p.2 #1 · now here's a table top tripod (actually a hi hat)
i have no problem promoting RRS because they do make the best all around product that they are experts in. and they make, to me, most wannabe's look like knuckleheads. they are a big push in a world full of inertia. and this is the reason why they survive under some trying circumstances. but i do keep an open mind and i do use other equipment without the RRS logo because they just don't make everything that i need to do a job at times.
there will be times that i may need a particular piece of gear for a limited use situation or longer term. if this item we refering to can do the job that i need either short or long term it will be gotten and used. i do give every maker of gear that fits my scope of use the opportunity to prove themselves. as with all gear its a combination of all aspects of the transaction. ability to do the job vs cost vs other competing products and their highlights. many factors.
i can appreciate your displeasure with Benro products. but i'll look and make a final decision as i said when i see it it real life nothing more nothing less. at this point it "looks good on paper" you might be right or you might be wrong.they are backed by a stable and good distributer being the MAC group.
by the way, i do believe that i have mentioned this before awhile back. just in case i'll try again. it is "sjms" not "SJMS". it's simply my initials and i'm not screaming them. no need for the caps lock here. you can also reference it on the left side whenever you're ever in doubt on my ID moniker. again, just for reference.
p.2 #2 · now here's a table top tripod (actually a hi hat)
Didn't realize your aversion to all caps -- didn't really think about it one way or another, and no insult intended. Perhaps I was envisioning it Gitzo style, emblazoned on a Benro tripod, which would of course require all caps.
(that's a joke)
I have no problem with RRS products, and respect them (though I do have some hesitance about the owner, as we've discussed before). They are obviously at the other end of the spectrum from a generic shop like Benro, which will matter more in some circumstances than others.
As an aside, I would not be surprised to see RRS move into higher end video support gear. They've got the manufacturing and design chops to whittle away at the entry to the high end, challenging Vinten, Sachtler, etc. DSLR video doesn't require massive gear, but it reveals support flaws very quickly. RRS could probably develop a 100/150mm bowl tripod without breaking a sweat, and it would be really interesting to see them take a crack at the fluid head market. It's obviously a growing segment, and there's still a pretty big gap between the basic Manfrotto fluid heads (which are cheap and functional, but not exactly refined or precise) and the good stuff.
p.2 #4 · now here's a table top tripod (actually a hi hat)
Hi,
An interesting thread. However, just a point regarding the Kirk Low Pod, I'm not sure how FOUR feet will make the device "stable on uneven ground" after all that's why tripods are TRIpods.
