billballardphotography

Hello everyone, I've joined the 'Drone World' of photography with a DJI Phantom 4 Pro+ UAV. Still learning to fly, grasping the clear and specific rules and regs, wading through all of the vague contradictory rues and regs, and having fun. Nothing to show yet; just a few stills and videos shot so far to get a feel for the camera works.

I coveted the EOS 1V HS but alas, the closest I ever got to (owning and shooting consistently with one) was one of my darkroom mentors shot two of them. I did, however, shoot the EOS 3 extensively and loved it as well.

True - I used Gitzo legs for years. And exactly what Ed said for the L-bracket. Haven't ruled out ballheads though. Thanks!

Joe! Hope all is well with you guys. We need to get together sometimes! In looking around, I'm surprised at how inexpensive carbon-fiber tripods are. (That's 'inexpensive' in relative terms - compared to carbon-fiber boat gear!) And I hadn't even considered the reverse folding capabilities. I'm not shooting big glass so much these days, so the Mefoto Roadtrip or similar sounds ideal. Thanks!

Hello all - Looking for recommendations for a small, good quality, and sturdy tripod, one capable of various head adaptions - ball, L-bracket, etc. Cameras are Fujifilm X series mirrorless, one original X100 and a X100F. I also have occasional access to a Fujifilm XT1 body. No big lenses for the XT1, all small zooms and primes to 56MM. In the studio days, and living-in-a-house days, I had multiple heavy tripods for my big film 35's and lenses, and my MF bodies. Used the same for my DSLR's. Now, I'm compact and mirrorless and live aboard a small 34' (10M) cruising sailboat. Our total 'living' space is about 275sq/ft; the actual space where we can walk and stand in the cabin is < 50sq/ft. Clearly, the key here is small size and ability to be stored in a tight space. Good portability, durability, (i.e., good quality), etc., are a must for when in use. I am open to your suggestions - thanks in advance.

<p>Thanks again, everyone!</p> <p>David H: actually, no I haven't yet made up my mind. Thanks for posting your link. I did what I thought was a thorough search and didn't see what I felt was a workable 12vDC monitor anywhere.</p> <p>Wouter & David S: I'll revisit the Surface models again...and a machine working 'flawlessly' in Windows 10? I look forward to that! ;)</p> <p>Alan: I've not checked that particular one - I'll take a look. Thanks!</p>

<p>Thanks everyone, for your replies and input. I do need to explain some issues a bit further:</p> <p>David, LG: I did consider an external monitor. However, there are two inherent concerns about going the external monitor route. First, is the power supply. Unless someone knows of a suitable, high-quality monitor which is powered by 12vDC, it's an incredibly difficult (and expensive) option from the power supply perspective. We don't generate our own AC current on-board, and can only use the shore power supply (120vAC, 50mhz) when we're dockside. Away from the dock, and in most foreign ports, I wont have any way to power the monitor. To keep our costs down, when we're traveling, we're anchored out or on a mooring as opposed to being in a marina. My second concern is secure stowage. Of course, maintaining the systems in the general marine environment is a challenge - and that applies to all of my gear - cameras, lenses, memory cards, etc.</p> <p>Eric: I took a long, hard look at the Microsoft Surface Pro models. My big concern with them is durability, especially the keyboards. I don't think they could stand up to the beating any machine is going to take living aboard a small boat making ocean passages.</p> <p>JayDann and Barry: Mac is still a good option, particularly since I discovered that I can transfer my Adobe Cloud from Win to Mac. This is still the front-runner and thus far, the better option. Or so it seems.</p> <p>Thanks again everyone -</p>

<p>I have a Lenovo Edge 15 that is proving to be simply awful for editing. <em>(I'm using Adobe CC, PS & LR with varying Nik and VSCO plugins. The Lenovo is Windows 10, 64 bit.)</em> When I look at my images on another monitor - even other laptops - the images I've processed on the Lenovo are flat, and lacking good contrast and tonal range. This is much more noticeable in color than monochrome images, but the disparity is there. I can even see differences between images from other photographers when viewed on the Lenovo and my phone.</p> <p>The big issue seems to be the lack of adjustable color settings for the monitor. Using the Windows 10 color calibration tool, I can set the Gamma and RGB. I use the Lenovo settings for brightness...but there is no setting to adjust the contrast. I've used the X-Rite i1Display Pro color calibration system and end up with a very flat and warm toned image on the screen.</p> <p>So...I have three choices as I see it:</p> <p>1. Buy another laptop, with the most adjustable monitor I can find for it. So far, my research has shown the Dell XPS 15 (non-touch) to be worth considering, and not necessarily with the uber hi-res 'touch' monitor offered as an option.<br> 2. Buy a MacBook Pro 15 with Retina Display, and make the switch from PC to Mac. <em>(I understand the Retina Display is not adjustable, per se.)</em><br> 3. Take my former studio assistant up on his offer to do my post/retouching work on his Mac setup; he knows what he's doing, and he understands how I see. Plus, his work is awesome!<br> <br />I also must use a laptop as I live on board my 34' sailboat. A desktop system is not an option, not up for consideration, and not doable. And having said that, the lighting is horrible in the boat - all LED - and that is most certainly a factor in the lack of quality of the image edits. And going off topic for a second, the boat is also a factor in my considering a move from PC to Mac, as we already use an iPad for navigation.</p> <p>For the near term, I'll be using my former assistant's talents for post work. But sometime in the next couple of months, I will need to find a solution which will work for my lifestyle. I'm no longer a working pro, but from time to time I sell a print here and there, and do post images on the web, etc. Quality is important. Any input is appreciated.</p> <p>Thanks!</p>