![\"tripod-under-200\"](\"http:\/\/ralphnordstromphotography.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/10\/tripod-under-200.jpg\" "\\"tripod-under-200\\"")
<\/a><\/p>\nEvery time I wanted to use it I had to screw the camera on to the camera mount.\u00a0 It wasn’t very tall so I find myself extending the center post all the time and still I had to hunch over to look through the viewfinder.\u00a0 But it was light weight and I thought all the handles and nobs used to aim and adjust your camera were pretty cool, even if they were a bit awkward.<\/p>\n
I got a lot of use out of it \u2013 until I set it down at Mt Rushmore, forgot it, and walked off.\u00a0 When I discovered my mistake we want back to check with the rangers to see if anyone had turned it in.\u00a0 Of course it was gone.\u00a0 So we rushed into Rapid City, South Dakota to find a camera store and buy another one for the rest of the trip.\u00a0 I got the same kind.<\/p>\n
It took awhile but it eventually became apparent that a $125 tripod just wasn’t going to do the trick.\u00a0 It wasn’t very solid and was pretty awkward to use.\u00a0 So I started reading up on them.\u00a0 I came across the blog article that explained how you can save $2000 on a tripod by spending $2000 on your first tripod.\u00a0 That still seemed like a lot of money.\u00a0 But if that is what it was going to take, \u2026.\u00a0 So, working from the bottom up I started putting together what I needed.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
First of all, it should be both light weight and sturdy enough to hold my camera with long telephotos.\u00a0 Aluminum legs were light weight but not sturdy enough so I decided to go with carbon fiber in spite of the cost.\u00a0 Second, it needed to be tall enough for my 6\u2019 4\u201d body so I needed a tripod that was extra long.\u00a0 Third, it needed to fit in my suitcase when I traveled so I decided on four leg sections instead of three.\u00a0 Fourth, I still wanted a center post in spite of so many professionals much better than me that complain that a center post keeps you from getting really low. And I find there are times when the composition requires the camera to be 6\u201d or a foot higher and the center post allows me to do that.\u00a0 So far I have no regrets for my center post decision.\u00a0 Fifth, I wanted the center post to be \u2018leveling.\u2019\u00a0 In other words it can be adjusted so it is perfectly vertical even when the tripod is sitting on a slope.\u00a0 This is a really handy feature when shooting panoramas.\u00a0 So here\u2019s what I was looking for in the tripod:<\/p>\n
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- Light weight, sturdy carbon fiber<\/li>\n
- Long enough for a tall guy like me<\/li>\n
- Four section legs so it will fit in a suit case<\/li>\n
- Leveling center post to shoot panoramas and get that extra height when I need it<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
I ended up with the Gitzo TT2540LLVL.\u00a0 It retails for right around one grand.\u00a0 Fortunately I had some help from a friend who was a Bogen salesman at the time (Bogen handles Gitzo\u2019s sales) and got a really good deal.\u00a0 It helps to have friends like that.<\/p>\n
![\"gitzo-gt2540llvl\"](\"http:\/\/ralphnordstromphotography.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/10\/gitzo-gt2540llvl_thumb.jpg\" "\\"gitzo-gt2540llvl\\"")
<\/a><\/p>\nBut you\u2019ll notice this is just the tripod and there\u2019s no way to attach a camera.\u00a0 It\u2019s kind of like buying a camera body without a lens.\u00a0 So the question came down to the kind of mount.\u00a0 In checking around it became clear that the three-axis mount I had been using was more for filming but not for landscape photography.\u00a0 What I really needed was a ball head.\u00a0 Since I went with a top of the line tripod I only looked at one top of the line ball head \u2013 Really Right Stuff.\u00a0 And I went for their largest ball head thinking that that would accommodate anything that I might throw at it in the future in the way of large, heavy telephoto lenses.<\/p>\n
The ball head I chose comes with an Arca-Swiss style quick release and there were two choices in how the quick release worked \u2013 a lever or a screw-know clamp.\u00a0 I went with the lever because not only did it provide tactile feedback to let you know if your camera is locked in but you could also see it.<\/p>\n
![\"BH55PCLR\"](\"http:\/\/ralphnordstromphotography.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/10\/BH55PCLR_thumb.png\" "\\"BH55PCLR\\"")
<\/a><\/p>\nLastly I needed to fasten the camera to the mount and that required a plate.\u00a0 I went with the L-plate which allows me to switch from landscape to portrait orientation in seconds.\u00a0 I surely love that L-plate.<\/p>\n
![\"MCL\"](\"http:\/\/ralphnordstromphotography.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/10\/MCL_thumb.png\" "\\"MCL\\"")
<\/a><\/p>\nReally Right Stuff also makes plates that only attach the camera in landscape orientation.\u00a0 Cost of the ball head was $450 and the L-plate another $180.<\/p>\n
This stuff isn’t for the faint of heart.\u00a0 But what I ended up with is two extraordinary pieces of equipment \u2013 tripod and ball head.\u00a0 They are incredibly well-engineered and when you ask yourself what the three most important pieces of gear are for taking professional quality landscape photographs they will be your camera body, high quality lenses and a top of the line tripod.\u00a0 So I figured it doesn’t make sense to spend thousands of dollars on the first two and then try to skimp on the third.\u00a0 I am so thrilled with my Gitzo tripod and Really Right Stuff ball head that I take great pleasure from them every time I set up for a shot.<\/p>\n
\nI hope you found this article useful.\u00a0 Please feel free to share it with your photographer friends, on Facebook, Twitter and the like.<\/p>\n
And we always enjoy hearing from you so please leave a comment with your experience with tripods.<\/p>\n