Since it seems like everyone on potn is happy with this combo, i just went to Samy's camera and bought it.. It is rock solid, and the horizontal column thing is super sweet. The quality is definitely there, and I really don't think it's that heavy.. if anything, the weight is a good thing for me, and a testament to the quality of the tripod. Now i don't have to worry about my camera falling off my cheap tripod.

That is all.

Nice! I needs me a good ball head.

i want to see it assembled!

sorry, camera phone. The horizontal thing is REALLY neat:



For the qr plates, is the latch supposed to go ALL the way for manfrotto heads? Mine can only make it a little past the safety latch/nob when the QR plate is in. It's locked, but maybe im doing something wrong?

I don't know what model my tripod is, but its manfrotto (legs and head, I believe) and I love it. I absolutely ABUSE it... bang it on things, never been in a bag, had it out in a sandstorm, dropped it to the bottom of a small river, etc. Thing still works like a champ.

- Scott

was it a package or did you buy all 3 pieces at full cost?

Originally Posted by anotherD80

now i need to get in the habit of using it.

Yep, that's the trick. It's also why I have such a guicci setup. I feel bad leaving it at home now.

Originally Posted by anotherD80

those are the legs i just got, but with the 486 head. definitely solid. now i need to get in the habit of using it.

Yeah, thats a damn good habit. I rarely shoot without mine anymore, so yeah, using a tripod all the time has definitely improved my shots.

Originally Posted by distorto

was it a package or did you buy all 3 pieces at full cost?

I bought all 3 pieces at 'full' cost, but the person at Samy's was really nice, and price matched to bh and Canoga Camera, and even took a couple bucks off the bag.

Also, if you extend the tripod legs all the way, as well as the horizontal column, you can make a tent (or fort) by putting a sheet over it. :monkey:

Originally Posted by anotherD80

So far I've really only found the tripod useful for long exposure shots (which I've done very few of). It's more of a hassle carrying around (hiking). I'll see how my habits develop, but I'm certainly glad to have it when I need it.

I use it all the time because 1%> of my shots are below f/11 or so, virtually all are at f/16 so hand-holding at ISO100 just isn't possible. Plus, the tripod isn't just for sharp pictures... it helps you slow down, compose better, and make sure the horizon is straight among other things. I get more stuff right in-camera with a tripod.

^ What he said.

Exposure be damned, my shots are sharper, even above 1/fl and I spend more time composing. Also it makes it a lot easier to catch small details in the viewfinder and include them, crop them, or go move them IRL (seaweed on a beach). Otherwise it's too hard to hold perfectly still and compose with all the little details.

Originally Posted by jacobsen1

Also it makes it a lot easier to catch small details in the viewfinder and include them, crop them, or go move them IRL (seaweed on a beach). Otherwise it's too hard to hold perfectly still and compose with all the little details.

Exactly. When I'm shooting something like a river scene, I'll walk around and finally compose my shot on the tripod then spend a while looking through and doing "gardening" via walking back and forth and looking through the viewfinder. Moving a few sticks, zooming in to exclude a branch, wetting a couple rocks... all those little changes can REALLY add up in the end to a much cleaner image.

- Scott

Nice, One of those is on my list of things to get.

Distorto, here's some decent pictures of the tripod:

Where's that?

Abalone Cove near Point Vicente in Palos Verdes, California

it looks good, but i am confused. why isn't it ever vertical?

Originally Posted by distorto

it looks good, but i am confused. why isn't it ever vertical?

I was sorta 'stuck' with the tripod on the slippery rocks, and i couldn't get it to go lower so i just went horizontal with the ballhead vertical. The center column was also going into the rocks at its lowest setting.