BEST OF THE BEST 2008
The Perfect TRIPOD - LEGS
Tripods are interesting.  There's probably more opinions about tripods than many other aspects of photography. Most statements made in photography can evolve into rules. Science and interpretation gave us the Sunny 16 Rule, Rules of Thirds and so forth. But when we get into tripods, theories and opinions formed on the rules of success, failure, personal trials and even economics morph into the written word and get adopted as rules.  Sort of like politics, you get all the good stuff till you vote and then you find out what you really got.

To further complicate things, a good tripod to one individual differs because of almost fifty factors such as the quality of the part tested, size of the individual, demands on the gear, the fluidity of the head, surface (sand as in the beach, pavement, dirt, tile, concrete, marsh or wetlands) the feet ends have to work on and on and on. There's not enough room here for all of the factors.

One rule I will impose is "you don't build a tripod for a day". We all want the best for ourselves and we all have a different version of best.  For "Best" really means best suited. In my case I needed a new tripod since all of my system involved around one type of Quick Release which fails miserably with the Nikon long glass rotating tripod collars.

The "old" new tripod I had ( Bogen 3021 PRO - aluminum with Ball head) was given to a good friend since I was going to upgrade my Quick Release system and I wanted to keep the old system intact for him. It was in brand new shape.  It was easier to sell the package and start over slowly.  He loves it and uses it. he uses the smaller lighter glass and it is perfection for his style and gear.  Like I said a friend, and that means I gave him good stuff at a very fair price.

I wanted to kick it up a notch. I was not happy with the performance of a particular setup with two new acquisitions in lenses and bodies. I use the Nikon D2's with some longer heavier lenses like the 70-200 and the 400's. I  guess that there's always something that can be done to something to improve things. That's called an upgrade, the act of taking something to a higher level from a moderately acceptable or feloniously faulty level. Bringing sub level products to a higher level is why the aftermarket does so well in the photography business.

FORUMS RULE:
Lets see what the web forums had to say about tripods.  If you spend any kind of time on a web forum, you'll eventually realize there are different levels of accomplishment and expertise all mixed together which creates the forum itself.  The opinions expressed are of some value but heavily tainted because the participants have many different subjects and interests in their shooting, differing skill levels, finance parameters, some suffer from BRANDSMANSHIP and some really good actors specializing in UPMANSHIP.  And lastly, the factualists, a strong dose of someone else's opinion and repeated as gospel.  They like talking about tripods, so they can drop Gitzo and Wimberley on the table, two of the top-top- lines in the business.

I have a breakfast group that meet at my house on Saturday mornings every so often.  They are an astute bunch of photographers, pros with the occasional newbie thrown in the mix. These guys are in my opinion  "experts in their fields". and what really makes it a great group, is that they are highly diversified realists.  We have had an ASTRO-photographers whose work is world class, to bird chasers, bug chasers, technical photographers, to wedding and event shooters who do dance's all over the SE. The conversation is rarely about cameras, they are thought of as tools and recording devices. More conversation is of style and the ancillary components that help them do their thing.

Eventually the conversation gets around to tripods.  It is both the most respected piece of equipment and at times the most hated.  In it's simplistic version it serves one purpose. It extends the ability of the camera to record the image under diminishing conditions. It gets a bad rap as it snags on things, gets caught in the door and when not properly set up causes severe damage to your camera and your car door if you happen to close it on the tripod.

DIMINISHING CONDITIONS:

• You look up and notice the sun has gone down.  Looking down you see lots of dark. (a true clue).
• You are using very slow shutter speeds to accentuate something in the picture like a waterfall.
• You are using very long lenses.
• You don't have fast lenses.
•  You wish to avoid camera shake especially for large prints where "bad" is bigger.
• Your entire rig is too top heavy to stand for long periods of time on that inferior (OK CHEAP) tripod you found as a great deal at K-MART. Unfortunately "you are one with the camera" extolling the virtues of the little book you read since you didn't understand the owners manual and you talk with your hands. Sooner or later the plastic meets the road. They don't use rubber, crash...

GOALS and REALITY:

• A good tripod, light, balanced, easy to use, fast changes and rock steady.
• Lighter to carry than what I had. To save weight I considered Carbon Fiber over aluminum.
• Upgraded and better performing Quick Releases for the critical speed in setup, safety and performance.
• Like most tinkerers we start with something good. We have learned silk purses doth not make well from sow's ears. They usually winds up as pig parts.

LEGS - BOGEN-MANFROTTO  NO COMPROMISE HERE:
We'll start with the legs.  I am a dedicated Bogen Manfrotto user. Have been for thirty years. My selection for the best popular basic tripod from a good family heritage of tripods is a Bogen/Manfrotto 3021PRO or for those concerned with weight, the similar 055 in the Carbon Fiber series.. Just enough for me. I love it for it's simplicity.  It's also reasonably priced.  When a pair of legs cost more than a lens , I draw the line.  Just call it unreasonably priced.

I don't need the all little bells and whistles from some manufacturers that promise incredible results, lighter models made from state of the art alchemy, with fancier footwork, lots of hype and it still wobbles like a drunk. I don't trust many of the heads and releases especially those of plastic. You may quote my colorful English, "I don't care what they call their plastic, even if it's called Titanium Plastic, the stuff is still crap when it comes to tripods".  I boil when I see 4000 dollars worth of metal and glass perched on a dime store pod. 

The one thing about a good tripod is that it will last forever if taken care of. Rarely do they suffer the indignation of destruction unless they topple off the Grand Canyon or you used it behind your tire to stop your car from rolling backwards or worse wanted a nice head on shot of a train, standing on the tracks as shown in the picture below. Yes that's my 3021 done as a gag shot for one of my classes.  It was about the need for a pod with the longer glass and depth of field. If you look carefully you can read the guys mind starring at me in the distance.
 
Since my backpacking days are limited and I have a cart I use for seminars, a few ounces here or there don't phase me. As far as quality, I'll never knock a Gitzo, that's Bogens sister high line from France.  Some people truly appreciate the pride of ownership in fine things till it gets knocked over and gets the first scratch, after that it's simply their tripod.   Scratches are a badge of honor for a tripod. You got to have some or you look like a newbie.  It just hurts more when you scratch the 650 dollar tripod or dent it with the car door. 

But if I balance cost vs. features/ benefits, Bogen's line is a winner. In construction, pricing, attachments, flexibility and service.  That's it simply put. I call it "bang for the buck". 

And accessories galore, I gave little thought for the hand warmers for those frigid Florida winters with the Carbon legs BUT those hand warmers are nice when you shoulder the tripod with camera attached.  So I went carbon fiber with three leg sections.  The 055 MF3 and ordered the OPTIONAL leg warmer and the super short center head support. It was that or hack the center support down and that's stupid for studio work where you need it.

Basically it is steady as a rock even with a fairly heavy camera aboard, works well, very well made, easy to maintain, does vertical and horizontal, (two legs on ground, one against a wall) you can adjust for wear and REASONABLY priced.  The 3021 (AL-uminum) and the 055 (EL-Carbone) legs series splay outward, lower to the ground, also have four steps or positions  you can select, and rises to six feet.  Both EL and AL ( a plug for the safest airline) are light BUT there are two quirks.  My Goodness. Negatives, unheard of in the write up business.

Yes, Bogens with the clamp fitting will  pincer your finger till you learn how to open and close them properly. Once you get in the habit of doing it right it is faster than a speeding bullet.  But the tab release type lock to me is better for the long run than the round collets when they jam or inject sand and you really want to call the collet type names.  The EL-Carbone (055) is stiff and closes stiff.  I am used to the aluminum model. I would take the aluminum legs, invert the pod, open the locks and it close in a milli-second. Not so with the carbon fiber.  Hopefully it's just new and needs to wear a little.  With this completed, part one of the case is closed. I ordered the Bogen 055 (Carbon) three section (didn't want a four piece, more parts more things to go wrong).   NOW as you all know I never leave anything alone as we call in KIRK ENTERPRISES for the other half.

The Perfect TRIPOD - The Head
HEAD - 486 R2 BOGEN BALL HEAD combined with KIRK Plate.
I had on hand a Bogen Compact Ball Head  Part 486RC from a previous order so I decided to use it since the older 306RC went with the other tripod I gave to a friend.  I put the package together and grabbed my D2H and Nikon 70-200 VR and headed out for Busch Gardens. To achieve this, You need to attach the plate (3157N) to the removable foot of the Nikon lens. 

Observation and panic: The lower phenolic ball head of the 486RC works fine. For an economy head the product is great. BUT the Quick Release did not impress me and this was the reason for the upgrade in the first place. It, the plate part, will swivel, mucho el bado. It will work loose. And you can lose a 1460.00 lens.

The bigger lenses have too much leverage for the head of the RC2 release. I tried anti-seize bike tube rubber, nope, I made an intermediary plate, nope,  and milled out the RC2, but it raised the whole thing too high. The only option was to upsize. BUT lets say I didn't want a fat head. Now let me make this clear. I like the 486 but I didn't like the combo of the Quick Release on that lens and that head. Imagine the 400 on a setup like this.  Too many connections to make this work.

SOLUTION:
I stripped off the plate top of the 486, it unscrews leaving a nice 3/8 screw thread.  I ordered from  KIRK ENTERPRISES  a new Quick Release  bottom plate with SWISS-ARCA type mount, 3/8 inch threads, a little Locktite blue and I'm in business.   Cost 85.00.  It works on the Bogen-Manfrotto ball head like that glove worked at the O.J. Simpson trial. I also ordered two plates for my cameras, my D2 Nikons and one for the Nikon 70-200VR, plus a blank simple plate for my Fuji 9000 car camera.

The problem with Bogens mount and the Nikon foot is too many components. The combo creates a series of parts that can come loose at:  the tripod collar, the foot that connects to the tripod collar,  the  plate that connects to the foot, the same plate that now connects to the head. 

All in all, four connections.  I couldn't live with this. As the sworn Guru of Gadgeteering, all my instincts turned to full alert and the quest (and my Paypal account) was on.  Graphically, it looks like this and the Kirk solution removes two problems. Too many connections that can loosen and drop the gear. The Kirk Plate eliminates one complete plate and head assembly from the "stack", thus you get more stability and less top weight and wobbles. It does lower the profile. The Kirk foot is heavier and more robust than the Nikon foot which with one touch can send the lens slipping off.

KIRK  ENTERPRISES    KIRK ENTERPRISES  
They are manufacturers who found a niche amongst photographers who demand a higher level of perfection in the equipment they use. And they are perfectionists in the quality of the gear they manufacture.  Combined it's problem solving and continuity in quality control.  Their Warranty speaks for itself. The quality of every product manufactured by Kirk Enterprises is fully guaranteed to the original owner for five years from purchase date. If a Kirk-manufactured product fails because of a manufacturing or material defect, they will repair it or replace it at their option.

KIRK is a system of components that you tailor to your needs. Custom-designed, 6061 aluminum and hard anodized. And they deal direct via the internet. To go really top end on this we have to spend a few dollars for the upgrade because you just don't change one part. Once you get started in a system, you have to stick with that system.  Fortunately it's only 50-60 dollars or so if you change mounts or bodies.  This frequently happens in today's market. There is a waiting group looking to buy what you don't need anymore so in reality KIRK products may just be one of the most advantageous buys you can make.

The Bogen Quick releases worked fine for me. I used them in a hundred different setups even taking the plates, drilling holes in them and mounting them on walls to hang fast on-fast off flashes.  I have cut, drilled, tapped, filed, epoxied, countersunk, and mutilated the release and plates to about every shape possible.  I have mounted the head on monopods, light brackets and about every piece of metal in my shop.

But they don't do the job with my heavier favorite lens and camera setups and that's the Nikon D2H with the 12-24, 17-55 2.8 and the 70-200 VR 2.8 lens. Those are my money makers. Now all the lenses with tripod collars and all my bodies will work the same.  I will now convert the Monopods I have to the same head plate.

WARNING:  These products ( camera plates and lens plates) from KIRK will be hazardous to your pocket change.
About three hundred dollars to change your world and thinking.  Once you go and use them, you will become a believer. They are addictive. Price is justified by quality. Till I personally started using one, I too took the frugal way out. Couple of close calls changed my mind. Granted, it took a few days in the field to get used to the different feel both with the head and the tripod, but I really enjoy it now. And knowing I could sell off their product and get 70-80% return on the dollar makes the KIRK products an investment.

Specific Combination recommendation:

1) Kirks QRC 2.5 (2 1/2 inch) Standard Quick Release. I used the 486RC Ball head and unscrewed the RC2 leaving the correct thread for the Kirk plate to fit. NO WORK. Two drops of Blue  (NOT RED)  on the Manfrotto 055 Carbon Fiber and it mated beautifully.

2) Kirks LP-45, which is a QR Plate Replaces the Nikon Foot at $70.00. This is a must have.

3) Kirks NK-70-200.  See picture. This is a must have modified Knob for the Nikkor 70-200mm f2.8 VR AFS lens.  It costs $15.00 and is easy to install, machined 6061T6 aluminum. It adds half an inch, in an easy to grip knurled pattern. 1/2 ounce to this heavy lens so the additional weight is irrelevant. You save that by removing the dead weight of the Nikon foot.0.5 ounces.

4) Kirks PZ-86 Camera Plate for Nikon D2H/X I use with short lens's for 55.00. 
5) Kirks PZ-110 Camera plate for my D200 I use all the time in the house for small studio work.

 

TIP OF THE WEEK