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TRIPOD
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Jan 26, 2013 10:32:47   #
windshoppe Loc: Arizona
 
I've had a lot of experience shooting from boats of all sizes and fully agree with NOT using a tripod. Monopod might be worth a go, but I've never used one on a boat.
Realizing that your question had to do with an inexpensive tripod, I would offer one possible thing to consider. If you currently --or plan to in the future--travel a good deal by air the size and WEIGHT issue is very important. I use a Manfrotto carbon fiber tripod ONLY because of the weight restrictions placed on today's air travel. Were it not for the light weight afforded by the carbon fiber material I would not be able to use a tripod at all in my travels.

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Jan 26, 2013 10:57:28   #
oldtool2 Loc: South Jersey
 
wmf wrote:
Monopod seems like it might be the best way to go for the excursion. Never thought of that and makes perfect sense. I surely can find one that will fit in my camera bag too. Someone tripping over the tripod is another great point to bring up. I would hate it if somebody went overboard because of me. Might lose my camera/lens/tripod/whale shots as well...BAD deal altogether.

MANY THANKS for your thoughts Jim!!!


:thumbup: I also like the idea of a mono. You can get a decent one without spending a fortune. One thing, make sure the locks are good and use a strap with it. You don't want your camera hitting the deck!

One more thing. Take a look at these rain sleeves. You don't want your gear to get wet. These are cheap but you can get a few uses out of each one. I keep one or two in my backpack or vest all the time.

http://www.adorama.com/OTRSL.html

On a boat you might want to think about using a wrist strap with them.

Jim D

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Jan 26, 2013 10:58:58   #
Willy Loc: Alaska
 
wmf wrote:
GREETINGS! After spending a small fortune on a D7000, 3 lenses, bag...yadda yadda, I am now in the market for a tripod. BUT am a bit clueless which way to look, other than a decent used one that I can pack and carry on an upcoming whale watching excursion. The longest lens I have is the 70-300mm and I really would like to spend even a smaller fortune on a reasonable tripod. NOT a pro at this so a basic one that will hold the camera nicely and not send me to a lending institution to purchase... :) Aesthetically, as long as it has not been run over by a car and works will be OK too.
GREETINGS! After spending a small fortune on a D70... (show quote)


Once again, here's my standard reply to the tripod question:
Read this.
http://bythom.com/support.htm

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Jan 26, 2013 10:59:58   #
arlissd
 
Really Right Stuff has a great Monopod, rated at 50lbs Max weight. Also they have an adjustable head for their monopod.

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Jan 26, 2013 11:00:56   #
Screamin Scott Loc: Marshfield Wi, Baltimore Md, now Dallas Ga
 
I use this tripod...

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/903226-REG/3_Legged_Thing_3lteddieblack_3LT_X2_1_Eddie_AH2_Kit.html

& this monopod

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/5480-REG/Manfrotto_681B_681B_3_Section_Monopod.html

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Jan 26, 2013 11:01:39   #
wISOr Loc: Austin, TEXAS
 
oldtool2 wrote:
wmf wrote:
Monopod seems like it might be the best way to go for the excursion. Never thought of that and makes perfect sense. I surely can find one that will fit in my camera bag too. Someone tripping over the tripod is another great point to bring up. I would hate it if somebody went overboard because of me. Might lose my camera/lens/tripod/whale shots as well...BAD deal altogether.

MANY THANKS for your thoughts Jim!!!


:thumbup: I also like the idea of a mono. You can get a decent one without spending a fortune. One thing, make sure the locks are good and use a strap with it. You don't want your camera hitting the deck!

One more thing. Take a look at these rain sleeves. You don't want your gear to get wet. These are cheap but you can get a few uses out of each one. I keep one or two in my backpack or vest all the time.

http://www.adorama.com/OTRSL.html

On a boat you might want to think about using a wrist strap with them.

Jim D
quote=wmf Monopod seems like it might be the best... (show quote)


More good ideas Jim, and thanks for the link. Already pondered the rain sleeves and am all over that one.

Wayne

Reply
Jan 26, 2013 11:06:44   #
oldtool2 Loc: South Jersey
 
wmf wrote:
oldtool2 wrote:
wmf wrote:
Monopod seems like it might be the best way to go for the excursion. Never thought of that and makes perfect sense. I surely can find one that will fit in my camera bag too. Someone tripping over the tripod is another great point to bring up. I would hate it if somebody went overboard because of me. Might lose my camera/lens/tripod/whale shots as well...BAD deal altogether.

MANY THANKS for your thoughts Jim!!!


:thumbup: I also like the idea of a mono. You can get a decent one without spending a fortune. One thing, make sure the locks are good and use a strap with it. You don't want your camera hitting the deck!

One more thing. Take a look at these rain sleeves. You don't want your gear to get wet. These are cheap but you can get a few uses out of each one. I keep one or two in my backpack or vest all the time.

http://www.adorama.com/OTRSL.html

On a boat you might want to think about using a wrist strap with them.

Jim D
quote=wmf Monopod seems like it might be the best... (show quote)


More good ideas Jim, and thanks for the link. Already pondered the rain sleeves and am all over that one.

Wayne
quote=oldtool2 quote=wmf Monopod seems like it m... (show quote)


I like them, they work well, and at the price who cares if you toss it out after a couple of uses.

Jim D

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Jan 26, 2013 11:11:19   #
blacks2 Loc: SF. Bay area
 
First,I am very sorry about my first misplaced response. I went whale watching out of Mexico and Alaska. To shot whales you have to be fast, the best results you get is to use 1000 ISO and if your lenses are VR you will do fine. Lean up against the boats cabin and your body will absorb the boats rocking. Whales appear and disappear in seconds, there is a lot of luck involved, just be patient.

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Jan 26, 2013 11:22:41   #
PhotoArtsLA Loc: Boynton Beach
 
All I can add to this is a phrase: dilettante tripods, as in being not quite good enough. At least 90% of current tripod manufacture is just that, not good enough. Like all things Manfrotto, which have too many coffee nerves for stills and work a bit better in video, just not with Manfrotto fluid heads, which... aren't.

Having rented a "real" tripod to a local production company for the last several months, they came to me hoping I could steer them to a way they could acquire one of their own. Their main happiness: height. Nothing in current manufacture actually gets much past standing height, and they wobble, shudder, or vibrate when extended anyway. No, hanging weights to try to stable the inadequate is NOT a real option. Most current tripods also don't go very low, as in below ground level.

For whale watching, you are normally on a boat, hand holding, often a big lens. This brings into play your photographic skills, and boat shooting skills are best learned on a boat. Luckily, whale watch tours are usually on a reasonably large boat, thus a certain amount of stability can be expected. The main thing is to have fun and to use the experience to learn. That means learning to handhold even when there is no whale to shoot. Use the horizon. Try to keep it level. Also learn to frame fast, which includes keeping it level. Shooting on a boat is all about your legs. Your knees are unlocked, and you use your legs to eliminated the motion of the boat. Then, your camera is stable, and you are ready to shoot. If the boat is tossing too much (and you are not prone to sea sickness) the second trick is to lean into some part of the boat with your legs, and then you become a stabilizing bobble head, your torso handing the stabilization. Basically, it's your hands which must be stable. Image stabilizers can be of some assistance, but should not be your crutch,

Eventually, with good camera skills, you should be able to shoot, even without your eye looking through the viewfinder, in a split second, framing a great image accurately, and getting a great shot. This is the "zen" of it, when you are one with the camera.

Reply
Jan 26, 2013 11:46:14   #
darkmanCANADA Loc: Calgary, AB Canada
 
I have pretty much have the same gear as you. D7000, 18-300. I bought

http://www.londondrugs.com/Milano%20Carbon%20Fiber%20Tripod%20with%20Head%20-%20B1/M2-CF5SQR/L4749131,default,pd.html?start=1&q=Milano

Was a lot less than a 3 Legged Thing or Induro with similar features.

Reply
Jan 26, 2013 12:39:35   #
RAK Loc: Concord Ca
 
You might want to check out the Alzo.

ALZODIGITAL.COM

Reply
 
 
Jan 26, 2013 12:45:21   #
wISOr Loc: Austin, TEXAS
 
blacks2 wrote:
First,I am very sorry about my first misplaced response. I went whale watching out of Mexico and Alaska. To shot whales you have to be fast, your best results you get is to use 1000 ISO and if your lenses are VR you will do fine. Lean up against the boats cabin and your body will absorb the boats rocking. Whales appear and disappear in seconds, there is a lot of luck involved, just be patient.

Thanks for the ISO tip. I am aware the whales have zero notification they are coming (up). How rude of them! We are doing the Alaska thing in late July. I'll definitely have plenty of time (7 days) to "watch", and hopefully will be watching in the right direction. Have the VR lens, Nikon 70-300mm, so I think I'm set with that part. Any more whale tips? This is a trip I have been waiting on for decades and I want to be armed and ready with all the info and arsenal (good word for camera stuff) I can gather. Lastly, don't worry about the misplaced response, I'm good with it.

Wayne

Reply
Jan 26, 2013 12:50:50   #
wISOr Loc: Austin, TEXAS
 
darkmanCANADA wrote:
I have pretty much have the same gear as you. D7000, 18-300. I bought

http://www.londondrugs.com/Milano%20Carbon%20Fiber%20Tripod%20with%20Head%20-%20B1/M2-CF5SQR/L4749131,default,pd.html?start=1&q=Milano

Was a lot less than a 3 Legged Thing or Induro with similar features.


I like this tripod/monopod. MANY THANKS FOR THE TIP.

Reply
Jan 26, 2013 13:10:05   #
wISOr Loc: Austin, TEXAS
 
PhotoArtsLA wrote:
All I can add to this is a phrase: dilettante tripods, as in being not quite good enough. At least 90% of current tripod manufacture is just that, not good enough. Like all things Manfrotto, which have too many coffee nerves for stills and work a bit better in video, just not with Manfrotto fluid heads, which... aren't.

Having rented a "real" tripod to a local production company for the last several months, they came to me hoping I could steer them to a way they could acquire one of their own. Their main happiness: height. Nothing in current manufacture actually gets much past standing height, and they wobble, shudder, or vibrate when extended anyway. No, hanging weights to try to stable the inadequate is NOT a real option. Most current tripods also don't go very low, as in below ground level.

For whale watching, you are normally on a boat, hand holding, often a big lens. This brings into play your photographic skills, and boat shooting skills are best learned on a boat. Luckily, whale watch tours are usually on a reasonably large boat, thus a certain amount of stability can be expected. The main thing is to have fun and to use the experience to learn. That means learning to handhold even when there is no whale to shoot. Use the horizon. Try to keep it level. Also learn to frame fast, which includes keeping it level. Shooting on a boat is all about your legs. Your knees are unlocked, and you use your legs to eliminated the motion of the boat. Then, your camera is stable, and you are ready to shoot. If the boat is tossing too much (and you are not prone to sea sickness) the second trick is to lean into some part of the boat with your legs, and then you become a stabilizing bobble head, your torso handing the stabilization. Basically, it's your hands which must be stable. Image stabilizers can be of some assistance, but should not be your crutch,

Eventually, with good camera skills, you should be able to shoot, even without your eye looking through the viewfinder, in a split second, framing a great image accurately, and getting a great shot. This is the "zen" of it, when you are one with the camera.
All I can add to this is a phrase: dilettante trip... (show quote)


That adds a new dimension to point and shoot. I'll practice on that tip. I specifically bought my DSLR and gear for the WW trip. By the time we sail I will hopefully have enough time (almost a year) under my belt where I am somewhat comfortable with the D7000 and my capabilities to set/reset/change the settings I need and understand what they can do for me when I shoot a frame. My first DLSR and I fully believe I found what I wanted and NO remorse or wishes I'd purchased something different.

Thanks for your info!!

Reply
Jan 26, 2013 13:15:01   #
davids999 Loc: Edinburgh, UK
 
wmf wrote:
blacks2 wrote:
First,I am very sorry about my first misplaced response. I went whale watching out of Mexico and Alaska. To shot whales you have to be fast, your best results you get is to use 1000 ISO and if your lenses are VR you will do fine. Lean up against the boats cabin and your body will absorb the boats rocking. Whales appear and disappear in seconds, there is a lot of luck involved, just be patient.

Thanks for the ISO tip. I am aware the whales have zero notification they are coming (up). How rude of them! We are doing the Alaska thing in late July. I'll definitely have plenty of time (7 days) to "watch", and hopefully will be watching in the right direction. Have the VR lens, Nikon 70-300mm, so I think I'm set with that part. Any more whale tips? This is a trip I have been waiting on for decades and I want to be armed and ready with all the info and arsenal (good word for camera stuff) I can gather. Lastly, don't worry about the misplaced response, I'm good with it.

Wayne
quote=blacks2 First,I am very sorry about my firs... (show quote)


You may need to have eyes in the back of your head!

:-D

Link to article: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2242188/Gormless-whale-watchers-look-wrong-way-huge-creature-breaches-waves.html



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