billbarcus wrote:
There certainly is a vast amount of photography experience and talent posted here in response to the post by John Gerlach. As with many folks here, I too remember the days of Kodachrome 64, Fuji Velvia 25 and 50 asa, et.al. The question of using HH or the tripod raises some interesting view points and opinions, and it seems that the tripod got 'the short end of the stick' in this round (pun intended).
So, I'd like to throw my two cents into the pot here. I am self-taught and started shooting landscapes and wildlife back in the early 1980s. I was quite fortunate a few years later to begin shooting and writing wildlife articles for Arizona Highways Magazine. At the time, I owned an older, battered 1968 Chevy 4x4 pickup, a Minolta 35mm, a 50mm kit lens, and the most inexpensive, yet best 500mm I could afford, along with a Bogen/Manfrotto tripod. That combo and I covered a lot of Arizona's backcountry.
Many of the assignments were a one-time venture, and the need to 'get it right' the first time was paramount. There usually weren't any second chances! I learned very early-on that the use of a tripod was an absolute necessity; 95% of the photography was done using that tripod. I later graduated to shooting landscapes with medium format cameras - the first, a Mamiya Rb67 that didn't have a built-in light meter. This camera taught me what the word, 'bracketing' meant. Film for that camera wasn't cheap, and I had to get it right the first time out, as I couldn't afford the luxury of burning money for film in those days.
The bottom line is this: In the photographic world I grew up with a tripod. I wish I had put a quarter in the piggy bank for every mile I trekked with that tripod slung over my shoulder. Today, I still have that tripod and use it 90% of the time for all photo work, BIF and eagles.
Well, as the popular, September Song goes ... "I've lost one tooth, and I walk a little lame." The years have slowed me down and I can't hike the backcountry like I once was able, but when I do, that old tripod is still slung over my shoulder. I've retired the Minolta years ago, and now shoot digital exclusively. My present setup is Nikon D810 w/battery pack, coupled to the Nikon 500mm F/4G, which weighs in at 8 1/2 pounds. I would guess that the entire setup, with a Manfrotto gimbal, weighs in at around 20+ pounds.
I never leave home without it. Without the tripod I would never get many keepers. Much of my shooting is premeditated and I know where my subjects are to be found. Taking the tripod and setup from the shoulder is second nature ... I can flop down and adjust the legs instantly and get to the business at hand without any hesitation or fumbling. Many wildlife photographers that aren't familiar with their tripods will end up in a cussing fit trying to get it set up, which usually ends with the target subjects taking flight or otherwise fleeing - and this is the number one reason why so many photographers bash tripod use ... they just don't spend enough time using it.
So, anyone out there in UHH land that's a determined HH shooter, maybe you've got a Gitzo or a RRS collecting dust in the closet, and maybe you'd like to part with it for 'a song. Ha! I'll take it off your hands ... 'been looking to upgrade.
Bill Barcus
There certainly is a vast amount of photography ex... (
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Very good Bill! You sound a lot like me. I am glad so many are pointing out where they like handheld, though I am still a tripod user whenever I can. Fortunately, life has been kind to me and even though I am on Medicare now, I can still toss 80 lb bales of hay around when I need to, so camera gear weight is never an issue for me. Though, I favor solid support, I want to be fair to the handheld crowd and stress situations where both handheld and a tripod are really the best choices. For example, I do a ton of wildlife photos (was a former wildlife biologist) and I get many action shots because I am on a Wimberley mount and following my target with a single AF point on its head for up to ten consecutive minutes waiting for it to do something "fun". I know I can't hold the gear up and even be remotely steady for that long of time. Tripods let me get the shot. There is no time to see the duck begin to rear up, raise you camera, get the AF point on it, and fired as it always happened by then.