Bobarino Offline Upload & Sell: Off
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Of course, its' not only with video's and pano's;,, when it boils down to "you need the height to get a specific shot", you either do it, or you forget about the shot.
Two of my Systematics measure roughly 54" tall. (GT-5532s and GT-4452TS) Add the leveling base and ball-head, and my D810's viewfinder is eye-level,,,,perfect for me,,,,when I'm standing on level ground.(I'm 5'10") Throw a slope/uneven ground into the equation however, with me standing on the high-ground side, and there'll be times I most definitely would appreciate a few inches of center-column,,, especially the way the Gitzo Systematic columns are built, with the lock-collar assembly permanently attached to the top-plate. I'm not certain what the tube diameter is on the 5-series column, but if it's the same as the top leg-section on the 5-series tripod, it's 1.62" if I remember correctly, and the payload is 88 lbs..
What it boils down to I think, is that a lot of these center-column 'issues' are overblown and generalized, with smaller/lighter-duty assemblies in mind.. It believe it depends on the build design-quality and strength of the individual column assembly concerned.
As for leveling bases,I can't imagine not using one ,,, or at the very least, having it handy,,,unless I'm on a level surface and using Live-View.That's a personal choice of course. Because of the somewhat limited height of my tripods,,, I need the extra 1.5-1.7" of height that the leveling base gives me, in order to get my viewfinders to eye-level. My back is shot, and shooting stooped-over is a real no-no. Now mind you,,,if I were to add a 5-series center-column to my GT-5532s, with no leveling base,,,,that center-column assembly alone, even with the column fully down, adds several inches of height. In that sense, I don't even need to raise the column, to get a height benefit.
Additionally, that center column has a hook, while the GSLVLS leveling base does not, and I believe the RRS bowl-mounted leveling base doesn't either.
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