BTZS, but any old towel will do.
My choice of meter is a WESTON Euromaster, (Sent to Quality in Hollywood for calibration), but also have a Pentax digital spot meter, which is off by a stop.
Wilhelm (Sarasota)
Sekonic 508 multi mode zoom master
It uses single AA battery.
More than 20 years in service, never failed me.
But, for any meter you will choose(even new), compare it with one under use and giving accurate readings.
Good luck.
The generosity of spirit in this forum is great, its warmly appreciated.
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Really don't need much of a head (for the camera, that is - the one on your shoulders is a requisite for good photography!)
The old trick of lining the lens up with one leg of the tripod and adjusting that leg for tilt works fine. Said while looking at the box of about 12 miscellaneous heads I've picked up over the (many) years. Not counting the three video heads
I've converted all my heads to Arca Swiss. A lot of heads use proprietary quick release plates, so I just get a few Arca clamps and mount them on the proprietary QR plate and it works just fine.
Never, repeat, NEVER, shorten one leg in place of a head. You would end up not being the first person whose camera falls by doing this. Get a good head!
As for "converting to Arca" that is impossible. You can't make a Linhof or Novoflex or Gitzo or Benro head into an Arca head.
What you can do is add an Arca compatible quick release to most any head that does not have a quick release built in.
Well, my definition of converting is to add an arca clamp to whatever quick release plate fits the head in question. I even have one on the QR plate for my Manfrotto video head. Seems to work OK. Otherwise you need too many different QR plates.
Don't have to shorten the leg - just swing it further out a bit. Safer than shortening the leg. And no need to over do it. 10 or 15 degrees has been plenty for me.
I like my Ries double tilt heads. When mounted to a Ries tripod they become one with the tripod and are really more of an adjustable platform than a head. Bob Seger would sing, "Like a Rock".
I haven't found a need for quick release plates. I can mount my 8x10 easy enough. I just tilt the Ries head so I can see what I'm doing, hold the folded Wehman camera by the strap, line up the hole and turn the screw. I then level the camera using a torpedo level. Easy, peasy. Even Drew could do it if he had a head!
For those who don't get the joke, our friend Drew uses a Ries tripod without a tripod head.
Last edited by Alan Gales; 28-Mar-2017 at 10:18.
I don't use the QR plates on everything. I have two of them on my Technika, a 30mm long one in the normal tripod socket and a 70mm long one on the drop down bed for when I use a longer or heavier (or longer and heavier) lenses - lets me balance the camera better. I don't use them on anything bigger than the Technika though. I do use them on the MF and 35mm and (perish the thought) my Canon 5D digicams. I even have one mounted on the support foot for the 150-600 zoom lens. And I have them on all the video cams. Even leave a little 20mm FLM QR plate on my all time favorite - a 6 x 4.5 Zeiss Super Ikonta that my father bought new in 1937. First film I developed and printed was a roll of 120 from that camera when I was around 4 or 5 years old and my father decided it was time to teach me darkroom work. About the same time he decided that I should learn to use a slide rule and do trigonometry and play Chess.
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