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Archive 2007 · Gitzo Leveling base

davidearls
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p.3 #1 · p.3 #1 · Gitzo Leveling base

Lars,

The 115 cm isn't much shorter than most columned 'pods without the column extended. I wouldn't ever extend the column under the mass of the 600 anyway. I shoot primarily widlife as you do, and I haven't extended the legs on mine yet. I try too stay as low to the ground as possible -

The 3416 leveling base adds another 2-3 cm, and the 3421 gimbal head has three height adjustments, all equally stable because they're the pivots for the mounting bracket. The 3421 looks ungainly, but like a lot of Bogen stuff, it's well-designed for use -

AJ, I looked at the full range, and if I hadn't already had the 3416, I would have gone for leveling base model - but the 2002, without any of the "tricked out" heads, was the second lowest cost item they offered. It's a shame nobody in the US carries this line -

May 19, 2007 at 08:15 AM

Lars Johnsson
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p.3 #2 · p.3 #2 · Gitzo Leveling base

David,
The tripod that I bought and started the thread about Gitzo GT3530LSV is 148 cm without any column. And they have 12 different systematic tripods without column. they are between 128cm-260cm. So I would say 115 is very short. Most people can't stand up using it.

May 19, 2007 at 01:02 PM

Lars Johnsson
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p.3 #3 · p.3 #3 · Gitzo Leveling base

BeeMan458 wrote:
I always seem to be on the opposite side of the page from everybody else.

Siiiiigh!

I have and use the 1321. Can't believe one wouldn't love to have one of these things attached to their legset; extra weight aside. It's a wonderful add, which makes it easy to level the base. I like level bases and trying to level the legset via the leg locks is, to me, a royal pain. Set up the legs, level the base with a simple twist of the locking nut and "Voila!," you're good to go. So with a deaf ear I rhetorically...Show more →

Thomas,
Maybe you don't use the long tele-lenses with tripod-collar (tripod-mount). When you have the 500mm lens on the tripod you never have to level it via the leg-locks. You just loosen the knob and rotate the tripod mount. It just take a second or two

May 20, 2007 at 10:05 AM

Cicindela
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p.3 #4 · p.3 #4 · Gitzo Leveling base

Hey, Where's the Better Beamer ??

May 20, 2007 at 12:44 PM

Lars Johnsson
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p.3 #5 · p.3 #5 · Gitzo Leveling base

Cicindela wrote:
Hey, Where's the Better Beamer ??

It's here

http://www.pbase.com/larsjohnsson/image/40453490/original.jpg

http://www.pbase.com/larsjohnsson/image/42057906/original.jpg

May 20, 2007 at 12:52 PM

RamónT
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p.3 #6 · p.3 #6 · Gitzo Leveling base

Lars Johnsson wrote:
Thomas,
Maybe you don't use the long tele-lenses with tripod-collar (tripod-mount). When you have the 500mm lens on the tripod you never have to level it via the leg-locks. You just loosen the knob and rotate the tripod mount. It just take a second or two

Lars, what you say is not true if you track the action. If the gimbal head is leveled (via legs or leveling base) ALL your photos are leveled.

Here one example at Ding Darling NWR :

http://i.pbase.com/o6/50/276250/1/78716858.UC4Yu0Ry.VF9H34521a3.jpg

I track the birds and all the series of photos are leveled.

Here the equipment:

Canon EOS 1DsMarkII, Canon 500/4L, Canon Angle Finder C, Wimberley head II, Wimberley P-50 lens plate, Manfrotto leveling base and Berlebach mini tripod.

http://i.pbase.com/o6/50/276250/1/79079761.rmlTSBnE.CRW_7441e.jpg

http://i.pbase.com/o6/50/276250/1/78716763.MyFpTN4H.CRW_7442c.jpg

http://i.pbase.com/o6/50/276250/1/79080193.aJQbaAQQ.CRW_7445c.jpg

Here the camera and the 500+1,4x with the Wimberley Sidekick, Arca-Swiss B1 ball and the Manfrotto leveling base at a public hide (blind) near Barcelona:

http://i.pbase.com/o6/50/276250/1/79080362.o79IB3oU._MG_8877a.jpg

Ramón

May 20, 2007 at 02:04 PM

Lars Johnsson
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p.3 #7 · p.3 #7 · Gitzo Leveling base

What is not true

Of course I can level my setup by adjusting my tripod-collar

May 20, 2007 at 02:13 PM

RamónT
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p.3 #8 · p.3 #8 · Gitzo Leveling base

Lars Johnsson wrote:
What is not true

Of course I can level my setup by adjusting my tripod-collar

..."is not true IF YOU TRACK THE ACTION". If the gimbal head is not leveled you must level the camera every time you shot (tracking the action, no for a static subject evidently). If you shot 4 or 8 frames per second, I doubt you have the time to check the bubble level.

Ramón

May 20, 2007 at 03:54 PM

BeeMan458
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p.3 #9 · p.3 #9 · Gitzo Leveling base

But you're not leveling the base, so no matter how much you spin the lense, your base will never be plumb. If it helps I have three different leveling bases acquired while going through the learning curve; 555B, Manfrotto leveling base and the 1321.

I like the leveling base. Why? As stated before, you set up, level the base, mount the body, done deal. This is a good thing.

If you're good without a leveling base, that's cool but it's a nice add to have attached to the "Systematic" tripod base, only weights a half pound (~280g) and when you don't want it, for what ever reason, it's quite easy to swap out for a regular, standard flat base (single set screw) and leave in your tripod bag.

May 20, 2007 at 04:01 PM

Nill Toulme
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p.3 #10 · p.3 #10 · Gitzo Leveling base

Too late guys — I ordered one yesterday.

Nill
~~
www.toulme.net

May 20, 2007 at 04:23 PM

Lars Johnsson
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p.3 #11 · p.3 #11 · Gitzo Leveling base

BeeMan458 wrote:
But you're not leveling the base, so no matter how much you spin the lense, your base will never be plumb. If it helps I have three different leveling bases acquired while going through the learning curve; 555B, Manfrotto leveling base and the 1321.

I like the leveling base. Why? As stated before, you set up, level the base, mount the body, done deal. This is a good thing.

If you're good without a leveling base, that's cool but it's a nice add to have attached to the "Systematic" tripod base, only weights a half pound (~280g) and when you don't...Show more →

My goal or object is not to level the base. It's to get a level horizon (the few times that I need that) on the image. If the base have 3 or 7 degrees angle when I shoot with my lens on the Wimberley Head doesn't matter.
I don't set up and stand still in that place. I move around with the tripod all the time.

May 20, 2007 at 04:42 PM

Lars Johnsson
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p.3 #12 · p.3 #12 · Gitzo Leveling base

Thomas,
is it really only 280g ? Every website I have seen say 1,5lbs. How much is that in gram ?

May 20, 2007 at 04:47 PM

RamónT
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p.3 #13 · p.3 #13 · Gitzo Leveling base

Lars Johnsson wrote:
Thomas,
is it really only 280g ? Every website I have seen say 1,5lbs. How much is that in gram ?

G1321 weight: 647 gr
Standar flat base: 108 gr

Ramón

May 20, 2007 at 05:01 PM

HerbChong
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p.3 #14 · p.3 #14 · Gitzo Leveling base

that means you have to adjust the horizon for every shot. if you are shooting non-moving things, it's not a hassle, but tracking moving birds, whether flying or just walking around, and it becomes a major thing. why, because you are pointing in different directions and leveling via the collar works for only two directions. use the base and it is level no matter what the subject does. move the tripod and releveling base should not take more than 5 seconds with a 1321.

Herb....

Lars Johnsson wrote:
My goal or object is not to level the base. It's to get a level horizon (the few times that I need that) on the image. If the base have 3 or 7 degrees angle when I shoot with my lens on the Wimberley Head doesn't matter.
I don't set up and stand still in that place. I move around with the tripod all the time.

May 20, 2007 at 11:01 PM

Lars Johnsson
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p.3 #15 · p.3 #15 · Gitzo Leveling base

Herb,
as I wrote before, it's not often I need to adjust for the horizon. With the kind of sport & bird shooting I do, I will not see the horizon on 95% of my pics (with the 500 lens). And when I shoot I flying flying bird I will almost never see the horizon. Just the air or sky around the bird

Most of the time I have been using that lens on a monopod or handheld. I didn't have anything but my eyes & hands to level it then. Today with my Wimberley Head it's much more easy to do it than before. If I where shooting landscape or similar it would be a different story of course

May 20, 2007 at 11:28 PM

BeeMan458
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p.3 #16 · p.3 #16 · Gitzo Leveling base

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/166859-REG/Gitzo_G1321_G1321_Level_Base.html

Check out the posted specs. They could be posted in error and I don't have a scale in which to check out the weight of the 1321 in my possession.

"I don't set up and stand still in that place. I move around with the tripod all the time."

As a suggestion, find one and try it as it sounds like something you rarely would need. It's a tool like everything else, to be used when appropriate and kept in the bag when not but it's not going be available for those times when it helps unless bought and left in the bag for convenience sake.

When using a tripod, I too move about. I like the idea of an easily leveled base in which to work from. I like the idea of working from a level base. Rarely do I get shots of birds and regularly do I have the horizon in an image but even with levels, due to receding lines, the horizon can have the "appearance" of being out of square when in fact, it's a receding line, not an out of square horizon, so this distracting optical illusion has to be accounted for in PS, irrespective.

May 21, 2007 at 08:42 AM

HerbChong
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p.3 #17 · p.3 #17 · Gitzo Leveling base

i shoot many of the same kinds of pictures and it is far easier to tell that the picture isn't level than you think, even with no horizon in the image.

Herb...

May 21, 2007 at 10:07 AM

Lars Johnsson
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p.3 #18 · p.3 #18 · Gitzo Leveling base

HerbChong wrote:
i shoot many of the same kinds of pictures and it is far easier to tell that the picture isn't level than you think, even with no horizon in the image.

Herb...

How do you know what I think

And you don't really know what I shoot with my 500 lens. The most common shooting I do with that lens is roadracing. And many of those are not even meant to be level. Just look in the sport-forum and you will see that most shooters tilt those pics.
So you are saying that the 5 first people that answered this thread and wrote that I didn't need it, don't know what they are talking about.......usually JohnJ and those have good suggestions about tripods & gear

May 21, 2007 at 10:29 AM

RamónT
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p.3 #19 · p.3 #19 · Gitzo Leveling base

BeeMan458 wrote:
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/166859-REG/Gitzo_G1321_G1321_Level_Base.html
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The info about the weight of the Gitzo G1321 at B&H is wrong. The actual weight is 647 gr (well, + - 2 gr)

http://i.pbase.com/o6/50/276250/1/79159308.yzoKNFKz.IMG_7822a.jpg

Ramón

May 21, 2007 at 12:48 PM

BeeMan458
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p.3 #20 · p.3 #20 · Gitzo Leveling base

Let's see..... is the image PhotoShopped or is it honest weight?

Just kidding. Thanks for the correction.

Ain't the "Inner-net" grand?

May 21, 2007 at 01:49 PM

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