Tripod for macro work--do I really need the best?

[dem_photos]

Mark: Excellent links. I particularly like the idea of bolting a macro rail to a plywood platform and doing away with the tripod altogether for studio work--such a simple, stable solution.

[dem_photos]

Thank you everyone. This may not be over, but it has already been extremely helpful. After hearing such good things about the Bogen 3021, I went back to Thom's site to see if he mentioned it, and indeed he says that people try it (or similar models) fairly early on and it takes care of any stability problems. The trouble comes later: "The legs are starting to make their shortcomings known. They don't let you get down to ground level (or, if you got the Bogen with the "trick" centerpost, the stability isn't great in some positions). And the whole concoction is starting to get a bit on the heavy side (depending on the legs and head, perhaps as much as 7 pounds)."

 

As for not getting down to ground level, Jim Doty has explained two ways to get really low, at the very least. That the "trick" centerpost is less than rock solid in some positions is not surprising--I wouldn't expect an Explorer to be, either. But at least it would give me a shot at getting some photos that would probably be outright impossible with most other legs. The most important drawback seems to be the weight, and I won't know how I feel about that until I actually heft one.

 

What I like most about the 3021, of course, are the price and the reputation for durability. If it turns out that I'm willing to put up with the weight, I'll feel a lot better about spending more to get just the right head. I don't expect to know what "just the right head" is until I've tried out several options, but you've given me some good leads.

 

I will also build myself the sort of plywood support setup for studio work described at the Waynesthisandthat link Mark U. recommended. Rock solid and virtually free (with the scrap plywood I have lying around)--that's MY kinda photo equipment.

 

Until the next post explaining why I'm a fool, that's the plan. And won't I sound like the pro with my correct pronunciation when I make that field trip to a real camera shop?

[akajohndoe]

I have an older model 3021 (actually a 3221, black instead of silver is the only difference). No "trick" center post on mine. And one of the modifications I made was to saw off the center column to be just slightly longer than needed to clear the mounting. This enables lower use and since I never use the center column anyway is no loss to me.

[Matthew Currie]

Just so you know, my 3221 with a 3047 head seems to weigh in at about 9 1/2 pounds. It is a hefty thing to tote very far.

[akajohndoe]

I'll bet the Arca-Swiss B1 checks in at more than that and I hike with it regularly.

 

On the upside, trekking around with 50+ pounds of camera gear on your back is more fun than the weight room, right?

[dem_photos]

D.N. and Matthew: I've always considered myself something of a pack horse, so there's hope that I won't find the weight to be daunting. On the other hand, I suspect that spending upwards of $500 on a top Gitzo model provides as much incentive to actually bring it hiking as the difference in weight does (I am certainly not immune to this sort of power of suggestion). Perhaps if I get the Bogen, I'll put the $300+ I save toward the eventual purchase of a tripod specifically for hiking.

[dem_photos]

Just for the record, I've looked up the difference in weight: The Gitzo G2257 Explorer (the replacement for the G2227) weighs in at 4.1 pounds. The Bogen 3021 Pro is 5.3 pounds. If the difference between the two is in fact mostly just that 1.2 pounds, well, I suspect that for $300 I'd be willing to carry 1.2 pounds pretty far.

[Matthew Currie]

I'm not averse to lugging the Bogen when I need it, but find that my trusty little Slik 400DX, at about 5 1/2 pounds, is a little more friendly when wandering around in the woods, especially when I'm already carrying my bruising, sharp-cornered old Nikon F and a lens in every pocket, and provides enough stability for all but the longest lenses, and reasonable macro capability as well. For the price of some of the more exotic equipment you could easily buy both a monster Manfrotto and a smaller tripod such as the Slik or a Manfrotto/Bogen 3001 for general use. You pay a big premium to get big and light all in one.

[kevin conville]

David, and others,

 

Here's another way to look at tripod weight. As you've pointed out, the Gitzo 2257 weighs

4.1 lbs and the Bogen 3021 weighs 5.3 lbs. That a difference of 29% more for the Bogen.

When you add a 2lb. head to both, the difference becomes less than 20%. If carrying 10

lbs. of camera equipment it becomes just over 7% increase to the weight of your kit.

[kevin conville]

With tripods (and most products) there is a sweet spot where value, quality, and function

have been reached. This is the point of diminishing return. To gain slightly in say build

quality or weight reduction, will cost dearly. In the case of the tripods being discussed, a

factor of three.

[akajohndoe]

I have been known to hike 10-20 miles with both Canon EOS and Mamiya RZ systems in a Tamrac 787 backpack with a Bogen 3036 tripod and Arca-Swiss B1 head, and several liters of water, so perhaps that should be taken into consideration when evaluating my comments. :)

[dem_photos]

Thank you once again, Matthew, Kevin, and D.N.

 

Kevin: That approach definitely puts things into perspective.