Home · Register · Join Upload & Sell

Moderated by: Fred Miranda
Username  

  New fredmiranda.com Mobile Site
  New Feature: SMS Notification alert
  New Feature: Buy & Sell Watchlist
  

FM Forums | General Gear-talk | Join Upload & Sell

1      
2
       3       4       end
  

Archive 2012 · RRS Versa 24L and RRS BH 55? You like?

  
 
sjms
Offline
• • • • • • •
Upload & Sell: On
p.2 #1 · p.2 #1 · RRS Versa 24L and RRS BH 55? You like?


you are doing a little bit of weather-vaning. what exactly are you looking for in the set? what are the attributes you are looking for?


Jul 11, 2012 at 09:50 PM
Dennis M 1064
Offline
• •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.2 #2 · p.2 #2 · RRS Versa 24L and RRS BH 55? You like?


Stability, portability ( a compromise between the two leaning towards stability) ease and smoothness operation. I have to buy things pretty much on the opinions of others, combined with research. I have been out of photography for over a decade. Since funds are rather difficult to come by and a long time in arriving, I want to make sure I get it as close to right as possible. It is a bit nerve racking, as professional gear is incredibly expensive. But if I don't make the jump now. . .I never will.

I would like to have something I can pack around, stuff in a suitcase for airline travel, big enough to work very well, but not so big that I end up leaving it in the truck. Hopefully it can handle a larger prime lens, in fair weather.

I used to back my 35mm film camera, a Sinar studio 4x5 and a studio Bogen tripod (aluminum) around, so I can handle a beefier carbon fiber tripod and head. John Shaw uses the setup I am inquiring about, and I understand that he is a bit particular about stability. I was hoping to see how other Pro's feel about that combination. I know a photographer in Washington that hates the RRS ball head and loves the Kirk. I never heard anyone say they "hate" the RRS head, so that was a bit . . . interesting. I can only do this once, and I am putting together a pretty expensive camera package. Just want as much info as possible. I live in the country in southern Maine, and after 12 years. . .know nobody, let alone professional phtographers in the area. But, I have you guys!

Hope that clears it up. And that was a very good question.

Cheers,
Dennis



Jul 12, 2012 at 04:57 AM
sjms
Offline
• • • • • • •
Upload & Sell: On
p.2 #3 · p.2 #3 · RRS Versa 24L and RRS BH 55? You like?


i know some people that have used the AS B1 design of ballhead and find the RRS design difficult to accept. in fact the RRS design is for the most part the first departure from the AS design in the field of what i consider usable compact design ballheads. Kirk, markins (i have an M10), benro, photo clam, and about a dozen or so more took on the basic AS look and feel. RRS decided to do it a little different. i prefer the lower profile and the control design. some will make a pitch for the AS eliptical ball idea being the greatest. that got them in to issues with the early B1 which i also had and it was not my favorite. RRS equipment to me are some of the most thoughtful and thoughout designs around. i myself use what i need from them as i do not collect it so i don't have a lot of it. but what i do have has always done the job it was designed to and if i had an issue it was resolved by them.

you mention here your past use of equipment and the ability to handle a beefier CF tripod. well then i suggest for the best stability in every situation the TVC 33 or 34. and then the head of your choice that will match your needs over a broader range. this would be a no compromise other then weight/bulk (this will still be lighter and less bulkier then the others. i use the TVC33 w/BH55. throw on a Sidekick and your covered from end to end up to 500mm. i have the BH55 since it first came out and i have one of the original TVC33's. the best generalist setup i have ever used.

i do close up work so i wanted a support setup that was versatile in positioning. the Gitzo GT2540ex gives me that ability due to its design. along with a BH40 head i can position a body and any macro lens i use to just about in any position i need. it is a slower to use tripod but does what others cannot. i also used this for air travel due to its lower profile then the TVC33 setup though it isn't that much lighter. its been around the world a few times. still the most used.

i have recently purchased what is considered a travel class set of legs. and yes i did end up with RRS again due to the way they think. the TQC14. they balance support with function eliminate what can be considered as compromise in the class of tool it is. they may not be the lightest but they will do the job well beyond the rest. but not what you'd be looking for.

i gravitate to what i consider to be good design. in the work i am involved in i have seen both the good and less then optimal under the most challenging situations long term. my comfort range for gear is somewhat wider then some because i have an understanding of it actual design and usefullness.

in the end a TVC24 and a Markins Q10 (the classic AS type look and feel) would do you well if the BH40 does nothing for you. the BH55 and 40 have a different "feel" to each other so you know which you are using. in the end its whatever you feel the most comfortable with.

my one and only shot of my TVC setup
http://i.pbase.com/o2/89/44489/1/120334885.kjWHdnAy._DS32033.jpg

shot using the GT2540ex BH40 combo in a pile of boulders 4s at f16
http://ic2.pbase.com/g4/89/44489/2/137401379.RUOX1e5N.jpg




Edited on Jul 12, 2012 at 07:41 AM · View previous versions



Jul 12, 2012 at 06:33 AM
Dennis M 1064
Offline
• •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.2 #4 · p.2 #4 · RRS Versa 24L and RRS BH 55? You like?


Yeah, that is a sweet looking rig.

You bring up a very good point. I have been driving trucks (18 wheelers) for about 8 years now, (hoping to shoot my way out of it over the next 5 years or so) and I usually drive a 2009 Volvo tractor. We just got a couple 2012's in and they moved things around a bit. I keep reaching for the dashboard to flip on the Jake Brake, and it is now on the steering column. Little things like that. It is frustrating, as I bounce back and forth between trucks. So, if you get used to a particular manufacturers design, i.e. Kirk, and then try an RSS and the RSS is significantly different, you likely won't appreciate it unless it's design overcomes an objection you had to the Kirk.

So really, I should not have any issues with design or ergonomics, since I'm not changing from any manufacturer, with the exception of Bogen and that was over a decade ago. That tripod is available for sale by the way I think it is about 19 pounds.

I have to admit, there is something about the smaller company size of RRS, plus their reputation, plus being a USA company, and not too big for their britches that I really like. Kind of like things are being made for you personally. though they really aren't. Yeah, I know. . .that's just a little weird.



Jul 12, 2012 at 06:58 AM
sjms
Offline
• • • • • • •
Upload & Sell: On
p.2 #5 · p.2 #5 · RRS Versa 24L and RRS BH 55? You like?


my brother runs sand and gravel on Long Island

RRS takes pride in their products and it shows.



Jul 12, 2012 at 07:01 AM
Dennis M 1064
Offline
• •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.2 #6 · p.2 #6 · RRS Versa 24L and RRS BH 55? You like?


Hmmm. . .18 wheeler through a Maine blizzard. . .or sand and gravel on Long Island. . .thinking. . .thinking. . .! I'll take the blizzard!


Jul 12, 2012 at 07:40 AM
sjms
Offline
• • • • • • •
Upload & Sell: On
p.2 #7 · p.2 #7 · RRS Versa 24L and RRS BH 55? You like?


i'll agree with you though the smallest thing i move is a B767 taxiing around the airport to and from maintenance locations in all weather. we have special tractors but in bad weather taxiing is considered the preferred/safest method. a little bothersome for me though.


Jul 12, 2012 at 07:44 AM
Dennis M 1064
Offline
• •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.2 #8 · p.2 #8 · RRS Versa 24L and RRS BH 55? You like?


The largest thing I taxied was a Piper Seminole! Even with a tug, a 767 is a lot of plane to move around. Atleast then, you have better visibility. From the cockpit. . .you really have to know your place in space!

that waterfall photo is very nice indeed. That is a long exposure, judging by the amount of daylight, and the flow of the falls. The tree branches on the deadfall shows zero movement. Nice.

Aren't the TVC24, Versa 24L and the GT 2540 all pretty much in the same class? If so, is it just personal preference at that point.

I think it will be a very long time before I get a 500 prime. I think for travel, I may lean towards the 24 series over the 33. I think packing it into the woods would be a little easier, no? That and dealing with the airlines. If I get to the point that I can afford a 500, then I will hopefully be able to afford a bigger set of sticks. That is my train of thought at the moment. . .just prior to derailment.




Jul 12, 2012 at 08:02 AM
sjms
Offline
• • • • • • •
Upload & Sell: On
p.2 #9 · p.2 #9 · RRS Versa 24L and RRS BH 55? You like?


actually you have about a 120 deg angle of view with and only with a right seater in addition you have no rear view mirrors. on a turn the tail "grows" 50 ft.

the TVC24 is a cut above the GT25xx series. closer to the GT35xx. i have had the GT2540ex for years before the RRS product came out. in addition the ex is an explorer tripod with infinite leg angle adjustment instead of specific set angles. also the centerpost angle adjustable roughly 180 deg vertical axis and spins 360 on the horizontal. a more labor intensive setup but allows within its movement pretty specific positioning. no reason to replace because there is no replacement at this point.

the 24 legset is your sweetspot. just the appropriate head is the final question.

by the way, just in case, gitzo short spikes screw in perfectly and replace the original RRS feet and have nice rubber feet that pop on and off as needed. i have them on my TVC and TQC.



Jul 12, 2012 at 08:23 AM
Dennis M 1064
Offline
• •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.2 #10 · p.2 #10 · RRS Versa 24L and RRS BH 55? You like?


Only 50 feet Like a long tailed cat in a rocking chair factory!

I'm going to look at those very carefully and chat with RRS as well. I really appreciate your taking the time.







Jul 12, 2012 at 08:56 AM
peter_n
Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.2 #11 · p.2 #11 · RRS Versa 24L and RRS BH 55? You like?


sjms wrote:
by the way, just in case, gitzo short spikes screw in perfectly and replace the original RRS feet and have nice rubber feet that pop on and off as needed. i have them on my TVC and TQC.


It seems like the 3/8"-16 size has become a standard for tripod feet/spikes. Gitzo and RRS feet and spikes will screw into a lot of the Chinese tripods too. I'm using the spikes that came with my Benro on my Gitzo systematic.




Jul 12, 2012 at 09:09 AM
sjms
Offline
• • • • • • •
Upload & Sell: On
p.2 #12 · p.2 #12 · RRS Versa 24L and RRS BH 55? You like?


are you using thick alloy washers to support it edge to edge? the reason gitzo put the washers in was to spread the loading, which is multi-angle, over the base of the threaded foot area so it does not deform or break out (depending on how you abuse it). the washers are threaded and thick alloy so they to do not deform hence making a nice monolithic foot structure and supports the rubber boot. you'll see that also in the RRS design spikes (a little overkill for me) and the rock claws though it is integrated rather then seperate.







Jul 12, 2012 at 09:19 AM
peter_n
Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.2 #13 · p.2 #13 · RRS Versa 24L and RRS BH 55? You like?


Yes.


http://www.nolan.com/forum_imgs/spikes_washers_close-up.jpg





Jul 12, 2012 at 09:33 AM
sjms
Offline
• • • • • • •
Upload & Sell: On
p.2 #14 · p.2 #14 · RRS Versa 24L and RRS BH 55? You like?


yery good very good. now all you need are the the overboots and its all integrated and never really needs to come off. and no i haven't lost one yet. i do have spares.


Jul 12, 2012 at 09:37 AM
sjms
Offline
• • • • • • •
Upload & Sell: On
p.2 #15 · p.2 #15 · RRS Versa 24L and RRS BH 55? You like?


Dennis M 1064 wrote:
Only 50 feet Like a long tailed cat in a rocking chair factory!

I'm going to look at those very carefully and chat with RRS as well. I really appreciate your taking the time.




some on the B777 too. one must be situationally aware or one makes a big expensive mess.



Jul 12, 2012 at 09:51 AM
sjms
Offline
• • • • • • •
Upload & Sell: On
p.2 #16 · p.2 #16 · RRS Versa 24L and RRS BH 55? You like?


Dennis M 1064 wrote:
Only 50 feet Like a long tailed cat in a rocking chair factory!

I'm going to look at those very carefully and chat with RRS as well. I really appreciate your taking the time.




errata correction: it the wingtips that "grow" 50 ft. brain dead this morning. the geometry on the B777 is the same but not so on the B747. on the 747 if the nose makes the turn the the wintips make it too



Jul 12, 2012 at 09:55 AM
Dennis M 1064
Offline
• •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.2 #17 · p.2 #17 · RRS Versa 24L and RRS BH 55? You like?


Thanks for the 747 tip. I'll keep that in mind if I decide to take one for a joy ride

"You can make it through there Cole, I feel it in my heart!"



Jul 12, 2012 at 10:14 AM
Beni
Offline
• • • • • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.2 #18 · p.2 #18 · RRS Versa 24L and RRS BH 55? You like?


sjms wrote:
no it does not. there is no movement of the ball in the socket once it is locked. settling is an issue that is brought about by mostly the human intervention and movement of support and lift with release. settling is not just the ballhead but the entire tripod/camera assy and how it is handled.

a very simple test for settling as in further ball movement after locking is as follows:

put your camera into position. lock up the ball as you would when ready to shoot.but do not release your load from it. have somone with a sharpie run a
...Show more

Never happened with my Manfrotto 468MG head. Mine does slip, period.



Jul 12, 2012 at 12:36 PM
sjms
Offline
• • • • • • •
Upload & Sell: On
p.2 #19 · p.2 #19 · RRS Versa 24L and RRS BH 55? You like?


so you are saying that the ball physically slips in the socket when properly tightened? and you have tested this using the simple line test?

if it actually does why haven't you returned it to RRS for repair or replacement (Question Mark)?



Jul 12, 2012 at 08:35 PM
Beni
Offline
• • • • • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.2 #20 · p.2 #20 · RRS Versa 24L and RRS BH 55? You like?


Not when properly tightened, due to the tightening and then only a really tiny amount. However it's there.


Jul 13, 2012 at 12:31 AM
1      
2
       3       4       end




FM Forums | General Gear-talk | Join Upload & Sell

1      
2
       3       4       end
    
 

You are not logged in. Login or Register

Username       Or Reset password



This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.