mounting large format camera off the vertical axis

I just wondered if anyone knew how best to mount a large format

camera off the vertical axis of a tripod. I checked out the Gitzo

G532 lateral arm but according to their distributor in the UK they

only support a maximum weight of 940 grams. I currently use a

Wista technical field camera and I am also thinking of using a

Sinar F1 so the cameras aren't that heavy by large format

standards but would certainly be heavier than 940 grams. I

basically want to shoot low angles without having to mount my

camera upside down suspended from the bottom of the centre

column and also want to be able to shoot directly down and in

awkward spaces where mounting the camera on top of the

centre column isn't convenient. Any advice would be greatly

appreciated.

Are you looking for something to use in the field, or in the studio?

 

Bogen/Manfrotto makes a #3059 horizontal arm that has head mounts at either end, and a sliding mount in the middle that attaches to the usual head mount on the tripod. For view-camera use, you'l need to put it on a reasonably heavy tripod (like a Bogen 3236, perhaps), and then sandbag the whole assembly for stability. Another alternative for your low-angle requirement would be to mount your tripod head on a ground plate made of something like 3/4" plywood.

Benbo or son-of-Benbo (Uniloc), anyone?

Majestic makes a sidearm for their tripod that will hold an 8x10 with no problems.

I should have clarified - its for use on location. I'm not familiar

with Benbos and Majestic, are they going to be very heavy? I was

hoping to use something on a Gitzo 1227 or 1325 to keep the

weight down.

7-8lbs for the Benbo, depending on the model

 

http://www.photobooksonline.com/gear/benbo.html

 

http://www.patersonphotographic.com/tripods/benbo.html

 

uni-loc

http://www.uni-loc.co.uk/

 

twist it like a pretzel to whatever setup you want - though dependant on the weight of the camera (the only prople with the F1 is it is so top heavy and unweildy comapred to a similar Arca Swiss say). And setting up the tripod at first can feel like wielding an untamed set of bagpipes... But especially if used low and wide, these may well do the job. They aren't the most rigid of tripds (though fairly rigid) but they are the most flexible. I've had the standard classic for 20 years and at least a couple of times or so a year it's the only tripod that lets me get a particularly awkward job get done.

 

They are also cheaply priced for what is a good tripod.

 

The majestic will probably support a small Japanese car hanging off one side, but will require a Humvee to carry it....

A few thoughts: I seem to recall one of the large format manufacturers (Lotus maybe?) making an "L" bracket that allowed you to mount banquet cameras in "portrait" aspect. It was quite simple - the underside of the "L" mounted directly to the tripod base and the camera mounted (rotated 90 degrees) on inside of the "upright" part of the "L". The advantage to this over a lateral arm is that you keep the weight centered over the tripod. Something like this could be manufactured for you without much difficulty (from either wood or aluminum) to fit your particular camera. You could probably then use a levelling base with the bracket and leave the tripod head at home. You could even go a step further and make a "C" bracket that allowed you to mount the camera right-side up with an inverted center column. I am unsure of how big they make the gimbal-style heads, but if you can find one large enough, this may also be an option.

Andrew,

 

Not to discount Gitzo's recommendations, but I suspect the weight limits in their catalogs are based upon using the lateral arms at full extension, and probably without additional stabilizing efforts such as a weight hung from the center column or some form of tie down or weighting on the leg opposite the weight of the camera. Certainly the beef of my lateral arm itself (old reporter size) would be adequate for an f1 at shorter extensions from the center column, i.e., with the arm extended only far enough to allow pointing stright down. Obviously the greater the horizontal displacement from the centerline of the center column to the center of gravity of the camera, the more you have to worry about tipping the whole assembly over.

 

With respect to shooting low angles, don't know what adversion to mounting camera upside down is but can suggest two options, only one of which I have actually used. I use a superclamp attached to a tripod leg with a 3/8 mounting stud. You can then mount a ball head or other device, e.g., Sinar PanTilt head. Second, for a relatively small sum you could have a bracket from strap steel in a square/rectabgular configuration, with a female 3/8 (1/4) fitting through/on the "top" strap and a male 3/8 (1/4) fitting on the bottop strap. Mount top fitting to an inverted column and mount ball haed or other device to the bottom strap.

 

[i doubt that I could visualize the above from my verbal description. If you have any interest, I could quickly sketch and email. Something about a picture and thousand words...]

 

Best regards,

Thankyou all for the advice. The benbo looks an interesting

tripod but not sure how well I'd get on with using it so I'll probably

give the gitzo lateral arm a go for shooting down and use the

superclamp method for low angles. As regards the rectangular

bracket, I'm pretty sure I know what you mean but thanks for

offering to email me a sketch.

Andrew, I have and sometimes even use a Benbo 3. That's the little one.

 

I've read somewhere that setting up a Benbo is like making love with an octopus. I've never been close to an octopus so can't make the comparison, but setting up my little tripod isn't particularly difficult.

 

Cheers,

 

Dan

If your are interested in going the Majestic route- and I think it would be your best choice- I've got two Majestic Outrigger sidearms available for sale. One is the single armed 8030 outrigger; the other is the discountinued (and more difficult to find), reinforced double armed outrigger 8040. I bought them in ebay auction together (the seller didn't realized they were two seperate arms and sold them as a single item), but the last laugh was on me. I didn't realize current majestic gear wasn't compatible with my older Majestic tripod. I been too lazy to put em up for auction on ebay, but I'll get around to it.

 

The good news is used Majestics are pretty cheap these days- recent or older vintage. Nobody interested in lugging these bohemoths. Probably even an better option are Quickset tripods. They specialize in really huge tripods- mostly for the pro video market, and some of the older models- I think it was the Samson model- sometimes are sold on ebay with the sidearm included, often times really cheap.