Saturday, August 24, 2024

Thoughts on the FLM CP30-S4 II tripod

After some use in the field, I decided my previous lightweight tripod was a bit too short for some situations.  With a little research I found the FLM CP30-S4 II tripod was just the right height to hit eye level on flat ground, while not being much heavier than my old one.  I was already familiar with FLM from their ball heads, so I didn't hesitate to buy one.

After a couple years of use, I can report the CP30-S4 is a great tripod and I recommend it to anyone who needs that size.

Specs from FLM:
Max height 53.4", min height 3.6", folded length of 18.9", and it weighs 2.89 lbs.  They claim it supports 44 lbs, but I have no idea how that is tested.  None of my gear comes close to that.

Features:
4-section carbon fiber legs.
Narrow aluminum apex with a bubble level.
Apex has a standard 3/8-16" stud.
Cork/rubber pad on the top plate.
Nylon set screws to stop the head from loosening.
3 preset angles on the apex.
1/4-20"-threaded holes on the apex and leg mounts.
Wide, rounded rubber feet.
Included spikes can replace the rubber feet.

Comments:
When the CP30 arrived, the first thing I noticed was the build quality.  Nice looking and well-finished.  Once I extended it, I noticed it is remarkably rigid.  Noticeably stiffer than the previous lightweight tripod.  And my gut feeling is that it is just as rigid and sturdy as my bigger, heavier Gitzo 3530 tripod.  The Center Column website has measurements for the CP30, but not my 3530, so I'm not totally sure.  It works so well that I barely use the Gitzo 3530 anymore.  It's much lighter, a little taller (and hits my eye level with the head/camera just right), and at least as rigid. 

My older tripod went to a friend for whom that height works well.

I put my Arca-Swiss P0 ballhead on the CP30.  The narrow CP30 matches the P0 size perfectly, and fits all my criteria for compactness and lightweight.

The tabs on the leg locks could be a bit wider to make them easier to grip.  I noticed that I can also pop them out by pushing on the backside of the lock mechanism.

A note:  the leg twist-locks are metal and some people don't like that vs a rubberized lock.  While I agree that I prefer the feel of rubber, I have not had any trouble in real use.  In theory, the metal locks should last a lot longer than anything with a coating.

The CP30 is now my go-to tripod for most uses.  Based on my experience with it, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it.  And when I need a taller tripod, I won't hesitate to get another FLM.

Pros:
Excellent build quality.
Just tall enough for me with the P0 attached to be at eye level on flat ground.
Goes to ground level.
Independent leg adjustments (only cheap tripods don't do this, but I'm mentioning it anyway).
Very light and easy to handle in the field.
Rigid and solid; I've done plenty of long exposures with it and haven't seen any issues from vibration.

Cons:
The leg lock release could be wider to make them easier to grab.
Some don't like the metal twist locks.  
The bottom of the apex only has an eyelet, not a hook.

Friday, March 25, 2022

Shooting from a car... vibration

I went to a wildlife refuge near home.  It has a 10 mile driving loop as well as hiking trails and blinds.  For this trip, I stayed in the car and did the driving loop.  I did my usual hand-held thing... the camera was set for 1/1000s (shutter priority) using image stabilization and a combination of C-AF and S-AF depending on the subject.

When I got home after shooting over 400 images, I found most were soft... almost as if the AF had failed slightly.  Obviously, I wasn't happy.

I have many sharp images from this camera/lens combo so it seemed unlikely to be a gear problem.

To figure this out, I made some test shots in the yard just to find them all nicely sharp, as usual.  I tried several AF modes and variations to rule out gear issues, but didn't see any problems. After all the re-testing, I realized the only difference was shooting from the car.

So I took the car out to a local park and photographed some trees (which move at about the same speed as the Bison I photographed in the refuge) while the car was running.  I paid more attention to what I was doing.  I realized that my natural position shooting out the driver's side was to rest my elbow on the armrest.  And I noticed vibration in the viewfinder when I did so.  The shots were just a bit soft...  so obviously, even at 1/1000s, the car vibration impacts the image sharpness.

In retrospect I think this problem should have been more obvious to me. I had a similar problem shooting from a tripod on a busy boardwalk; that was the point I started hand-holding for wildlife.  A tripod or any other support becomes a liability on shaky ground.






Tuesday, December 7, 2021

Gloves for photography

Anyone who does outdoor photography will likely, at some point, do so in the cold.  Handling a cold camera and tripod makes your hands even colder, faster.  You need a good pair of gloves.

My hands get very cold very quickly.  I haven't been diagnosed with Reynaud's disease, but I need more warmth than most.  

I've tried many gloves while trying to find a good setup.  Note that I am not comparing gloves from the same genre; this is simply a list of all gloves I've tried, along with their pros and cons.  

But first, some observations:

  • Fingers stay warmer if the rest of you is properly warm.  Keep your core, head, arms, legs and feet warm, and then the gloves don't need to be quite so thick.
  • Mittens don't work for me in some situations.  I often photograph wildlife and do so hand-held.  I need my fingers, with all the dexterity I can get.   Mittens might work if you only shoot from the tripod, and spend a lot of time waiting for the right moment rather than operating the camera. 
  • Mittens tend to be too long for my fingers and I cannot curl my fingers around something like a tripod leg when that is the case.
  • Some gloves have pockets for handwarmers
  • Windproof gloves are very helpful.  Wind will steal the warm air from you.
  • Waterproof gloves are helpful in foul weather, or when handling snow.
  • There is an inverse relationship between dexterity and warmth.
  • Layering a liner with an outer glove helps with warmth.
  • No gloves I have found, even thin, tight-fitting liners, offer enough dexterity for things like changing memory cards or batteries.  The fingers need to be bare, at least for the gear I've used.


Hand Out

One mitten brand I tried was Hand Out (https://handoutgloves.com/), which unzip around the knuckles and let all 4 fingers and your thumb out of the glove/mitten.  Mine are super warm and water-proof.  I just wish I'd gotten their gloves instead of the mittens because I can't use the camera while they are all zipped up and toasty.  These will be great for snowboarders, and fit people with long skinny hands.  The long cuffs go up your jacket sleeve pretty far, and seal out wind very nicely.  They are so warm I tend to unzip them a bit to vent off some heat.  I have used them standing around in single digit F temperatures with a wind and my hands remained toasty warm.  But the dexterity is so bad that I can't even hold my dog's leash... I just drop it all the time when using these gloves, and I don't notice until I hear the clatter on the ground.  


The Heat Company

A hybrid brand I tried was Heat.  I have the Heat 2 glove/mitten (https://theheatcompany.us/pages/heat-2-system).  They have okay warmth right around freezing, but below that they don't keep me warm enough. They let all your fingers and thumb out as needed, but if you are shooting hand-held then you lose warmth through the tips of your fingers.  I don't need all of my fingers exposed... just the first finger and thumb, but I found I can use the mitten to cover the last 3 fingers and let my first finger stick out.  In mitten mode, the grip isn't very good;  I can't carry my camera or tripod easily.  The mitten part would benefit from adding grip dots.  Also, the thumb covers are too long to have any dexterity while covered. You can get a liner (Heat makes several, or buy another brand), and that helps the warmth a bit but not enough for super cold weather.  Great idea, but the imperfect fit and lack of insulation mostly rules this out for me. 

Heat makes several liners. The liner I bought from them is the wind pro model.  The Wind Pro liner fits me snugly, has excellent touch screen compatibility, great dexterity, and good grip, but by themselves are not warm enough at freezing (32F/0C).  The Heat liner fits inside my Heat 2 gloves but the bulk lowers my dexterity.  The Heat wind pro liner has a long cuff which helps block some air from getting up your sleeves.


Ski gloves

Ski gloves, such as from REI, are generally warm but are very thick and make it impossible to operate the camera normally.


LowePro

I've had these for a few years (https://www.amazon.com/LowePro-Photographers-Glove-L/dp/B019GXBYZG).  They let the finger and thumb out, have good grip, but they are not very warm by themselves.  They stretch quite a bit and I can easily fit liners in them, which makes them warm enough for a morning outing.  Even lined, they give me plenty of dexterity for normal camera operations and the grip on the gear is very good.  They aren't very well made... the velcro used to hold the finger and thumb covers out of the way wore out within a couple of uses, and the thumb cover doesn't stay over my thumb, but when combined with liners they work well for operating the camera.


Outdoor Research (OR)

My overall favorite glove has been my OR Windstopper fleece gloves (https://www.outdoorresearch.com/us/gloves).  I have had them for years now and they are starting to wear out.   I carry them in my coat pocket, and use them by default.  They have a good grip and dexterity, allowing me to hand-hold the camera and operate the major controls easily. They are easy to take off and on as needed.  But when the temps go well below freezing, they are not warm enough. Unfortunately, they are a bit tight when I use them in combination with a wool liner, but that combination lets my fingers last for a very cold morning outing.  If I never went out when it was much below freezing, these would be my only gloves.

I became aware of a newer style from OR, the Vigor Heavyweight sensor gloves, which are supposed to be touch screen compatible.  They are thinner and have similar warmth to my OR windstopper gloves, but the touchscreen aspect simply doesn't work. I tried two pairs and both had the same issue.  Most of the reviews say the same thing; touchscreen doesn't work with these gloves.  I recommend them if you don't need the touchscreen sensitivity.  They aren't for arctic conditions of course, but work for most general uses.  

I also have wool liners from Outdoor Research, which fit snugly. The OR liners originally had touch screen capability, but that has worn out.  They are wool, warm, but not windproof and by themselves have poor grip, so I would never use them alone to hold a camera.  The OR symbol was worn off and I can't tell which is right or left but that doesn't seem to matter.  These liners fit nicely inside my LowePro and Heat2 gloves, but are a bit snug inside my OR windstopper fleece gloves.


Vallerret 

Next, I tried the Vallerret Markhof Pro 2.0 photo gloves (https://us.photographygloves.com/products/vallerret-photography-glove-markhof-pro-2-0).  The first finger and thumb can be uncovered as needed, which gave me the dexterity I needed to change cards and batteries without removing the gloves.  The build quality is very good, and the fit is good for me.  However, the insulation was too weak for my cold hands below freezing, and the holes for the finger and thumb let in the cold air.  I thought it would have a flap to cover it, but these gloves simply use a hole.  I was disappointed as I think the design idea is great, but the warmth just wasn't sufficient.  They have a warmer pair with similar design (but better flaps to cover the finger and thumb holes), the Ipsoot, that I may try (but the price has made me skittish).


Miscellaneous brands found on Amazon

Amazon is wonderful for finding items you would never otherwise know about.  I have tried several gloves I found there that have finger caps, in the hopes they'd be warm and let me have the dexterity I want with my fingertips as needed.  No luck.  Energetic Sky was one brand.  They seemed warm but the fit wasn't good (too skinny, too long), and the finger magnets were sewn in backwards (reversed polarity so they repelled instead of held the first finger flap.  I tried the Palmyth leather ice fishing gloves that look like crab claws; they are very nicely made but I found the finger caps were too difficult to put back on.  Goture was another with bad fit, too long and skinny.  Same for Ozero (the design is very similar to the Caiman gloves I talk about below, but didn't fit).  


Kinco

I read raves about the Kinco 901 leather ski gloves.  (https://kinco.com/product/901).  I found them in a local store and unfortunately they didn't fit me well enough to consider them for using the camera (fingers were too long).  The leather can be waterproofed.  They are inexpensive compared to big name brands ($35 when I looked), and well-made, so they should be worth a look.  Skiers claim to keep warm with these all day.


Caiman

A pair I tried and ended up keeping is from Caiman.  (https://www.caimangloves.com/caiman-2396/)  I've used them on several cold morning outings, from teens (F) to just around freezing, and remained sufficiently warm, if not always completely toasty.  They are thick, but fit pretty well and have good grip and dexterity.  I only have to remove them for card/battery/filter changes.  My pair doesn't work with touchscreen as advertised, and I'd prefer a thinner rib knit cuff, but for $15 I can't complain.  Since these gloves are warmer than my OR Windstopper gloves, they have replaced them.


Cabela's

A friend discovered and tried the Cabela's Glomitts, with GoreTex Infinium and heavy Thinsulate (https://www.cabelas.com/shop/en/cabelas-gore-tex-infinium-windstopper-glomitts-for-men).  The design is a convertible mitten that lets the fingers and thumb be exposed as needed, very much like the Heat 2 convertible mittens, except these are much much better insulated than the Heat 2s.  They are windproof when the fingers and thumb are covered, and use 320g Thinsulate on the back of the hand, with 160g on the inside.  My friend raved about them so much that I decided to try a pair.  They fit my short fingers well, are extremely comfortable to wear, and keep me much warmer than most other gloves.  I think they are on par with the Hand Out mittens for warmth.  I've been out in 0 F weather with them and stayed toasty.  I've even had to vent them a bit.  The palms have leather patches for good grip.  They have long thick cuffs like the Hand Out mittens, which cinch down to keep the wind out.  Again, I'd rather have rib knit cuffs to make it easier to fit under my jacket sleeves, but the cuffs do work to keep the wind out.  I'll just come out and say it, these are now my go-to gloves when it is very cold.  That said, there is still room for improvement, and I wrote my requests to Cabela's.  The first con: they are hard to remove.  They would benefit from pull tabs between the fingers like the Heat 2s use.  The second con:  they don't use magnets to keep the flaps out of the way like the Heat 2s.  Instead, they have stretchy bands to stuff the flaps in.  It works fine but isn't as fast or easy to use as magnets. The third con: they don't offer small sizes; if you have very small hands they won't fit you.  FYI, Gore Tex Infinium is windproof, but not waterproof.


FRDM

For those times that I want to use my finger and thumb frequently with the Cabela's Glomits, I bought a pair of FRDM Vigor liners (https://frdmgear.com/products/vigor-liner).  These have flaps for the first finger and thumb, so I can have a little more protection on the fingertips as needed, but still get my fingers out when I need the ultimate dexterity.  They aren't super warm alone, but fit well and have good grip and dexterity.  The cuffs do not stretch as well as I hoped, so they are a little bit harder to pull on vs my other liners.  




Friday, April 24, 2020

Thoughts on the Shimoda Action X50

Sometimes I want to carry more gear than my compact, thin Atlas Athlete is designed to hold, but I didn't want to go as large as the Atlas Adventure.

I picked up a Shimoda Action X50.

It comes in a drab army green or black.  I picked green. I realized this is my fifth green pack... seems like a pattern.

The first Shimoda model, the Explore series, didn't interest me because they lack side water bottle pockets. The Action X50 added hideaway water bottle pockets.

The design seems like a copy of the Nya-Evo Fjord 60, with some nice modifications.

Modified Shimoda Action X50

The front of the pack



Features


  • Adjustable torso size
  • Internal frame
  • Shoulder strap options (e.g. women's fit, thicker straps, etc)
  • Pockets on some of the shoulder strap options
  • Removable hipbelt
  • Hideaway dual side water bottle pockets
  • Water bladder compatible (front pocket)
  • Rear access
  • Side access via new Shimoda inserts
  • Various camera insert sizes
  • Thin side pockets
  • Deep, thin front pocket
  • Rolltop access to top compartment, expandable.
  • Extra zippered pockets in top and front sections
  • Compression straps (can attach tripods)
  • Loops for gatekeeper straps
  • Waterproof coating
  • Stands upright
  • Laptop sleeve
  • Thick, cushioned carry handles on top and side.


Rolltop

Looking inside the rolltop (winter gloves shown)


Shimoda is known for having nice shoulder straps.  Users like the shape and the front pockets.  The thick straps are a bit thicker than I expected!

Thick Shimoda strap (green) next to the Atlas strap (grey with a common thickness)

The pockets on the shoulder straps are very handy.  One can hold an phone-sized item, the other can stretch enough to hold a thin water bottle or can of bear spray.

The stretchy shoulder strap pocket.


My existing F-stop pro ICUs fit nicely.  Small, Medium, and Large pro ICUs all fit.

This F-stop ICU fits snugly and doesn't pop out

Dual side water bottle pockets are a must for me.

Exposed water bottle holder

Drain holes on both sides for the front pocket

Front pocket unzipped

Side pocket with water bottle holder stowed.

The carry handles are thick and robust, but don't get in the way.

Side carry handle

Top carry handle


Fit


The adjustable torso size helps a ton to get a precise torso fit.  This helps the hipbelt stay where it is needed without slipping.

The strap options means there is likely a strap that will work for you.  

The pack is tall enough that the load lifters help remove some weight from the shoulders and transfer it to the hips.

The included removable hipbelt does a pretty good job of supporting the weight.

I find that the back is too flat for me... it doesn't quite fit me as well as a good hiking pack or my Atlas pack. The lumbar area doesn't push as deeply into my lower back as I need to fit well. But I found a simple fix for the lumbar area:  I added a piece of very dense closed cell foam, about 1/2" thick, inside the lumbar area. That did the trick for pushing the lumbar area nicely against my back.

The thick straps push into my shoulder blades on the back side. The standard thin straps fit fine.  Ian Millar said the thick straps are meant for a much bigger person (I wish they'd specified this up front).  But I've seen smaller guys using the thick straps and enjoying them.

Out of the box, the fit isn't good enough for me for a long hike. I did the same hike (a few miles between 9000-10000 feet) within a couple days of each other to compare the X50 vs the Athlete, carrying the same gear.  I felt sore and beaten up after using the X50 out-of-the-box, while I have always felt fine using the Athlete.  But your back isn't just like mine, so you'll have to try it for yourself.  As I mentioned above, adding the padding to the lumbar area helped.



Modifications


I like the easy access of the Shimoda rolltop for the personal gear, but missed having a top lid, so I added one from Seek Outside.  The color isn't quite a match, but it's close enough if you aren't too picky.  I was lucky that the X50 has loops in just the right places to add gatekeeper straps, which is how I attached the top lid.  The top lid lets me get to some smaller, often-used items quickly.

Seek Outside top lid sitting on the Shimoda Action X50


Gatekeeper and buckles hold the front of the top lid.


Attached on the back






Anyone paying attention to the images above may have noticed the gray hipbelt.  This is from Atlas, their Adventure hipbelt.  Even though the velcro is on the opposite side from the Shimoda, it fits and stays in place.  This combination doesn't seem to work as well for me as using the belts in their respective packs, but I thought it was worth a try.  It squeaked with every step.  My birder friends couldn't stand walking with me when I tried that configuration.





What I like about it:
  • Adjustable torso size
  • Thick shoulder straps available
  • Thick straps have mesh
  • Women's shoulder straps available
  • Removable belt
  • Quick and easy rear access to camera
  • Side water bottle holders are deep, wide, and can be cinched down to the right size
  • Water bladder option
  • Pockets on the shoulder straps
  • Stands upright on its own (easy access to the rolltop area)
  • Waterproofing
  • Very well padded laptop sleeve
  • Extra straps and loops
  • Rolltop is quick and easy to use
  • Thick top and side handles
  • F-stop pro ICUs fit perfectly
  • Many gatekeeper loops!  I was able to easily fit a top lid/pocket from Seek Outside
  • I was able to adapt my favorite hipbelt; the Atlas Adventure belt.
  • I was able to get the lumbar support to work via additional foam padding.

What I don't like:

  • Standard straps could use mesh
  • Thick straps are crazy thick and pushed into my shoulder blades uncomfortably; a little thinner close to the shoulder attachment area would fit me better. 
  • Hard to see and find small items in the rolltop section
  • Front pocket is on the thin side, and doesn't unzip far.
  • Boxy looking (adding a top lid helped with that)
  • Back of pack would benefit from mesh/better airflow.  I sweat with this pack even on cool days.
  • Belt is on the thin side (could use a firmer layer on the outside and more padding against the body), and could also use mesh.
  • The drab green is a little too military looking; I would prefer pine green.  
  • The side pockets (behind the water bottle holders) are a bit thin.
  • Attachment rings on shoulder straps are plastic (but can be replaced with metal rings)
  • The keyring is a propriety design and is hard to locate in one of the pockets inside the rolltop.  A clip, closer to the top, would have been just fine.
  • Due to the way the camera cores are held in the pack, the items on the sides of the camera cores can be harder to reach.
  • As sold, I couldn't get a good enough fit for longer hikes.  My back and shoulders felt beaten up after a few miles. Adding padding to the lumbar area helped some, but it still doesn't fit perfectly.

I will also note that I am indifferent to the side access. When I shoot landscapes, I hike to a spot and set the pack down. But the Shimoda does manage to offer many features without too many compromises.


Summary


Overall it's a very well-designed pack, even if you don't modify it.  

I still prefer the Atlas Athlete design and fit, but obviously the Athlete isn't perfect for every use case or I wouldn't have tried the Shimoda. If it fits you well and meets your other needs, you'll be happy with it.  Good fit is essential.

The final configuration that fits best for me is to use the standard straps, the Shimoda belt, and add thick padding in the lumbar area.






Sunday, February 23, 2020

The Arca-Swiss P0 ballhead

When I bought a smaller travel/hiking tripod, I wanted a smaller lighter ballhead that would match it well.  I love FLM ballheads and nearly bought the CB-32F or CB-38F, but a friend convinced me to give the Arca-Swiss P0 a try.


The head is different from the average ballhead because the mechanism is inverted.  The stem mounts on the tripod and the mechanism sits on top.   This upside-down design prevents water and snow from getting inside.

The main locking control is a bit unusual too... instead of a knob or lever like most heads, it has a ring that wraps around the entire head.  This means you don't need to worry about the orientation of the head.  A quick twist tightens or loosens the head.  It's the same from any angle.

Mine didn't come with a quick release and I ended up using an FLM SRB-60 clamp, which is round and matches the size of the P0 perfectly. The knob is short and doesn't poke out too far either, which was important to me in keeping the overall package as small as possible. I had to modify the clamp to use an M6 screw flush in the clamp, and raised the clamp a bit using fender washers to keep the P0's pano knob from hitting the clamp's knob.

Removing the included screw took just a little force from an 11mm socket.

Be careful what you put on top. When I put a clamp directly on it, I hadn't realized the bottom of the clamp had a protrusion that would dig into the rotating platform.


A gripe I have about traditional ballhead controls is when I want to shoot the sky.  I need the drop notch to face me in that case.  Normally, I'd look down for macros, so I want the main knob to my left while the drop notch is opposite from me.  But when I want to aim up, a normal head has to be turned around, and suddenly using the knob is awkward.  The P0 solves this easily since the orientation doesn't matter.

Also, built in to the head is a rotating platform on top.  This makes panoramas easy... just level the head and rotate the top.  No need to spend more on a leveling base or a panning clamp.  The rotation is smooth and well-damped.

Opposite the pan lock lever is a drop notch that allows the head to be tilted up to 90 degrees if desired. Unlike the Arca-Swiss Z1 that I had for a few years, when I tilt the head into the drop-notch, I can feel the increased resistance from the aspherical ball as it tilts.  So the aspherical ball really seems to work.



I intended the P0 for smaller lenses and landscape use, but I found it plenty strong to hold a 100-400 mounted without slipping.

But here is the big surprise for me... the P0 doesn't shift as it is locked down, which is one of the big features I love about my FLM head.  It makes lining up shots very easy.  It makes precise compositions very easy, particularly for closeups where any shifting is very noticeable.  I haven't compared them directly but I think the P0 may be just as shift-free as my FLM CB-48F.

In a nutshell, I was surprised by how much I like the P0.









Saturday, February 22, 2020

Leofoto LS-284C travel tripod

Leofoto is a name that I've seen come up quite often in forums and reviews.  So when I decided to get a compact travel tripod for hiking, I researched the Leofoto LS-284C.  I compared it against several brands and in the end, decided it had the best bang for buck, being at most one-third the price of the equivalent Really Right Stuff but nearly as stiff according to the Center Column.  It's actually #2 in the travel tripod stiffness ranking, behind RRS and just above Gitzo.  Impressive!





It arrived in a nicely made, padded case.  The case has enough room for a head mounted as well as the tripod itself, which is a nice touch.  I wish the case had webbing to make it easier to attach to a backpack.



The tripod came with spikes for certain terrain, and they happen to fit many other tripods via standard 3/8" threads.  To use them, remove the rubber feet on each leg and screw in the spikes.  Try not to stab anyone.



It came with a carabiner to hang your bag for extra stability, which you have to screw in yourself.  I used a little loctite to hold it in place.



There was a nice multi-tool included as well, but the parts have a hard time reaching some of the tripod screws, so I assume it is a generic tool.  It's a cool idea but not actually useful as designed.  You'll need to keep your existing hex wrenches handy.



The build quality on the LS-284C appears to be as good as anything I've seen from any other maker, including my own Gitzo and a friend's RRS. I've read of quality control issues in a couple of Leofoto tripods but mine works beautifully.

The LS-284C has 4 leg sections.  The leg locks take an easy quarter turn or so to loosen and retighten.



Fully extended on a flat surface, the tripod is only about 4' tall.

The legs spread independently which is useful for uneven terrain. It can spread wide and go to nearly ground level.  The leg stops are spring loaded and easy to use.  Just pull them out and they lock open so you can widen the legs and get lower. When you move the leg out to the widest setting, they automatically snap back into position, and snap to the next stops as you close the leg back up.

As low as it can go

Stop pulled out, ready to adjust.


It did not come with a center column.  For my intended use of shooting landscapes while hiking, I didn't need one.

The apex is quite small at about 47mm in diameter.  My FLM CB-48F head is just a little too big for it.  It works fine, but I ended up with a smaller ballhead.  The apex is so small that with the hook hanging and the legs at the narrowest angle, my pack won't hang directly on the hook.

My only real gripe is something I read about from several other reviewers... the legs feel a bit narrow on the tallest setting.  So the first thing I did was take the legs off and void my warranty by filing the stops.  This widened the stance a bit, making it more stable, at the cost of a little less maximum height.

The tripod is very light, and compared to my bigger Gitzo, feels weightless.  Put a small, lightweight (but sturdy!) head on top and you have a winner for hikes.   Given how light it is, I pay close attention when it is windy.  I don't quite trust it in wind as much as my 3-series Gitzo (which was nearly blown over in a very strong wind just once - I caught it).  I will hang my backpack from the apex once I extend the hook.  And maybe I'll widen the stance just a little more.

It was a very good purchase.  If you need a solid travel tripod, take a look.

Monday, February 3, 2020

Camera backpack options

Since there is no such thing as "one size fits all" with backpacks, much less camera backpacks, I thought I'd list a bunch that I became aware of during my searches.  I'll list them alphabetically by brand, and mention features that I think may be relevant to some of you.

One thing I don't take very seriously is volume.  Some companies have very similar sized bags (dimensions), but list very different volumes in Liters.

Atlas

Athlete (adjusts from 20L to 40L)
  • Rear loading. 
  • Two torso lengths available
  • Multiple removable belt options and sizes.
  • Dual water bottle pockets
  • Hydration compatible
  • Adjustable camera core size (non-removable)
  • Tripod carry system
  • small/thin laptop sleeve

Adventure (adjusts from 50L to 70L)
  • Rear loading. 
  • Two torso lengths available
  • Adjustable torso height
  • Removable shoulder straps
  • Removable belt with multiple sizes.
  • Dual water bottle pockets
  • Hydration compatible
  • Adjustable camera core size (non-removable)
  • Tripod carry system
  • laptop sleeve
  • room for large telephoto lenses


Burton

F-stop (model name) 28L
  • Front loading
  • Adjustable torso size
  • Dual water bottle pockets
  • Removable insert (one size)
  • no laptop sleeve


F-stop (brand name)

  • Several models in various sizes (32L, 40L, 50L, 70L, 80L)
  • Torso sizes are fixed
  • Non-removable hipbelts
  • Removable camera inserts
  • some have room for large telephoto lenses
  • Dual side zip pockets
  • Hydration compatible


Lowe Pro

  • Several backpack models with various features and sizes
  • Very few have features I require, such as side water bottle pockets


Mountainsmith

  • Various sizes, front loaders
  • Some with removable inserts
  • Side water bottle pockets


Naneu

  • some side loading models, one front/bottom loader
  • 35L, 50L, and 80L packs
  • Water bottle holders
  • fixed torso lengths
  • One with laptop sleeve


Nya-evo

Fjord 60-C (adjusts from 44L to 60L)
  • Adjustable torso size
  • Rear loading
  • Dual water bottle pockets
  • Removable inserts of various sizes (appears to match F-stop ICU sizes)
  • Fixed hipbelt
  • tripod carry
  • laptop sleeve
  • space above the inserts for personal gear


Shimoda


Explore series (40L and 60L models)
  • Rear loading, side loading
  • Adjustable torso sizes
  • no water bottle pockets on sides (small pocket in harness)
  • removable inserts
  • tripod carry

Action X series (30L, 50L, and 70L models)
  • Rear loading, side loading
  • Adjustable torso sizes
  • Women's harnesses available
  • Extra thick men's harness available
  • Removable hipbelt
  • Dual side water bottle pockets
  • Hydration compatible
  • removable inserts
  • laptop sleeve
  • tripod carry


Tamrac

  • Several backpack models with various features and sizes

Thinktank

Backlight series (18L, 26L, 36L, 45L models)
  • Rear loading
  • Fixed torso lengths
  • Most have fixed hipbelts (except 45L)
  • Most have non-removable camera sections (except 45L)
  • Dual side water bottle pockets
  • 45L has hydration section
  • 36L and 45L have room for large telephotos
  • tripod carry
  • laptop sleeves 
Many other ThinkTank backpack series are available



Know of another brand or model?  Let me know and I'll add it.