Tripod head for pointing down

[cyrus]

If I want to take photos of something on the ground - what would be a good setup to do this? Thnx

[Colleen K]

Manfrotto has tripods that allow for horizontal positioning of the center column-I have used this a few times with the 4x5 to shoot straight up or down, but it was a little tippy-have something to use as a counterweight on the other end of the column.

Colleen

[Leigh]

The standard Majestic head rotates a full 90° forward, enabling you to point the camera straight down.

This is quite rigid, and would support a large camera pointing down between two legs. A weight on the rear leg wouldn't be a bad idea.

Majestic tripods come in two styles, one leg per side and two legs per side. They're both extremely strong. The heads are rated for 35 pounds.

- Leigh

[Dan Fromm]

If I want to take photos of something on the ground - what would be a good setup to do this? Thnx

With the optical axis pointing down or parallel to the ground?

[Darin Boville]

The standard Majestic head rotates a full 90° forward, enabling you to point the camera straight down.

This is quite rigid, and would support a large camera pointing down between two legs. A weight on the rear leg wouldn't be a bad idea.

Majestic tripods come in two styles, one leg per side and two legs per side. They're both extremely strong. The heads are rated for 35 pounds.

- Leigh

They also sell an extension arm which will move the head away from the tripod center column, if you want to point down over a table, for example. Not as rigid in that case but will work for most purposes. I have one and am very happy with it.

--Darin

[Dave Hally]

I just used my Chamonix, on my Manfrotto 3221(I think that is the tripod number) with my 410 geared head. I wanted to get the camera out over an edge, and still shoot a vertical frame, so I tilted the head 90 degrees to the right, with the film frame vertical, and got the shot. I could have turned the camera 90 degrees on the release plate and pointed it down also, though probably not straight down. When I was using a huge Bogen, I could really hang the camera out there and not have it budge, not as much with this lighter rig.
Dave Hally

[Frank Petronio]

Your enlarger minus the head.

[Leigh]

I forgot to mention that the Majestic heads are all geared heads.

- Leigh

[Pat Kearns]

Cyrus, you only mentioned a tripod head for pointing down. My Feisol tripod, horizontal adapter and Giottos MH5001 pan head looks like this. Of course counter weight is required.

[Frank Petronio]

http://www.glennview.com/copy.htm

That's a nice bit of reading on the subject ;-)

A studio stand, like a Cambo or Foba, is a nice way for studio still life with creative lighting. They are well balanced and their camera arms are counterweighted so it is easy to adjust height.

Once I did a shot through the ceiling. We removed a skylight and shot down.