garry_teeple

I have the same tripod but it sits in the closet most of the time now

as I am not using large format at the present. I made a mount to

carry it on the waist, it's much more comfortable and easier on the

shoulders. I hope to have a picture of it on my website within the

next couple of weeks. The site is http://glproducts.hypermart.net but

there is no information on the site at the present.

Mark, do a search on snap.com for St. Croix. Their web site has a sight seeing list of interesting locations. I've been studying up on some of the islands and am planning a trip next year. When you get back let me know what you find. Thanks

Take a look at http://glproducts.hypermart.net

After rotating one of the legs on my Bogen 3221 tripod for ground use

I discovered that it aided in setup also. With two set of lock levers

being on the same side I only have to rotate the tripod once to alock

and unlock all the leg locks which make it much quicker to setup and

take down. Give it a try and let me know what you think.

The Bogan 3021 series (3221 black) comes with an adjustment wrench, a white plastic one clipped over the upper leg. Use it to tighten the acorn nut opposite the locking lever. Unlock the leg, tighten the nut a little and try the lock. Adjust it just tight enought to hold. On the newer models there is a plastic nut keeper over the regular brass nuts which has to be removed prior to adjustment. If care is used to remove these locks they can be reused.

I am in the process or getting a pattent on an adapter which will allows a camera mounted on a tripod to be used at ground level. The legs are not in the way, there is no need for a seperate head or clamp and it is out of the way for normal tripod use. I hope to be in production by late spring or early summer. As soon as units are available for sale I will setup a web page and notify the list.

 

I have been using a prototype for about two years and have found it to be very convient and stable. It will still not keep you from getting down in the mud with your camera but it will make it eaiser to get there.

I've done it for years. I first started it when I purchased an offroad motorcycle but have since found it hard to carry the equipment I need on the bike. Some times I will take a bicycle ride just to scout areas during the middle of the day. I've been known to cover over 50 miles of gravel road this way. A notebook for locations and best times of the day for comming back with the truck and camera equipment makes great reading on cold, windy, and wet winter days. Maybe we'll cross paths on some lonely road in the wee hours of the morning.

I have the 3236 as well as the 3221. The 3236 is an excellent tripod. It's legs are infinitly adjustable and can be locked at nearly any position. Usually only one section of the legs need be extended to shoot and if you are going to use the other tube you will need to carry a ladder or step stool. For use with 2-1/4" cameras and larger cameras or long lenses with 35mm I think it is the best choice. I have a 3047 head on the 3236 and this is one head I would not buy again. I plan on replacing it with a large ball head when I can afford it.

Several medium format cameras have backs which will use 70mm film. Kodak offers Tri-X and VPS in both perforated and unperforated rolls, either 15 feet or 100 feet. There may be other films available but these are the only ones I am aware of.

Check out the Neckar Valley, north of Stuttgart. I was stations near there in the early 70's and it has some very nice areas. There are a lot or orchards on the hillsides, old barns, and castles along the river. I don't know if the ferry runs of the winter or not but it would be worth checking on.

I don't think that all recreation departments are that bad but I do believe that a lot of the people using our parks and wetlands really don't care about their great areas they have to roam around in. We are lucky here in mid Missouri to have an abundance of city parks, wetlands, and conservation areas to explore. I have had my experiences with these people and their pets, lucky enough to save my N90s from a wetland dunking as a dog knocked over my tripod. It seems as the population increases the proportion of these people increase also. I generally try to ignore them and hope they go away but sometimes I also try to reason with them. If that doesn't work I always report them in hopes that someone will take an interest in watching over our public area. This has worked very well here as we have responsible law enforcement that will actually walk the trails, sometimes with their family, and talk to these people and if necessary issue tickets. We all must be continue to protect these sensitive

environments.

Like most, I have quite a few bags laying around that are seldom used.

For long hikes I like the backpacks but they are really inconvient in

the field. An over the shoulder bag is a real killer even when attached

to a waist belt if your going over a couple of miles.

What would I choose if doing it all over again? I have two ways I like to carry my gear in the field. One I want to build sometime is a hard case like a Pelican with a backpack harness attached to the lid. Once off the back and sat down there is nothing like working from a hard case where everything is in view and easy to get to. If the weather turns bad your equipment is secure. My other choice is a day pack with the gear in Camjackets. This is not as convient but it is much lighter. The camjackets allow the camera and lenses to be protected at all times, in the bag or out and are quick to get into service. The main drawback to the camjacks is the cost.

All I can say is find what suits you; buy it, make it, modify it.

Take a look at "Beyond the Zone System" by Phil Davis. He uses

an incident light meter to measure the amount of light falling

on various parts of the subject. This really helps when

you are having trouble deciding what tonal value an object

should be.

I've had a terrible time with black spots on T-Max 100.

I have totally switched to Delta 100 because I get tired of

spotting prints when there is an alternative. Fresh fixer

will usually get rid of most of the pink cast to the T-max

films. I have never noticed a pink cast on Delta films.

My family and I are headed to the South Dakota Badlands area in a week

Does anyone have any specifics as to locations around the area for

scenic photographic areas which are not on the normal tourist list?

Thanks.

The problem is solved, well it will be I hope with in the year. I

have designed a method which allows a tripod to go from its original

height to ground level (Patent Pending). There is no need to remove

the head, turn the column upside down, work under the legs, etc.

With the use of an "L" bracket such as Kirk sells, the camera can be

sat on the ground and still attached firmly to the tripod. I am

working on literature at the present time and hope to have it ready

within the next six months. I will keep everyone posted. Thanks

I've struggled for years on carrying a tripod. I finally came to

the conclusion that it is not just a matter of weight, but the way

you carry the tripod. I have tried the Bogen strap over the shoulder

and could not keep it on my shoulder. I am presently carrying a Bogen

3221 tripod with a 3262QR ball head on a waist belt system I designed

and made. I can now carry the tripod without worry about weigth and

it is very fast to get set up and re-attached. Basically it is a

plastic square with two slots verticle for the belt and two straps horizontally for a strap with a fast-tec buckle system to go around the tripod. If you would like more information on it email me with your address and I will send you a sketch.