Craig Gillette
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 p.1 #6 · night time shots - tripod spec. | |
While you probably don't need the sheer capacity needed to deal with the heaviest lenses and head rigs used in nature and birding, etc., the possibility exists that at some point you may decide to move into fancier panoramic gear. This could push into the heavier gear realms as well. However, if you don't look at that as an immediate possibility, a lighter tripod may do OK.
But, night shots can be longer exposures so resistance to wind pressures, vibration damping remains important. 4 section tripods collapse more compactly for carting about, they add some added fussiness in that you end up with more secitions to deal within clamping/unclamping. So perhaps you'd find them somewhat slower.
"Footprint?" Unfortunately I don't think you'll find a lot of difference in space taken up by different tripods. The default angle is generally the same within a brand and I'd expect pretty much the same across brands. If you narrow the angle, you reduce stability, if you widen the angle and/or reduce extension and try to make it up with the center column, you increase vibration problems.
So, if you should decide to go with Gitzo, pretty much all of them would have the same footprint at the same height. Aluminum would be least expensive, heavier and more prone to vibration than basalt/lava then carbon fiber. The same would generally hold true across the Bogen or Giottos selections as well (and I'd expect so of the brands I haven't seen as much of).
With landscapes and panoramas, use of leveling heads or similar devices can make it easier to keep horizons level or to make stitches easier.
Edited on Nov 16, 2007 at 06:25 PM
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