Better than a bean bag

I am off to africa in a few weeks and will be working out of a 4x4

most of the time. Can anyone recormend a car mount or is a bean bag

as good as it gets. I have a 500mm F4.

 

Cheers.

 

Harry.

A bean bag *IS* as good as it gets! I think a car mount wouldn't by far be as convenient as a bean bag (you don't want to get stuck to one position/side of the car) and only marginally more stable.

 

Take a robust nylon bag, fill it with sand, close it carefully, stuff it in the canvas "bean bag" and you've got a perfect support for your lens. With a bit of pressure it will fit around the lens like a glove and, as soon as the car is still and you keep a hand firmly on your lens, you'll get tack sharp pictures. I've got sharp pictures with exposure times as long as 1/60 sec @ 400 mm.

 

I was very, very surprised by how good a bean bag can be.

A bean bag will work nicely. But personally I prefer to take a window mount. Depends a bit on how much room you have. Do you have the car to yourself? My favourite window mount is the ErgoRest from Finland. Wonderfull piece of equipment.

A "Zip-Lock" bag can substitute for a beanbag. If you are first going to a major city, like Nairobi or JoBerg, you can get beans or husks at the markets there. Are you going to be shooting through an open top, or through the side windows? On top, a sweater or jacket works well enough. Through a side window, which I generally prefer for animal close-ups, a bean bag is superior. If you are going to have your own vehicle, possibly a window mount for a ball head or Wimberly would be best. It all depends on how much you wish to carry!

I've used beanbags up to 800 mm with 1.4X. They are not perfect but work

remarkably well -- should be great with a 500 F4. One potential problem with a

window mount is that these devices are several inches high. That reduces the

clearance between the top of the lens and the top of the window frame. Depending

on the size of the car, the size of the window, and the size of the photographer, this

can be a problem -- especially if (like me) you like to use fill-in flash. I'm ALWAYS

having collisions between my flash unit (and Better Beamer) and the window frame,

and that's with a low-profile beanbag!

 

One circumstance where a window mount might be better is if you are leaving the

lens in position - aimed at a target -- for long periods. Your arms may get tired of

holding the rig (500 f4's are heavy suckers), and if you get distracted and let go of

the camera, gravity may intervene with serious consequences.

 

Final comment: for Canon and Nikon long lenses, JRF makes some camouflage

neoprene lens covers. The camo isn't likely to fool anything, but the additional

padding from the neoprene is very useful for resisting scratching AND for resting the

lens directly on a window or frame. It's better with a beanbag, however.

Bean bag is as good as it gets (especially if the engine is running) UNLESS you need to shoot a creature sitting up in the trees.

I've never liked the limitations placed on camera movement by bean bags. You can rotate a long lens much more quickly and accurately with a window mount. The better units will allow you to place your existing tripod head on the mount and the movements will retain a familiar feel and response. It is also easier to adjust the window height and the mount to a comfortable position that allows you to sit upright while shooting. I found that bags worked best if the window was completely open and the bag rested on the sill of the door. This meant significant slouching and a sore back and neck. I also have had problems focusing with the lens unless it is carefully positioned on the bag to avoid friction on the focus ring. Since I bought Kirk's mount several years ago, I've stopped using a beanbag. It has definetly made it more comfortable and responsive o work from a vehicle. Don't forget to turn off the engine even at relatively high shutter speeds (perhaps up to 1/250). It will make a difference with a mount which is rigidly attached to the vibrating vehicle. That, and cost, are the only advantages I can think of for bags over mounts. Incidently, my primary lens for wildlife is also a 500mm 4 (usually with a 1.4x attached). Hope you have a great trip!

I found a bean bag all but useless, the sides of the vehicle we used, - a toyota landcruiser, a bit like a WW2 jeep - were just too low to be able to use it. I'm sure they'd be great if you can use it though. Instead I used a monopod, with a quick release plate, a little awkward at times but it worked fine. Make sure the driver cuts the engine before shooting though, - most photo savvy drivers will realise they need to do this - other people moving around can be a problem too - but that's the same with any support.

The Groofwin in the best support I've found for Ground, Roof, Window:

 

http://www.rue.com/supports.html#groofwin

 

However, below is my invention, good for the rooftop opening vans as used in Kenya and Tanzania, or on the ground (won't work on a window):

 

http://www.imagestation.com/album/?id=4290075473

 

This is just a home-made equilateral triangle, made of 1/2" acrylic, about 9" on a side, with 1/4" bolts secured by two nuts with two lockwashers, for each leg. Mount a ball head with a 1/4" or 3/8" bolt in the center. The vans in East Africa have a huge opening in the top, with a raised 1/4" rim. I simply let the triangle bottom rest on the rim, with two bolt legs dropped inside the opening, but pressed against the side of the rim. The third bolt leg is pointed toward the subject, and rests on the roof. This is VASTLY better than any beanbag, and allows easy access to the lens focus ring. This triangle mount is so cheap, that I take two to Africa, with one body and a 300mm mounted on one, and a second body with perhaps a 400mm or 500mm mounted on the second triangle. I don't bother with a zoom, I just pick up the body with the most useful lens for that particular situation. I keep both rigs covered with a cloth pillow case for dust protection, when I'm not actually shooting.

For filling beanbags... in the United States the tiny plastic beads that many people use

are sold as "doll stuffing" pellets in art supply stores and craft stores such as Michael's

and Hobby Lobby.

www.Beanpods.co.uk, anyone?