TomB_tx Posted July 24, 2011 Share #21 Â Posted July 24, 2011 Advertisement (gone after registration) I love the Leica head, as it locks rigidly and instantly holding the frame exactly. Most other heads will sag or shift when locked. Of course, when I bought mine new at the Leica dealer, the tripod was $11 and the head was $32. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted July 24, 2011 Posted July 24, 2011 Hi TomB_tx, Take a look here Leica M and tripod. Is the leica tripod convenient to use?. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
TomB_tx Posted July 24, 2011 Share #22 Â Posted July 24, 2011 I love the Leica head, as it locks rigidly and instantly holding the frame exactly. Most other heads will sag or shift when locked. Of course, when I bought mine new at the Leica dealer, the tripod was $11 and the head was $32. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
250swb Posted July 25, 2011 Share #23 Â Posted July 25, 2011 The problem with table top tripods is that you also need to carry a table around as well, which makes them bulky. The same with those Gorillapod things, you need to carry a tree branch or road sign to hang them on. Â Yes, I am being facetious, but you've got to ask yourself how often are you going to find a suitable platform (height, distance, stability) to mount these things on and in the right place. Otherwise you just mount them on the nearest thing and compromise the composition of your photo. They are worse than useless because they dictate the image, not you. Â If you are going to need a tripod buy a proper tripod. A Leica M doesn't need a big heavy tripod so the modern traveller style tripods are doubly good, they are the right size for the camera, and the right size and weight for carrying being compact and light. Most can be carried in a sling bag or dangling from your normal camera bag. Â Steve Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
250swb Posted July 25, 2011 Share #24 Â Posted July 25, 2011 The problem with table top tripods is that you also need to carry a table around as well, which makes them bulky. The same with those Gorillapod things, you need to carry a tree branch or road sign to hang them on. Â Yes, I am being facetious, but you've got to ask yourself how often are you going to find a suitable platform (height, distance, stability) to mount these things on and in the right place. Otherwise you just mount them on the nearest thing and compromise the composition of your photo. They are worse than useless because they dictate the image, not you. Â If you are going to need a tripod buy a proper tripod. A Leica M doesn't need a big heavy tripod so the modern traveller style tripods are doubly good, they are the right size for the camera, and the right size and weight for carrying being compact and light. Most can be carried in a sling bag or dangling from your normal camera bag. Â Steve Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick_S Posted July 25, 2011 Share #25 Â Posted July 25, 2011 The Leica table top tripod and ball head work well. If you don't have a table or wall then it makes a good chest-pod. Â Nick Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick_S Posted July 25, 2011 Share #26 Â Posted July 25, 2011 The Leica table top tripod and ball head work well. If you don't have a table or wall then it makes a good chest-pod. Â Nick Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wda Posted July 25, 2011 Share #27  Posted July 25, 2011 Advertisement (gone after registration) The problem with table top tripods is that you also need to carry a table around as well, which makes them bulky. The same with those Gorillapod things, you need to carry a tree branch or road sign to hang them on..... Steve  Essentially I agree with you Steve. However, there are many times while travelling when carrying a normal tripod is not an option. It is on those occasions when a small 'table' tripod can rescue a situation and make picture-taking a practical reality.  Carrying a table around is clearly a funny notion and hardly practical. Improvisation is often possible for the ingenious-minded Leica photographers. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wda Posted July 25, 2011 Share #28  Posted July 25, 2011 The problem with table top tripods is that you also need to carry a table around as well, which makes them bulky. The same with those Gorillapod things, you need to carry a tree branch or road sign to hang them on..... Steve  Essentially I agree with you Steve. However, there are many times while travelling when carrying a normal tripod is not an option. It is on those occasions when a small 'table' tripod can rescue a situation and make picture-taking a practical reality.  Carrying a table around is clearly a funny notion and hardly practical. Improvisation is often possible for the ingenious-minded Leica photographers. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
farnz Posted July 25, 2011 Share #29 Â Posted July 25, 2011 Steve, Â This sounds like the 'Thumbs Down' so to speak. Â Perhaps you might consider putting your impressive, creative powers that led to producing the Thumbie towards inventing a full-size, lightweight, telescopic tripod that would satisfy the Leica ethos? Â Pete. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
farnz Posted July 25, 2011 Share #30 Â Posted July 25, 2011 Steve, Â This sounds like the 'Thumbs Down' so to speak. Â Perhaps you might consider putting your impressive, creative powers that led to producing the Thumbie towards inventing a full-size, lightweight, telescopic tripod that would satisfy the Leica ethos? Â Pete. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
250swb Posted July 25, 2011 Share #31  Posted July 25, 2011 Steve, This sounds like the 'Thumbs Down' so to speak.  Perhaps you might consider putting your impressive, creative powers that led to producing the Thumbie towards inventing a full-size, lightweight, telescopic tripod that would satisfy the Leica ethos?  Pete.  Thanks Pete, but I don't think I need to reinvent the wheel, Gitzo do a great traveller tripod and this is the one I use  FeisolUK - CT-3441SB-Rapid - Traveller Carbon Fibre Tripod   Steve Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
250swb Posted July 25, 2011 Share #32  Posted July 25, 2011 Steve, This sounds like the 'Thumbs Down' so to speak.  Perhaps you might consider putting your impressive, creative powers that led to producing the Thumbie towards inventing a full-size, lightweight, telescopic tripod that would satisfy the Leica ethos?  Pete.  Thanks Pete, but I don't think I need to reinvent the wheel, Gitzo do a great traveller tripod and this is the one I use  FeisolUK - CT-3441SB-Rapid - Traveller Carbon Fibre Tripod   Steve Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Geschlecht Posted July 25, 2011 Share #33 Â Posted July 25, 2011 Hello Everybody, Â I guess I am going to write something unfashionable here. Â We have all taken many perfectly usable sometimes extraordinary picture w/ our M's w/ no tripod. That is 1 of the things M's were designed for. We all expect to do so on a regular basis in the course of our picture taking. Â When I can I use a home made table tripod which is similar to but slightly smaller than a Leitz table tripod. On top is a medium size Leitz large ballhead. I use them w/ a Linhof cable release. Â Altho this sacrifices some portability, spontinaity & speed I find when needed & possible it has certain advantages: Â As a chestpod it gives me +2 stops of stability. Â Against a tree, wall, etc it gives me as many stops as I need. What was F 2 @ 1/2 second - tricky to hold w/ a 35 on an M but nonetheless something all of us have done on many occasions - can become F8 @ 8 seconds. Harder to hand hold & sometimes a very different picture. Â When I first started using this combination to photograph restorations before, during & after I found I sometimes had trouble finding something or someplace solid to rest on keeping in mind paintings can sometimes be hung w/ imperfect lighting in situations w/o regard to their being photographed. As I used this outfit I learned to find all kinds of supports in all kinds of situations where previously I could see none. The more I used it the more places I would find to brace it I had never seen before. Â Today I virtually never take a full size tripod & pretty much always find a support for the small set. I not only use this combination for restorations but also to photograph other things that I might not have considered before because whether it is a painting, landscape or a city street F2 @ 1/8 can sometimes be very different than F8 @ 2 seconds when the tripod is as solid as a rock. Â Best Regards, Â Michael Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick_S Posted July 26, 2011 Share #34 Â Posted July 26, 2011 Michael wrote: "When I can I use a home made table tripod which is similar to but slightly smaller than a Leitz table tripod. On top is a medium size Leitz large ballhead. I use them w/ a Linhof cable release. Although this sacrifices some portability, spontanaity & speed I find when needed & possible it has certain advantages: As a chestpod it gives me +2 stops of stability." Â I am also happy with this compromise. For lightweight travel I would not take a 1 1/4 kg full-sized tripod. The Leica tripod with ball head is quick to set up and it allows those extra stops even as a chest pod. It also means I can use natural light at night and leave the flash at home. Â Nick Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
epand56 Posted July 26, 2011 Share #35 Â Posted July 26, 2011 I'm not using my Leica table tripod all that much, but when I do I'm quite satisfied. With a little invention you can find several useful ways to employ it in critical situations. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
tobey bilek Posted July 26, 2011 Share #36 Â Posted July 26, 2011 Lightweight pods are useless, in fact worse than nothing because they allow vibration rather than dampening it. Â Table pods are nice, but there is seldom a table where you need it. Door frames and other places may be substituted. Â The Leica table pod is best made of all and it is most useful with the large ball head and bracing the pod on your chest. Â I use a three leg section CF Gitzo 1228. It is light, folds fairly small, sturdy as a truck. Paid $700 decade ago for it. Bought 6 cheeps before I learned. Now I have a lifetime investment. Â There are plenty of places where tripods are not allowed and those are all where you really need one like inside of churches. Â A tripod brands you as a professional photographer and then you may need permits to take photos. Â The world is nuts, just don`t blame the messenger. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Washington Posted August 2, 2011 Share #37  Posted August 2, 2011 I find a small bean bag really handy….. you can almost always find something to place it on. I have made a little clip to carry it on my belt. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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