floating tripods

[size13]

No, I don't meant the kind that don't sink!

Whilst watching the football the other night, there were 2 photographers on the touchline, one with a Canon and one with a Nikon. Both had big lenses on tripods with the tripod mount on the lens.

I noticed that they could rotate the camera round between landscape and portrait very easily. In fact I guess the camera would spin all the way round if they wanted it to.

Are there tripods that allow this or is it a fancy lens fixing. What I couldn't see was whether the lens rotated, or just the body.

tia

Richard

[Ian_H]

On the bigger Canon lenses you have a tripod/monopod collar which you can loosen which enables you to rotate the camera and lens from landscape to portrait or lock it in any position.



Cheers
Ian

[size13]

I was thinking of a ball head, but these must have been a collar.

I guess you can't buy them for any old lens then.

>> Edited by size13 on Tuesday 6th December 11:57

[beano500]

I think that you may find "Kirk Collars" or similar will allow you to do just this.


(I may be talking out of my *****, but - hey, why change the habits of a lifetime!?)


Anything big and you don't want to use a ballhead, it just tilts the weight over to the side and your tripod will really start to float....



....off towards the lure of gravity!!!!

[cirks]

size13 said:

I was thinking of a ball head, but these must have been a collar.

having reread your question I decided the collar was more likely than the ball head so quickly deleted my post.....not quickly enough though! Sorry

[GetCarter]

Not sure I've quite got this... but

I have a Benbo tripod (ball head - and centre of gravity doesn't have to be over centre of tripod) and a 400mm lens with tripod mount - and it's very easy to move from landscape to portrait. About 1 second in fact.

Is that what you mean or am I being dumb?

Steve

[beano500]

one picture words thousand worth

??



from


www.kirkphoto.com/lenscollars.html

This sort of thing?

[GetCarter]

Ah right - same thing but that looks like it'd be even quicker.

[size13]

I was just going to reply with that very picture!

Sounds like a ball head might be OK if the lens + camera weight isn't too much to topple the whole thing over.

[beano500]

GetCarter said:

... even quicker.

Depends how fast your landscape moves

(I know - it's not the scenery it's the amazing speed of the lighting conditions! Just about get set up for a shot, wait four hours and then you want the other orientation just as it all comes together )

[beano500]

size13 said:

..camera weight isn't too much to topple the whole thing over.

I don't think this is necessarily a big problem with a decent tripod, but "ye cannae break the laws of Fysics, Cap'n!"

[te51cle]

Could have been the Stroboframe Vertaflip too. 2nd one down

[GetCarter]

I know most of you are not keen on Benbo (they are a bit of a handful) but they do have the ability to put cameras into any position.... including nowhere near over the 3 legs.

www.warehouseexpress.com/index.cfm?binsandscopes/tripods/benbo.html