sjms wrote:
somewhat overly simplified point of reference/reasoning.
weight- the avg difference in weight is 20%+ in favor of composite. what you can also get with that wgt reduction is a reduction in overall volume of the tripod in the same support class. support class including weight , rigidity and structural size.
stability- is a combination of factors. weight alone does not a stable tripod make. now we all carry just a little more with us in I favorite bags. the bag itself is relatively heavy and of the dead weight category. it generally does nothing while shooting. most modern tripods have the hook on the bottom of the centerpost or platform plate. simply add the weight to the tripod. with a strap keeping the mass on the ground from swinging. it works and it works well.
there is always somewhat of a compromise between weight and stability. if you get the right balance and keep it light, more compact and rigid (in its class) you will be more likely to use it more often due to its relative portability and usability.
surveyors tripods- now that's a mixed bag as there are more then a few out in the market place including composite ones (not necessarily CF). one generally does not tend to carry these and the instrument more then to and from a vehicle and limited distances.
Flex- a properly designed and executed composite/CF tripod will flex less then any alloy tripod around. there are other factors then just the tubes that account for the degree of flex in a tripod. the fiber structure in a composite fishing rod is specifically designed/engineered to flex and bend a certain way section by section. this structure is also very different from one used in a tripod leg that is one of the advantages of composite technology you can tune it to what you want it to do.
activation time- are you in a race? another member of an Olympic speed tripod setup team? yes those al tubes drop down easily with that considerable slop. but then the price is paid in a substantially less rigid coupling between sections and additional overall flex. over time and not necessarily long as you anodizing wears. corrosion can form and slow things down too. the setup time differences will vary with the individual. but yes an alloy tripod with slop will win this really important race.
locks and tightening- if you can crush a composite tube with the locking mechanism it is using i'll be impressed with your prowess and lack of thought as these don't require anywhere near the force to lock up the tubing sections. in addition I'd say there is a chance you might have done a bit of damage to the locking mechanism in the process.
your reference to "graphite rods" is inappropriate.
regretfully it seems your knowledge of use of composites is somewhat limited.
now I will admit that there is a fair amount of questionable product out there but its on both sides of the spectrum.
in a studio environment pretty much all the advantages of CF/composite are reduced to literally nil.
I think you as an engineer you need to review the advances that have been made in composite technology in the past 5 years. its really cool. pricing is also coming down but it won't be for some time due to the customizability of the product matrix.
so far as product goes in photography,as a tool, your choice of tripod (except for a select few) will remain consistent for a longer period of time vs your cameras and even lenses.
that being said, you will end up using what you are willing to carry. ...Show more →
I won't disagree that the carbon rods used in tripod are different from fishing rod, but to think that the tripod rods are the same or has the same properties and performance as those use in the aircraft industry, you are very wrong.
You work in the aircraft industry (I am just assuming) and should know that those materials are classified as non-exportable without US government approval, it can not only be use in the aircraft industry, it can also be use in the nuclear industry. We know what it can do or cannot do because we are also a low cost partner in the JSF F-35 program (We will buy it when it is ready and needed to replace our F-15SG one of the most advance eagles ever built other than the F-15K, but will not throw in money to the bottomless pit with years of cost overrun). My son is flying trainers that were also use by the US and European air forces that were totally built with composite skin to minimize radar signature and weight to conserve fuel.
No, they all flexes if it is hollow.
You should also know that the wings of the B787 Dreamliner also flexes like the wings of the bird, and the fleet of F-22 Raptors were grounded for a period of time due to cracks found on composite parts.
I don't think we need to go any further to prove how much one knows.
As for using the camera bag to weight down the tripod will not work with strong gust of wind, the stripe or string that one used to weight it down will vibrate like a guitar string bringing the vibration up to the camera.
On a windy night try taking a picture of the full moon and see what you can get.
The decision still goes with the one who spend their money, and that is why I never put in a conclusion or recommendation for what one should buy.
For me I have big ones, small one, long ones, short ones, light ones, heavy ones, curly legged one and single legged thing that we call monopods. There is no such thing as one size fits all type of tripod.
you might say that. i have spent 26 year in commercial aviation in the maintenance end making up for many an engineers ideas. i see the results of real world usage. i am intimately familiar with the 777 (fleet of 22) and 787 (only 5 for now) being trained at Boeing Longacres and one of the lead ground engineers for those fleets for my company. also worked on the first successful proof of concept commercial GPS landing system.
lots of Janes, AWST, and generalized info does not make one knowledgeable. have you worked on them or worked with any composites?
there are many places and many ways of working with composites. not all composites are restricted from sale abroad. don't play the game of extremes. many of the 787 components are based on concepts and then have gone further. what a difference a little bit of time makes.
and you don't think alloy tripod legs vib under wind load?
its not just doing its knowing how to make it work
sjms wrote:
ok you want to play. i have spent 26 year in commercial aviation in the maintenance end making up for many an engineers ideas. i am intimately familiar with the 777 (fleet of 22)and 787 (only 5 for now) being trained at Boeing Longacres and one of the lead ground engineers for those fleets for my company. also worked on the first successful proof of concept commercial GPS landing system.
lots of Janes and generalized info does not make one knowledgeable. have you worked on them or worked with any composites?
there are many places and many ways of working with composites. not all composites are restricted from sale abroad. don't play the game of extremes. many of the 787 components are based on concepts and then have gone further. what a difference a little bit of time makes.
and you don't think alloy tripod legs vib under wind load?
its not just doing its knowing how to make it work
you still need to do some reading and learning. ...Show more →
If you knew the clearance or projects that I was approved to work on by your government will put you red blooded true American to shame.
We have a whole Aerospace industry here with big names like Aerospatiale, Airbus, Bell, Boeing, Fokker, Pratt & Whitney, Rockwell, Rolls-Royce...that have people having more knowledge than you think you do.
Since you're trained by Boeing, just check with them which part of the B787 were build in Singapore.
What about GPS that my former US company helps to develop and put up satellites for your government? Not only ultra-light aircrafts have them now-a-days, almost all car and even motorbike in Singapore have them, so really nothing new here.
Maybe you should come over here to have a look and find out for yourself that it is not as backward looking as you think it is. The first thing you'll see here is that every taxi had one installed.
actually if you can talk about you having a high clearance it wasn't that high
on GPS and its usage. I was referring to GPS/GNS commercial precision approach to replace ILS back in 1998. demonstrated proof of concept and handed it off to the powers that be. now these days its commercial apps for the tag on L signals.
I am aware of the initiative over there. you have some of the best money can buy. it is a beautiful modern city state except for that new casino. that ones a stretch for style it is also just a bit too warm for me. got close though had to spend a few days in KL to recover an aircraft. and that was warm enough.
my job is not to know it all. I have been humbled too many times by these machines. I do know is who to call to get the right answer when i'm stump'd its needed though. these days I'd rather be out shooting. got 2 months vac per year and 6-7 years to go.
I may sacrifice myself for Angkor Wat though.
oh, while your flying on an A380 don't look to hard it its wings.
What high clearance?
Just clearance as in going to the toilet to relieve myself hearing 2 stupid US embassy staffs talking about meeting up with a gulf war operative in transition. They were wondering if he is going back to the gulf or back to the states. I would have told them that he is going over to the Korean peninsular to shut them up.
And guess where they're talking? At a public toilet at the Marina Bay Sand Casino where I can look out through a one-way door and they don't even know BOND, JAMES BOND was there cooling off from the outside heat. That is what they called high clearance that they were holding, permission to discuss confidential information in public toilets
I just hope someone with the US secret service see this and give them a good lecture on clearance rating.
If I am working for the FSB, they will have 2 dead agents sleeping in the toilet, and that will make it a highly secure area with police and FBI tapes all over it.
Totally agree with you regarding the casino that they allow to build here, most of the righteous population including those within the ruling party objected to it.
And finally about looking at the A380 wings, isn't that suppose to flip like birds in the air? I thought so!
You have a good weekend there!
yes those al tubes drop down easily with that considerable slop. but then the price is paid in a substantially less rigid coupling between sections and additional overall flex. over time and not necessarily long as you anodizing wears. corrosion can form and slow things down too. the setup time differences will vary with the individual. but yes an alloy tripod with slop will win this really important race. 
