Discussion
For anyone who remembers the original thread I went out and bought my first DSLR in my move from film to digital, must say loving it, it almost feels like cheating to be able to preview pictures I've taken without having to trudge home and develop them only to find something out of place or a change in dof or exposure would have turned an ok picture in to a great picture.
Like most people do I ended up going a bit mad and going from something like a d3100 with kit lens and ended up buying a new d7100 with the excellent 35mm 1.8 lens, hugely impressed with the camera and lens, but anyway enough rambling, where this is actually going is I also talked myself out of a grey import and in to a UK model, consequently I have £100 of Nikon cash back to spend, I can either spend it on camera gear, towards a watch or day to day living. Day to day living is boring, I've been hunting a watch for the last 6 months and am no nearer other than wanting a Rolex or Tudor Sub and £100 isn't going to make much difference there!
I have noticed that I'm enjoying time exposures more and more, the ability to retake them having seen it on the little screen means I can play around till my hearts content, I was out taking some pictures of stars and the night sky the other night and used the car hood to rest the camera on, this is fine as its soft but out for a walk taking pictures of moving water etc. I don't really want to scratch my camera resting it on a rock or risk it falling off a precarious perch and breaking.
So I'm considering spending my cash back on a nice tripod, the trouble is my photography is very much camera under the arm and go for a walk catching things as they happen rather than a planned trip, so while a tripod needs to be solid which means bulky and not that light, the last thing I want is to cart the thing round!
So what alternatives are there? A monopod is no use to me as I don't need help steadying the camera its a support for long exposures I need, on a monopod over a 30sec exposure I'll be wobbling all over the place! How about a beanbag? Or has another amazing invention come out? Is there a small stable tripod to hold the camera say a foot up that folds up very compact? I don't really need to hold the camera at waist or head height usually and where I do I can improvise sitting it on something else.
Like most people do I ended up going a bit mad and going from something like a d3100 with kit lens and ended up buying a new d7100 with the excellent 35mm 1.8 lens, hugely impressed with the camera and lens, but anyway enough rambling, where this is actually going is I also talked myself out of a grey import and in to a UK model, consequently I have £100 of Nikon cash back to spend, I can either spend it on camera gear, towards a watch or day to day living. Day to day living is boring, I've been hunting a watch for the last 6 months and am no nearer other than wanting a Rolex or Tudor Sub and £100 isn't going to make much difference there!
I have noticed that I'm enjoying time exposures more and more, the ability to retake them having seen it on the little screen means I can play around till my hearts content, I was out taking some pictures of stars and the night sky the other night and used the car hood to rest the camera on, this is fine as its soft but out for a walk taking pictures of moving water etc. I don't really want to scratch my camera resting it on a rock or risk it falling off a precarious perch and breaking.
So I'm considering spending my cash back on a nice tripod, the trouble is my photography is very much camera under the arm and go for a walk catching things as they happen rather than a planned trip, so while a tripod needs to be solid which means bulky and not that light, the last thing I want is to cart the thing round!
So what alternatives are there? A monopod is no use to me as I don't need help steadying the camera its a support for long exposures I need, on a monopod over a 30sec exposure I'll be wobbling all over the place! How about a beanbag? Or has another amazing invention come out? Is there a small stable tripod to hold the camera say a foot up that folds up very compact? I don't really need to hold the camera at waist or head height usually and where I do I can improvise sitting it on something else.
Gorillapod is one option, get the biggest one, the focus IIRC, and it is solid enough to use an SLR on.
http://joby.com/gorillapod/focus
Novoflex do a minipod, which I have for travelling light, and is part of a clever modular system. http://www.speedgraphic.co.uk/mini__table_/novofle...
Either way get a cable release, and use mirror lockup, to maximise your chances of a good sharp shot.
http://joby.com/gorillapod/focus
Novoflex do a minipod, which I have for travelling light, and is part of a clever modular system. http://www.speedgraphic.co.uk/mini__table_/novofle...
Either way get a cable release, and use mirror lockup, to maximise your chances of a good sharp shot.
I use a Gorillapod for this type of functionality. The DSLR one is about 9ins high. Can be used as a tripod, or wrapped around things like railings, etc for a stable platform. Very flexible and very portable.
http://joby.com/gorillapod
http://joby.com/gorillapod
I started with a lightweight tripod with a view to carrying it around too. However after staring out with longer exposures and 10 stop filters I quickly realized it just wasn't up to the job. A slight wind makes it move, and even the strap blowing in the breeze did too.
So i decided it simply wasn't up to the job especially considering all the setting up involved in a long exposure / filter shot - I wasted hours with them only to end up with fuzzy shots.
So I just got a Manfrotto 055XPROB which is the donkeys knob for stability. I fully expect to grow strong muscles too in one arm with lugging it around, but I'm fully expecting it to turn me into the next Karl Taylor
So i decided it simply wasn't up to the job especially considering all the setting up involved in a long exposure / filter shot - I wasted hours with them only to end up with fuzzy shots.
So I just got a Manfrotto 055XPROB which is the donkeys knob for stability. I fully expect to grow strong muscles too in one arm with lugging it around, but I'm fully expecting it to turn me into the next Karl Taylor
Gassing Station | Photography & Video | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff