Not particularly useful with large format, but this one from Luksa Instruments is really tall . . .
They also have remote video units for control.
Not particularly useful with large format, but this one from Luksa Instruments is really tall . . .
They also have remote video units for control.
Here's my 15 foot tripod set up, of course you need a big ladder to get up there too!
I built it from a heavy duty surveyors tripod, stripped out all the metal parts and added new wood. It carries a camera and accessories weighing over 25 pounds and does it easily.
Giant tripods used to be common many years ago and occasionally you see the antique versions turn up on ebay.
It's really interesting to see the creativity, and how many ways a problem can be solved. I teach product design, and find the best solutions come from the ones that really understand what the problem to be solved was. Secondly, the simplest (in complexity, portability, and lowest in cost) are usually the best too.
So to understand the problem better, tell us exactly how much higher than a normal tripod allows do you need to go? My 3' tripod mast solves my need to see over people's heads, but doesn't really change the perspective of the stage I'm video taping. The 15' tripod would certainly change one's view, but clearly requires a ladder to use. If all you needed was 30" to 3', you could also do what I did once...
I had to shoot a high school play from the middle of the audience seats. My normal tripod couldn't straddle the seats, so I took a folding table. It straddled the seats, and gave me a platform to both stand on and base my tripod off of. Be sure you're table is strong enough. I tested mine carefully and actually stiffened the top before I was willing to stand on it for two hours. But the table was portable (slid into the back of my hatchback) and light enough to carry easily.
If I had to design something from scratch to serve as a portable platform to raise me and the tripod up onto, it might look more like scafolding you see at construction sites. The whole thing would break down into pipes and corners, and would use trangulation to create a stiff platform. Ideally, though, I'd want a platform that I could set up on while at close to ground level, and then would raise me up under power to my desired height. Cherry picker, anyone?
4DThinker
...And while reading my Popolar Mechanics magazine tonight I came across an add for a very inexpensive way to get your camera up to 7' or sometimes more...
Halogen worklight stands. In fact, I had one stored in my basement, and got it out. It has three tubular legs that fold out from the base, and a three section shaft that telescopes up to 7'. The bracket that hold the halogen light comes off to reveal a 1/4" stud, which most of my other tripod heads easily mount directly to. Now it's a bit teetery, and would not make a good platform for a panning and tilting video camera. But for any still camera you want up to 7' high it looks like the cheapest portable tall tripod I've yet seen mentioned. In fact, the whole rig with two 500w halogen lights was selling for $39.95.
Look in your local hardware stores.
Dave
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