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Peter De Smidt
20-Jun-2012, 08:20
I'm going a a trip where there will be a fair amount of seaside photography, including some fairly long exposure ones. As a result, I don't want my Gitzo sinking in the sand during an exposure. Gitzo makes some Big Foot shoes for their tripods, and I'm considering getting them. Is there any big advantage over making a couple of pads out of ABS? Anyone use the Gitzo product? What did you think?

Daniel Stone
20-Jun-2012, 10:33
can you pack a few 6x6" pieces of plastic or lightweight(like 1/4") plywood? put it on the outside of your pack with a bungee cord or two). 3x1/4" pieces will fit into a large ziploc bag pretty easy.

carry a cloth shopping bag, fill it with sand/rocks/etc... when you set up your camera(so you don't carry a sandbag, use what's there), and empty it when you want to leave/pack up.

I have a "flyaway"(mine is made by Matthews, but its the same thing, below) sandbag with zippers, I pack it with my backpack(sandbag is empty of course ;)), and fill it with rocks/stones/dirt/etc... when I need some extra "weight" to keep the camera/tripod steady at the shootin location.

Somewhat on the expensive side IMO, but its lasted me 3 years, and I'm sure it'll outlast me, since its made very well

http://www.filmandvideolighting.com/15emsmzisaba.html

-Dan

Peter De Smidt
20-Jun-2012, 10:52
Thanks for the ideas, Dan. I have some small, empty, zippered sandbags that'd be ideal for that use. Regarding pads for the feet, I have a bunch of 1/4" thick ABS sheet, and I could easily make some pads. The only downside compared to the Gitzo shoes is that you'd have to place all three pads whenever you move the tripod, whereas the Gitzo's are bolted to the tripod. This would only be an issue for quick movement, ala Nana Sousa Dias seascapes. I really don't want to spend extra money, though, as money spent now means less spent on the trip.

Jerry Bodine
20-Jun-2012, 11:41
Peter, I added these shoes to my older Gitzo Series 4 & 5 alum pods for use on snow and have yet to use them on sand, but I think they should be fine for sand. Our snow here tends to be heavy and gloppy, not dry soft stuff.
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/105446-REG/Gitzo_G1586B3_G1586_All_Weather_Tripod.html
If you want to go cheap, I recall reading an article by sandy photogs who praised this method (discovered as an emergency use): Use empty pop cans and tether them to the legs with a durable string; work them into the sand to firm up the footing.
You mentioned that the shoes are "bolted" to the pod feet, and I assume you realize that the shoes are attached by rapping the included bungee type cords around the legs. BTW, if you decide on ABS pads you'll need more than a "couple" (most likely 3 :D).

Dennis
20-Jun-2012, 11:49
I was thinking maybe of putting some golf frisbees in the bag.

Peter De Smidt
20-Jun-2012, 12:16
You mentioned that the shoes are "bolted" to the pod feet, and I assume you realize that the shoes are attached by rapping the included bungee type cords around the legs. BTW, if you decide on ABS pads you'll need more than a "couple" (most likely 3 :D).

The ones I was looking at are here: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/326243-REG/Gitzo_G1220_130B3_G1220_130B3_All_Terrain_Shoes.html

I'm leaving the Series 5 home and taking the Series 3 for this one.

The bolt on ones, although much more expensive, get better reviews, but there aren't that many reviews.

Bob Salomon
20-Jun-2012, 12:50
If your Gitzo accepts a 3/8" male thread for the feet Giotto makes snow/sand shoes with and without spikes as accessories for any tripod or monopod that has a 3/8" threaded hole for foot accessories. You can see some of them towards the bottom of this page:

http://www.giottosusa.com/monopods.shtml

Peter De Smidt
20-Jun-2012, 13:15
Yes, the tripod has a 3/8" threaded hole on the bottom of each foot.

Bob, do you mean these: http://www.amazon.com/Giottos-FP2021-Multifunction-Monopod-without/dp/B000OO9XN2

Kimberly Anderson
20-Jun-2012, 19:51
Ironically I was photographing yesterday morning in a wet, marshy, peat bog up in the Uinta mountains of Utah. My exposures were 2-4 minutes long. During one of them I shifted my weight and as I did I saw the camera actually move slightly. I shifted my weight back and the camera returned (hopefully) to its prior position. We'll see when I get the negs processed.

So...don't discount the proximity that your body/weight is to the actual feet/foot of the tripod. You shifting and moving can affect the tripod in sometimes unpredictable ways.

patrickjames
20-Jun-2012, 23:43
Peter, I have shot a lot of images with a tripod (Gitzo) resting in sand. I just put all my weight on it to seat it firmly into the sand. I have never had any problems with shifting unless a wave came over a leg and then nothing is going to help.

Doremus Scudder
21-Jun-2012, 01:08
I do a fair amount of "seaside" photography as well as a lot of work on dunes. I use a 4x5 field camera (wooden folder) and lenses up to 300mm. These go on a lightweight Manfrotto tripod.

I've never used tripod shoes, baskets or pads and have had no problems at all as long as I make sure the tripod is seated well in the sand. Even very close to the water, in wet sand, I just settle the legs down into the sand by pushing and they stay just fine. The only time they move, as mentioned above, is if a wave actually washes over the tripod legs.

I do weight my tripod regularly; I have a filmholder pouch that weighs a couple of pounds that normally hangs on the center column lock knob. I also have a bag that I can fill with stones or sand and hang on the center column, but I use that only rarely.

I don't know of anyone who uses the tripod shoes on sand... Maybe you don't need them as much as you think:rolleyes:

BTW a cheap collapsible nylon bucket, available at most outdoor stores works well for a sandbag.

Best,

Doremus

Peter De Smidt
21-Jun-2012, 04:25
Ok. That's good to know. I'll bring some diy ABS disks, but hopefully I won't need them.

Bruce Pottorff
21-Jun-2012, 15:37
I bought three plastic food containers, cut an 'X' in the middle of the lids, and then pushed the lids onto the spikes of my tripod. They are light, easy to pack, and have worked great in sand dunes, even with long exposures.

Peter De Smidt
21-Jun-2012, 16:21
Thanks for the tip, Bruce.

Wayne Crider
23-Jun-2012, 07:49
I've always found wind to be the problem at the shore in Florida. Spray/ mist is always a thing. Wind on a bellows will move a camera as some have found to their chagrin. Perhaps a windy beach would necessitate a pad, good push into the sand or at least a small umbrella.

Bruce Watson
24-Jun-2012, 07:37
We'll see when I get the negs processed.

You will indeed.

Been there, done that. And gnashed my teeth appropriately.

Peter De Smidt
17-Jul-2012, 11:14
I did make some 4" ABS disks, but I ended up not using them. At least with the type of sand I encountered, pushing my Gitzo's spiked feet as far into the sand as I good seemed to do the trick.