Very first photo session of the New Year (’08)!
Setting out on one of my getting-to-be-habitual photo jaunts, I ended up somewhere completely different to where I’d originally intended…
Rowney Warren Wood in rural Bedfordshire, adjacent to Chicksands Wood near Haynes.
However, the scenery was absolutely delightful so I abandoned my original plan and spent a few pleasurable hours rambling about amongst the trees.
Returning to the main entrance I decided to indulge some refreshment before setting out on the journey home, and a handy fence seemed a good place to rest my weary bones…
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Part of the fence that collapsed whilst I was perched upon it… sipping from a mug of coffee that I’d freshly poured from my flask.
Being suddenly toppled into the (fortunately soft) underbrush I made a most ungainly sight, on my back with legs draped over the fence, momentarily unable to struggle up, somewhat like an upended tortoise.
Moreover, my mug of coffee was now splattered all over me and, horror of horrors, all over the camera!
Now the main reason I bought the Samsung GX10 was because it was promoted as being weather-resistant. Well, I dunno about that, but I can certainly vouch for its being coffee-resistant… thankfully!
The longish walk home was a tad embarrassing as the wet stain down the front of my trouser-leg could easily have been mistaken for my having had an “accident” in my trousers.
Those stains on the wood are in fact the remains of my coffee!
You Idiot! It could only happen to you Mike, I at least normally have to engage my brain when taking a photo, but not for drinking coffee!
Another thing, I always thought that titanium mug of yours looked dodgy
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Ah… there’s the answer hotblack. I wasn’t using the titanium mug! It was the stupid little cup thingy that comes as a top for the flask. Just as well really. Had I been using the tit mug (hmm… not sure that abbreviation works) I would’ve had about four times the amount of coffee over me… and the camera!
what so you din’t take the titanium stove to brew in the field? I bet you had the titanium tea spoon though!
Nope. Didn’t even have the tit spoon with me (holding head in shame… and I’m sure that abbreviation doesn’t work!).
However… watch this page! Cos I’ve just got hold of (or I think I have, anyway) a tripod made of magnesium and TITANIUM!!! So I may well be inspired to do some sort of kit review at some stage.
So there!
Ah now that makes sense, see if you had all your titanium stuff with you you would not have over balanced while sat on the fence!
But, enough of this micky taking! I really enjoyed the Article, Thanks!
Just a note on Ti tripods, now obviously they are light, great for hauling up mountains and the like (you can get leg warmers for them too)but they can be too light and get blown over (honest) so hanging a bag or rocks (or camera bag)underneath in strong winds is recommended
Ah, it may include titanium in its construction but its damn heavy… comes in at 3.4kg! Its the Slik Pro 700DX. Haven’t quite got it yet but its almost within grasp… unless something goes drastically wrong.
Unfortunately no hook for hanging stuff underneath so I’d have to cobble something together in some other way. But what am I saying? There’s no way you’ll catch me going up mountains and stuff. On the other hand, tops of multi-storey carparks are getting to be one of my favoured haunts. Hmm. Anyway, its gotta be better than the real cheapie ones I’ve been using up till now.
3.4Kg! wow thats heavy, How do you intend to carry that?
D’you know, I actually hadn’t thought of that. But now you come to mention it, that’s quite a bit of weight to lug around. Hmmm… still, if I need to travel light I’ve still got the cheapie lightweight ones.
err..If you are going to lug around a cheap lightweight one, why buy a costly ti’ one that will sit at home? (you could get a G9 instead
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Have you checked out Gorillapods? http://www.calumetphoto.com/ctl?ac.ui.pn=gorillapodreview might be a better option!
Or if you can take the head of a chep tripod, replace it with a better Manfrotto one, you will see a quality improvment.
D’you know… you’re right… we’re definitely in synch! (And I’ll ignore that remark about the G9)
Just today I took delivery of the new tripod (whoopee!!!). Weight’s not as much of a problem as you’d scared me into thinking it might be… but SIZE. Well, you wouldn’t believe it. Expect to see a kit review article (with pics of course) here sometime within the next coupla days.
However, the synch business. Lugging around this bl***y great sack today I knew that my cheapie lightweight ones could never compete in terms of quality and stability, so they’ll prob’ly just end up on the shelf gathering dust, for why would I want to take one of those out when I can take the super-duper Slik? I’d have to be off my head… um… scrub that last!
However, there undoubtedly are occasions when a small tripod comes in handy, and knowing my penchant for carrying everything with me bar the kitchen sink, I remembered reading a mini-review in a photo mag the other day about gorillapods, so have actually spent some time today mulling over investing in one. (I’ve certainly seen them in the local Jessops and marvelled at the weirdness of them.)
Have you ever used one, and if so how’d you get on with it?
(On the other hand, a few weeks ago I bought a Manfrotto monopod so that’s a possibility for something to carry when weight/size is a factor.)
Manfrotto monopod? wow we are bitten by the bug!
To be honest my Manfrotto monopod hardly ever gets used as i am not using long lenses for long periods of time so don’t suffer camera shake (should be ideal for you, with your old age and all. lol)
Some of my friends have a SLR version that they use for close up work, it won’ hold mu big D2x but the model up might. As far as I can ascertain in my brief play is there fine until you put on big/long lenses as the weight is shifted from off centre, of the tripod which is where the problems occur.
However if you are using wide angle lenses for landscapes; rural or urban, on your stroll about, and don’t want to carry the big tripod it may well do!
It is obviously low to the ground on its own, so won’t help if you are up a mountain or in the middle of the field waiting for Dawn (she’s always late) though but then again you might end up with some nice low shots, providing the grass is not too long. It is very light weight though so it’s not a burden like carrying a full heavy tripod and finding you have not used it, so might be worth including.
To my mind its best use is in the inner city for urban city scape’s as there are plenty of things for it to wrap around, even if it can’t hold along lens it will still add to the stability. Carrying a big tripod in a city just says ‘mug me I am carrying camera gear.’ Needles to say its on my list
Bitten by the bug indeed. Someone’s got a lot to answer for!
Yeah, I’ve used my monopod twice since I bought it, and I’m not entirely sure it made any difference at all. Keep promising I’ll get a bit more practise in with it but somehow never seem to get round to it.
Anyway, just posted a sort of review-type thing on the Slik that might interest you. (And I’ve almost sold myself on the idea of getting a gorillapod… have to save up a bit more dosh first though!)
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