Archive for May, 2007

2007.05.10 : Tripod Part II

The new tripod legs that I bought on eBay arrived this afternoon, which is appropriate because this I also happened to get the winning bid in on a ball head. I expect that will get here next Wednesday or so.

First off, I’m really impressed with the look of the thing. It just oozes cool (and will more so once I figure out how to get the logos rubbed off). The cast magnesium parts are smooth and seem to be made very well. The leg positioning mechanisms are a little stiff, but that’s expected in the beginning.

This particular model has a max support weight of 17.5 lbs. I have no doubt about that. It’s very, very sturdy, and I won’t have any worries about it holding up my camera when the 100-400 zoom is installed.

It comes with a nice carry case, as well as a carry strap that can be screwed right into the magnesium head piece. It also came with another bag or cover of some sort, and I have no clue what it’s purpose is. It’s triangular in shape, and has thin straps extending from the corners. If anyone has a clue what it’s for, I’d appreciate a little enlightenment.

I’m looking forward to the ball head arriving next week so I can actually put the whole assembly through it’s paces. I’ll follow with a more in depth review then.


2007.05.06 : Virginia’s Flower


2007.05.04 : Lt. Dan’s Magic Legs

Not quite titanium alloy, but carbon fiber and magnesium…

Tripod Legs

I managed to sneak in and win these new tripod legs this evening. My current tripod situation is rather dismal. I’ve been schlepping around a beat up Velbon cheapo tripod for a few years, and it’s so far from being a stable platform that I’d get better results by setting my camera in a bowl of jello and driving down a dirt road. Then, before my trip to Vegas I ordered an aluminum model that would fit in my suitcase. It worked in a pinch, but was very wobbly and I felt like it would fall over if I walked away from it. So, after I got home I began looking in earnest for a new set of magic legs.

Carbon Fiber tripods generally go for a few hundred bucks. If you buy this set from Amvona’s webstore, this set will put you back about $299. How they manage to sell them on eBay for what they do makes me wonder what the markup on these really is. Anyway… I got mine after a minor bidding war for $97.25 delivered.

I’m still without a decent head, so really, the total cost will like go up by about 50% whenever I figure out which way I want to go: panhead or ballhead. Right now I’m thinking ballhead, but I haven’t decided yet. I have a few throwaway heads that’ll do the job until I figure out what I want.



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