Richard Baysinger

I see posts here bragging up ball head tipods. My first tripod was a ball head one that I bought used. I hated it all the time I used it. When taking photos where I wanted the horizon th be square with the world, I had to put a bullseye level into the hot shoe (homebrew adapter). Just trying to eyeball it never worked. My current tripod is one I got used for under $25. It ia an Albinar 7000. Alunimum legs with plastic locking cams, pan and tilt head. It has done a good job holding mr Clestron C-90 spotting scope with a SLR on it. What maters most is that for me it works great. Why spend hundreds of dollars on one someone els recommends.

My main camera now is a Pentax K200D DSLR with SMC 18 to 55mm and 50 to 200mm SMC lenses. I like the photos I take with is and do not use any post-processing. Cost was much less than Nikon or Canon DSLR's. My back-uo cameras are a matched pair of Pentax ME film cameras. All these work for me and you will never see posts from me asking how to use my equipment.

I started out with photography using a Kodak Baby Brownie at eight years old. Got into B&W darkroom work at nine years old. For my eleventh birthday I got a twin lens Tower camera. When I turned sixteen I was given my father's Argus C-3 setup. I eventually changed to the Pentax ME's. I also have an assortment of old cameras, my favorite one is a Kodak Tourister bellows camera. In the darkroom I reroll 120 film onto 620 spools. I have inserts that allow me to take 8, 12, or 16 pictures per roll. Again, I am happy with the equipment I have so why change to anything else.











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ioptfm Loc: Isle of Palms, SC

If you're happy then stay with what you have....nothing ventured nothing gained.

Db7423 Loc: Pittsburgh, PA

Real glad you are happy. Keep shooting and keep smiling.

sfreund Loc: Indianapolis

Richard, your experience with ball head tripods brings up a good point. A style of equipment is not necessarily ideal for everyone. Reason I guess they make different kinds of gear.

Your story reminds me of a similar one in my career. A friend told me how great mono column camera stands were for a portrait camera room. I splurged and bought one. Not a small investment. Well I hated the thing and put the darn thing on loan with the friend. TIme marched on and a year later I had need to add a very heavy camera system to our business and that stand was the ideal support. Called friend and reclaimed my stand. Funny part was that after I used it a bit I really got to liking it. Oh that big camera system did not remain for long, hated that thing. But the camera stand with a Mamiya camera was real nice. Didn't like a Hasselblad the first time I used one of those either. After a few months of shooting with my employers gear I went out and bought my own kit.

You are right about using what you have. Many times photographers get to caught up in chasing equipment and don't get to spend time shooting.

Richard Baysinger

You mentioned Hasselblad. My only experience with one of these cameras was one that wasn't mine. I was at a fiends wedding. A person showed up with two alunimum suitcase sized camera cases. He opened the cases and was looking over the nice stuff inside but I sensed that he didn't have a clue how to set any of it up. I knew the owner of the studio that was supposed to be doing the shoot. I asked the guy if he worked for that studio. He said yes, The boss was shooting at another wedding and was having him do this one. After several more questions I found the guy was familiar with 35mm SLR cameras but not medium format cameras. I helped him load his film backs , both color and B&W. There were 2 identical bodies and a good assortment of lenses. I told him which lenses would be approiate for each situation. I asked the pastor what the picture taking rules for the church were. Pictures of the bride coming up the asile and the couple going out. No others with a flash during the service. I told him that I was not a professional photographer but I was willing to help him with the shoot. He agreed that it would be a good idea. We used up most of the film during the shoot. At other weddings as an amateur I had taken series of photos during the service without a flash from the foyer with the camera on a tripod. I set that up and we took a set from there.

I was invited by the guy to be at the studio when the proof were ready to view. We had taken a spectular set of photos. The guy did admit to the studio owner that I had helped him do the shoot. I got a thank you from the owner and a $200 check. I was asked if I wanted to join the studio crew. I declined.

BHC Loc: Strawberry Valley, JF, USA

Although I have several Bogen ball heads, I find myself using the Boden 3275 (Manfrotto 410) geared head I originally purchased for my 4 X 5. I can over-ride the gear in every plane, so it's fast enough for me, but I can still control it easily and get better shots of stationary railroad stock and shore birds. In fact, by loosening the collar, I can, if I'm positioned properly, pan with fast trains.

Pablo8 Loc: Nottingham UK.