p.3 #1 · BH is blowing out some amazing Gitzo gear
bwcolor wrote:
I purchased the Gitzo 50 year anniversary bundle, but I don’t carry a tripod overseas. Now, with the X2D2 there is even less of a reason to carry a tripod. I just miss out on the 4 second exposures of waterfalls, but that is the compromise. For me, the tripod is for when I travel by car and shoot film. Shots with my wife work the way they do with everyone else.. we ask a stranger to take a picture with our cellphone.. again a compromise.
I can't claim to understand your reasoning, but for sure many people have less needs for tripods than in the past. With lens OS, IBIS, and AI NR for BSI sensors, the game has changed.
I start with the plan to mostly use a tripod unless it is not a good idea (e.g., flying BIFs), but I'm not leaving them all in another country. The only place I never take one is Africa, since it's all beanbags or braced/handheld in the safari vehicles.
and it appears to be on sale, too... HMMMM, looks like a really nice one, but I prefer just a bit taller, but the price, HMMMMM
Storage diameter is listed as 3.31in/84mm compared to "normal tripod" at 4.33in/110mm
Height 23in/58cm
quoting pwschladen:
>>>>>Hi Bruce,
How long is that Artcise CT80C when folded? I couldn’t find that on B&H (“not specified by manufacturer )
I just bought a Gitzo GT2545T bundle and it it impressive but more than I want to carry on vacation so I am starting to think a better strategy is table tripod for overseas travel and something sturdy and inexpensive for the neighborhood and car travel.
quote]OwlsEyes wrote:
Spending the money on a Gitzo product is becoming a harder and harder sale these days. While I still have an old mountaineer series 3 tripod that I use for car-based trips, the original appeal of Gitzo was indestructible units with lifetime repair work. This was true as late as 2010. Now for $700 you get a Series 2 or Series one tripod that doesn't hold up to the wind, and the warranty is very limited. For less than half of that, you can choose from many series 3 tubes with similar build... these, of course, come from Chinese companies. So while I still use my venerable Gitzo, my preferred tripod for anything but the windiest of days is the Arctise CT80C... It's lighter than my Gitzo, collapses into a small diameter, and can be packed into a travel bag when I'm on flights...
p.3 #3 · BH is blowing out some amazing Gitzo gear
EB-1 wrote:
I can't claim to understand your reasoning, but for sure many people have less needs for tripods than in the past. With lens OS, IBIS, and AI NR for BSI sensors, the game has changed.
I start with the plan to mostly use a tripod unless it is not a good idea (e.g., flying BIFs), but I'm not leaving them all in another country. The only place I never take one is Africa, since it's all beanbags or braced/handheld in the safari vehicles.
EBH
The X2D2 IBIS make a tripod just extra weight. I usually don’t use a tripod, even with film, but I don’t have IBIS with my film cameras, so a tripod is sometimes necessary for slow shutter speeds. My Sony gear also has IBIS, but it isn’t as effective as with the Hasselblad. I generally shoot digital when I fly and film when I travel by car.
p.3 #4 · BH is blowing out some amazing Gitzo gear
Unfortunately I agree mostly with your statement about the ibis in the H2d2 however a tripod for many images is preferred for me especially when shooting oceans capes panning, vertical orientation panos, and even low light long exposures of course.
With my Sony gear the use of the longer lenses a tripod of more that a travel tripod produces sharp images especially with wind, with the Hasselblad tripod less so because we don't yet have a longer lens choice except the 135mm which I haven't purchased yet so a 150mm-250mm with tele extension would be ideal for my work.
p.3 #5 · BH is blowing out some amazing Gitzo gear
bwcolor wrote:
The X2D2 IBIS make a tripod just extra weight. I usually don’t use a tripod..
IBIS and other forms of image stabilization go a long ways toward reducing the need for a tripod to stabilize the camera in some situations, but…
1. IBIS reduces but does not eliminate camera motion when shooting handheld. In situations where shooting handheld is typical or even a necessity (street photography, etc.) it can make the image far more stable than if we did not use it, and for that it is a welcome addition.
2. For photography in which absolute image sharpness is critical (say landscape photogrpaphy, architectural photography and similar, where the ability to print large is needed) the tripod can consistently eliminate any blur from camera motion. Even with IBIS there will typically be some, and the consistency of results will be lowered. (You can certainly get some extremely sharp handheld photos with IBIS, but the percentage that aren’t that way increases compared to using a tripod.)
But that’s not the only plus to using a tripod:
1. It is extremely difficult to attend to all elements of a composition while hand holding the camera — what is happening at the edges of the frame, keeping the camera perfectly level, watching your subject for ideal timing, etc. With the camera on the tripod you can carefully and accurately lock in the composition, inspect the image carefully for issues, and hold the camera precisely in the position as you wait for the ideal moment to make the exposure.
2. With the camera on the tripod you can continue to make adjustments to camera settings without altering the composition. You have access ot all camera controls, to things like histogram displays on the rear screen, to magnifified manual focus, aperture rings (on some cameras) and so forth.
Using a tripod is not always better or appropriate, and it can seem cumbersome to drag the thing around and take the extra time to set it up and then stow it when you finish. But while IBIS definitely improves handheld photography, it does not eliminate the advantages of tripods in situations where using one makes sense.
p.3 #6 · BH is blowing out some amazing Gitzo gear
Yeah, image steadiness is only one reason to use a tripod. I use them for consistent, precise composition, especially focus bracketing and panning for stitching, but also long lenses with narrow angles of view. I'd rather carry the weight of a tripod and then let the Earth carry that whole load. It really depends on how mobile you need/want to be.
I'm sure that is quite good as a compact tripod (legs close together) but it doesn't fold over and is short at 48'. Perhaps it's not possible to have both. If it were on sale at half off...
p.3 #9 · BH is blowing out some amazing Gitzo gear
EB-1 wrote:
I'm sure that is quite good as a compact tripod (legs close together) but it doesn't fold over and is short at 48'. Perhaps it's not possible to have both. If it were on sale at half off...
EBH
They make 2 versions, but long one does not fold as compact and is even more expensive
p.3 #10 · BH is blowing out some amazing Gitzo gear
EB-1 wrote:
I'm sure that is quite good as a compact tripod (legs close together) but it doesn't fold over and is short at 48'. Perhaps it's not possible to have both. If it were on sale at half off...
EBH
As with so many generic terms, "travel tripod" covers a lot of (diverse) ground.
For me it means a tripod that I can use occasionally while traveling, which means it only has to be "just good enough," as light as reasonably possible, capable of packing quite small, reasonably stiff for the gear I shoot with while traveling (typically a smaller APS-C system), and tall enough to function but not as tall as a "real' tripod.
For me that means something even higher than that RRS product, in my case a very small Induro tripod equipped with one of the smallest (and not fully adjustable) RRS heads.
If I'm going out do much real, serious tripod-based photography while traveling, I suck it up, bring the larger luggage, and one or more of my regular tripods.
p.3 #11 · BH is blowing out some amazing Gitzo gear
I thought a travel tripod was specifically the kind that folded over to be shorter. Typically I travel with the 3531LS, RRS 75mm leveling base, QR set, BH-55, Sidekicks (for vertical pans), etc. but it's not a travel tripod. It's normally in a 30 or 34' rolling duffel.
p.3 #12 · BH is blowing out some amazing Gitzo gear
I “travel” with some pretty massive piles of gear, too. Soon we’ll be traveling by vehicle to a location for photography, and I’ll bring two complete camera and lens systems and two large tripods. My wife, likewise, will bring two systems plus a large tripod. There’s so much gear that we need an extra-large version of one of those wheeled carts to move it between the vehicle and our lodgings.
But that is “photography that involves travel.”
I suspect that many people are thinking instead about travel that involves some photography, in other words the photography may not be the main activity. We do that, too, and I carry much smaller, and lighter gear and less of it.
p.3 #13 · BH is blowing out some amazing Gitzo gear
gdanmitchell wrote:
IBIS and other forms of image stabilization go a long ways toward reducing the need for a tripod to stabilize the camera in some situations, but…
1. IBIS reduces but does not eliminate camera motion when shooting handheld. In situations where shooting handheld is typical or even a necessity (street photography, etc.) it can make the image far more stable than if we did not use it, and for that it is a welcome addition.
2. For photography in which absolute image sharpness is critical (say landscape photogrpaphy, architectural photography and similar, where the ability to print large is needed) the tripod can consistently eliminate any blur from camera motion. Even with IBIS there will typically be some, and the consistency of results will be lowered. (You can certainly get some extremely sharp handheld photos with IBIS, but the percentage that aren’t that way increases compared to using a tripod.)
But that’s not the only plus to using a tripod:
1. It is extremely difficult to attend to all elements of a composition while hand holding the camera — what is happening at the edges of the frame, keeping the camera perfectly level, watching your subject for ideal timing, etc. With the camera on the tripod you can carefully and accurately lock in the composition, inspect the image carefully for issues, and hold the camera precisely in the position as you wait for the ideal moment to make the exposure.
2. With the camera on the tripod you can continue to make adjustments to camera settings without altering the composition. You have access ot all camera controls, to things like histogram displays on the rear screen, to magnifified manual focus, aperture rings (on some cameras) and so forth.
Using a tripod is not always better or appropriate, and it can seem cumbersome to drag the thing around and take the extra time to set it up and then stow it when you finish. But while IBIS definitely improves handheld photography, it does not eliminate the advantages of tripods in situations where using one makes sense....Show more →
All good points and well said. My declaration was lacking in that it was my perspective, shooting what I shoot and making the compromises I’m willing to make. I never travel with much gear, even when shooting film. I sold all my long telephoto lenses. I never travel alone when overseas and when traveling it is never with another photographer, so setup and photo-centric days are not going to happen. So, I shoot more in a documentary style. If I shoot landscape, it is a fleeting opportunity. Also, I no longer enjoy large/heavy backpacks. So, I automatically lose my serious photographer designation, but I did this long ago when I travelled with one camera and one lens for weeks on end. That said, I do admire many more carefully taken images made by you and others. So, my statement regarding the effectiveness of the X2D2’s IBIS was based on what and how I shoot and is an insufficient approach to photography for the more serious photographers.
This reminds me of my last road trip. I took my Mamiya 7ii and a couple of lenses. I could have used a tripod on this trip in that I was shooting rather low ISO film. This was in my mind when I ordered the Gitzo kit. My friend flew in with his year old, but unused M11 Monochrom and a couple of lenses. We went from Texas to Oregon and he pulled out his M11 once and shot a couple of images. He was totally into shooting with his four year old Android phone. That’s the closest I’ve come to travelling with another photographer.
p.3 #14 · BH is blowing out some amazing Gitzo gear
Gosh, family trips are a whole different thing and I would not plan to do much photography.
I can't be bothered to do half-arsed photography at my age. Now it is so much better as I only go and shoot what I want. If I'm not there for photography I don't bring a camera at all.
bwcolor wrote:
All good points and well said. My declaration was lacking in that it was my perspective, shooting what I shoot and making the compromises I’m willing to make. I never travel with much gear, even when shooting film. I sold all my long telephoto lenses. I never travel alone when overseas and when traveling it is never with another photographer, so setup and photo-centric days are not going to happen. So, I shoot more in a documentary style. If I shoot landscape, it is a fleeting opportunity. Also, I no longer enjoy large/heavy backpacks. So, I automatically lose my serious photographer designation, but I did this long ago when I travelled with one camera and one lens for weeks on end. That said, I do admire many more carefully taken images made by you and others. So, my statement regarding the effectiveness of the X2D2’s IBIS was based on what and how I shoot and is an insufficient approach to photography for the more serious photographers.
This reminds me of my last road trip. I took my Mamiya 7ii and a couple of lenses. I could have used a tripod on this trip in that I was shooting rather low ISO film. This was in my mind when I ordered the Gitzo kit. My friend flew in with his year old, but unused M11 Monochrom and a couple of lenses. We went from Texas to Oregon and he pulled out his M11 once and shot a couple of images. He was totally into shooting with his four year old Android phone. That’s the closest I’ve come to travelling with another photographer. ...Show more →
p.3 #17 · BH is blowing out some amazing Gitzo gear
gdanmitchell wrote:
I decided to capture some of my thoughts on this topic in an article at my website: IBIS Does Not Replace Your Tripod
That was a good read, but in your article you state that “ The capabilities of IBIS have led some photographers to propose that tripods are no longer necessary for photographic genres that have generally required them, such as landscape and architecture photography.” Did someone actually suggest this?
p.3 #18 · BH is blowing out some amazing Gitzo gear
bwcolor wrote:
That was a good read, but in your article you state that “ The capabilities of IBIS have led some photographers to propose that tripods are no longer necessary for photographic genres that have generally required them, such as landscape and architecture photography.” Did someone actually suggest this?
p.3 #20 · BH is blowing out some amazing Gitzo gear
gdanmitchell wrote:
I’ve definitely seen people say this.
We see a lot of people with the FOMO, ADHD, and wimpy factor combine to reject tripods. I'm not sure they are photographers or just people with cameras as a hobby.
It's normally in a 30 or 34' rolling duffel.