Convenience in the Field

[Jerry Greer]

In my post above, I incorrectly listed the Kirk BH-3 as the Kirk BH-2. Sorry for my confusion ; )

[QT Luong]

Tripod Maintainance



While the Gitzo CF are great tripods, I have found them to be sensitive to environmental conditions.
My first 1227 was getting sticky to the point where it was really annoying. It required a considerable
amount of force to lock and unlock the legs. I brought it in person to the Gitzo factory in SE suburbs of Paris. There, no less than three technicians came and had a look. Their conclusion: the tripod
was thoroughly corroded, presumably by saltwater exposure, beyond repair besides exchanging 80% of the parts, and not covered by the warranty. Gitzo tripod depend on extremely precise fitting of the
parts, and in this case, corrosion had caused some parts to swell.

They explaned to me that one has to be sure to rinse completely the tripod (means disassembly required) after each time it is used in a
marine environement. Also, make sure there is still grease on the joints. While putting it back
together after disassembly, make sure than the twin black plastic rings are oriented properly.
Those are not symmetrical ! There is one edge which is sharper than the other, and it should point
downwards.

[wfwhitaker]

Gallic galling galls me!

Seriously, it's too bad that field-stripping a Gitzo requires so much tedium. There must be a way to design a field-friendly CF tripod.

[Hans Berkhout]

I use the G1228 Gitzo, with the old Gitzo off-set ballhead no. 3 combined with Linhof Quickfix quick release system. All very compact and it holds my Deardorff 4x5 Special OK.

The tripod is awful in handling (too many leg sections and quite delicate, needs TLC ++) but low weight and small size as well as amazing rigidity make up for this. Life is a compromise. I carry it by hand, legs (the tripod's) partially extended -or I strap it on my pack. It fits in a small suitcase if I travel by air.

I also use a Ries J100 with the 2 way tilthead: for mud/ice/snow etc conditions- I attach ski pole baskets to the spiked legs during winter. This tripod is for use close to the car, although sometimes I drag it along on a tobogan on which I also strap my pack etc.

For the Ries I'll eventually get one (not three) longer leg so as to maintain desirabe height when shooting on a slope; the long leg would be planted on the downward side.

I have been contemplating to contact Gitzo and ask them to make a custom tripod for me: carbon fiber with only two leg sections, same lenthg/height as the Ries. With spikes, no plastic tips. Would be more rigid, fewer moving delicate parts, quicker to set up.

Thanks for the post Kerry.

[Chad Jarvis]

As usual Kerry's tips are priceless. I have a couple things to add.

I have two tripods/heads. The first, a combination of Bogen/Manfrotto 3021 legs and 3047 head, has served me well for close to ten years with everything from my various 35mm systems to my Deardorff 8x10. Many of you probably know that the original 3021 legs had slip-on rubber cup feet. I quickly wore through one of the feet, exposing one of the aluminum legs. The best thing I've ever done tripod-wise was to replace the original feet with Bogen's replacement retractable spike feet...a $30 investment that made a 10 year old tripod feel like new again.

For use with my 8x10 (when more stability is needed) and my 11x14, I definitely needed legs that would support more weight, so I wound up getting a Bogen/Manfrotto 475 with a 3039 head. The big advantage of the 3039 is that it uses the same quick release plate as the 3047. No brainer...which for me is a good thing.

Lessons:

1. The replacement retractable spiked/rubber feet (Bogen P/N 055SPK2) are invaluable if you're using an old set of 3021 legs.

2. Usuang two heads (3047 and 3039) with the same QR plate make life easy.

3. The Bogen/Manfrotto 475 legs, while robust in support, are damned heavy. Walking more than a couple miles at a time with them can be tough...even with a strong back.

Thanks Kerry.

[John D Gerndt]

Here is a super simple way to move from spot to spot with you big rig assembled and on its tripod: put a bag over it. I use my dark-cloth as a bag, I throw it over the whole rig, grip the bottom of the “bag” where it meets the tripod legs and even IF the camera comes off its mount (it never has) it would be in the bag, not the dirt. Also, the scratching and loosing parts stuff is moot.

Cheers,

[Brian Ellis]

The single biggest help to me in working quickly hasn't been so much in the equipment as it has been coming up with a fixed, standardized, unvarying routine, doing everything the same way, in the same order, at the same time every time, from putting the camera on the tripod to removing the film holder after making the photograph. That way I don't have to think too much about the mechanical/physical stuff and can concentrate instead on making the photograph. It also cuts down on stupid mistakes. I still make the occasional stupid mistake but almost invariably it happens when I get out of my routine because I tried to work too fast.

[Tom Hieb]

Nothing further to add about tripods but I will offer a few ideas that may or may not be useful to others.

1. A photographers vest, the ones with numerous pockets, can help save time if you develop a system for the pockets (i.e. every item has a place and you can get to it quickly). You don't necessarily have to wear the vest all the time, which can be uncomfortable in hot weather, but if you keep it at the top of your pack you can pull it out quickly and have most everything you need ready to go. This is a lot better than trying to pull things out of different pockets of a backpack or daypack. 2. If you sew Velcro onto your pack at several locations (like the top flap) and then glue it onto items that you are using a lot (like your light meter) you have a convenient and secure place to set the items down. This is a lot better than setting things on a nearby rock and then bumping them, or having the wind come up, and watching them tumble down the cliff or slip into the lake (both of which have happened to me). 3. Those belt pouches that hold multiple film holders are convenient and can speed things up. 4. Lenses that you can fold into your field camera certainly speed things up. But everybody knows this!

[Brian Ellis]

The single biggest help to me in working quickly hasn't been so much in the equipment as it has been coming up with a fixed, standardized, unvarying routine, doing everything the same way, in the same order, at the same time every time, from putting the camera on the tripod to removing the film holder after making the photograph. That way I don't have to think too much about the mechanical/physical stuff and can concentrate instead on making the photograph. It also cuts down on stupid mistakes. I still make the occasional stupid mistake but almost invariably it happens when I get out of my routine because I tried to work too fast.

Jerry, since Kerry hasn't yet answered your question I'll tell you how I did it. Kirk sells an Arca clamp that fits into the 410 head (i.e. it replaces the quick release plate that comes with the 410). Costs about $100. Kirk also sells an Arca-style plate that's about four or five inches long. It does add some weight but it looks more stable than a smaller plate would be. Also, because it's about four or five inches long you can slide the camera forward and backward to get it centered over the tripod head a little better depending on the length of the lens on the camera.

A few other quickies: (1) labels on all glass filter holders showing which lens or lenses each filter goes on and which step up rings, if any, are needed with each filter for which lenses; (2) a card about the size of a playing card that I keep in my back pocket showing optimum aperture for various focus spreads, reciprocity numbers for T Max and non-T Max films, and exposure adjustments for plus and minus development; (3) a piece of tape on the darkcloth showing where the center is; (4) painted circles on the lower section of each tripod leg showing the point to which each leg needs to be extended in order for the camera to be at eye level; (5) having a shoe repair shop add a leather loop to the back of my Pentax digital spot meter carrying case so that it can be carried on my belt; (6) the "4x5 Visualizer" sold by Adorama for about $10 that I use to assist in rough composition and determination of lens focal length for the desired composition; and best of all (7) got rid of my Lowepro backpack that had about six zippered pockets that needed to be opened and closed every time I made a photograph and replaced it with an F64 backpack that requires opening only two zippered pockets most of the time.

[Brian Ellis]

Sorry for the partial double answers, one of these days I'll figure the system out.