...and another tripod question from someone else... sorry!

I've been out tripod shopping... well actually looking at tripods in

shops and generally bugging the hell out of the sales staff.

Anyhow after looking at all the different brands I thought I'll

settle on a Gitzo, but out of the corner of my eye I spied a second

hand Linhof tripod for sale and I vaguely remember someone here at

photo.net saying they are quite good tripods. Is this true?

Stu :)

Like anything else, it depends on the model. I had a lightweight Linhof a few years ago, but it didn't have the versatility and strength that I needed. I went for the Gitzo CF. Perhaps you might have found a gem in the Linhof. The only way to tell is to try it out. See if it is rigid with your heaviest camera/lens setup. Is it easy to aim and lock down the camera without it sagging or changing alignment? Can it be setup and taken down swiftly? Is it convenient to carry? Is it tall enough so that you can use it without stooping? Does it have a short center column? (I like a center column to allow some vertical adjustment without having to change the leg heights.) Is the head equipped with a secure quick release, or does it use just a standard 1/4-20 screw to hold the camera?

My personal feeling is that a fine tripod and head is the most important accessory for the serious photographer. It will separate the pros from the tyros.