Subject: Tripods - Help!!!!
Date: Mar 15 09:31:53 1999
From: Don Baccus - dhogaza at pacifier.com


At 07:00 AM 3/15/99 -0800, Robert Taylor wrote:
>Tyler, Tweets and all others
>
>I understand that Don Baccus is a Pro in photography and I think that he
>would agree with Denny's comments. Why spend hundreds for optics (camera or
>scope) and compromise their capabilities.

Don Baccus (me) freelances occassionally in the national
magazine market, so I'm not really a "professional" in
the sense of making my living at it. On the other hand,
I've been invited to hang prints next year in a show
in Utah along with Art Wolfe, Frans Lanting, and
Arthur Morris so I must be doing something right (i.e.
bribing all the right people :)

But, yes, don't compromise on a tripod. The $125 or
so a Bogen 3021 will seem like a lot to Tyler at the
moment, but the tripod will last for years and years
and is really the best value for the money, sturdy
enough for any spotting scope and for lenses up to
400/5.6 and adequate for a 300/2.8 with a teleconverter.

I only upgraded to a carbon fiber gitzo because I
own a 600/4, and still own one and a half 3021s (they're
like old cars, every once and awhile you need spare
parts).

The Bogen 3001 is adequate for scopes and light
lenses with one very, very important caveat: you
must be a relatively short person for this to be
true. It doesn't raise very high, and in general
you want to minimize center post extension because
raising the center post decreases stability of
the tripod.

So if Tyler's an average height teen boy (aren't
you like 14 or 15, Tyler?), if a 3001 is adequate
in height for him today it will most likely be
too short by the time he graduates from college.
Since a 3021 only costs $25-$30 more than a 3001
(I think) it would seem prudent to buy the taller,
more stable, and yes more heavy (teens don't get
enough exercise today, anyway) 3021 because it
will serve his needs for years and years.



- Don Baccus, Portland OR <dhogaza at pacifier.com>
Nature photos, on-line guides, and other goodies at
http://donb.photo.net