Re: [Leica] tabletop tripod

["Roland Smith" <roland@dnai.com>]

My wife just made a bean bag for me with tiny plastic beads as a filling.
It is quite light and appears to steady the camera well while allowing easy
shifting to get the proper framing and leveling. Also, it will serve as a
cushion in my bag with camera and lenses.

I am going to try to use it for those times I don't want to take time for a
tripod.

Roland Smith
roland@dnai.com
- ----- Original Message -----
From: Mike Quinn <mlquinn@san.rr.com>
To: <leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us>
Sent: Sunday, January 09, 2000 5:54 PM
Subject: Re: [Leica] tabletop tripod


> on 1/9/00 10:29 PM, D Khong at dkhong@pacific.net.sg wrote:
>
> > There are the older version table tripods with shorter "column" and the
> > current one with the longer stem. Are there any practical differences
> > between using one compared to the other?
>
> I carried one of the old ones with a small ball head in my bag for years.
I
> cursed the weight most of the time, and really appreciated it when it was
> needed. Now I tend to leave it at home except on trips and curse myself
for
> not having it...
>
> Column length is important, but there's a weight and cost trade-off. On my
> version, column length is controlled by the ball head.
>
> With the small ball head (less expensive, lighter weight, short column)
the
> camera sits very close to the support (table or wall). That can make it
hard
> to get a level field of view without also getting a piece of the support
in
> the frame. It also forces you to really hug the wall and isn't quite long
> enough to use the "Chest support technique" comfortably.
>
> The large ball head is more secure, has a longer column, works better with
> long lenses on a SLR, and seems better in all ways except that it weighs
and
> costs more (and I don't have one)...
>
> I'm not sure about a longer column on the tripod rather than on the head.
> Sounds like a good idea, and should make the small ball head more useful.
>
> Mike Quinn
>
>
>