![]() You may find that this tripod is lacking when considering a full sized DSLR with a meduim to larger lens. The other commenter below stated that the leg locks are plastic, and this is true, but i have been using mine for nearly two years and I have never had a problem. I bought mine for use with a Minolta DiMage 7i and with that camera it was an excellent imaging tool. It is a pretty sturdy little thing, good for use with smaller cameras. That aside, mine is a Quantaray, by silk QSX 33oo. It was made by silk and after checking out the silks I am pretty d*mn sure it came off the same assembly line as the 330 DX. I bought the Quantaray version of this tripod because it is the same tripod with a different name. By making a few, very simple, modifications, this tripod makes a terrific, very lightweight, backpacking tripod. If you understand and can work within some very specific limitations, this is an excellent piece of equipment. Of course, if it fits your need, the pan tilt head included with this tripod is made of metal and is actually quite solid. You can use aftermarket ballheads with it. It is extremely light and easy to pack with you. the tripod can be deployed so the camera is very close to the ground for macro work. The legs can be spread individually to accommodate rough ground. There is a definite positive side to this tripod as well. Be gentle and don't beat this tripod up to bad since the leg locks are made from plastic. Be prepared to stoop over a lot if you use an optical viewfinder instead of a display screen with live view. Develop a means to stabilize the tripod, especially when the wind comes up. Use only lightweight cameras and shorter lenses. Do not plan on overloading it with equipment. So, in order to get the most from this tripod there are a few things you should be aware of. Since I am usually using the rear display screen of the G10 the height of the camera is not a problem for me but if you are trying to use an optical viewfinder it could present a problem because you will have to stoop over to look through your viewfinder. With my Canon Powershot G10 attached to the quick release on the Manfrotto 484RC2 ballhead, the camera is exactly chest height on me, and I am 5' 10" tall. Another possible problem has to do with the height of this tripod. However, they do represent a potential failure point that you should be aware of. So far they have worked quite well for me and as long as I am careful with them I don't anticipate that they will present any problems. For example, the leg locks are made of plastic. Slik has cut a few corners with this tripod to cut the weight down and to keep the cost low. I have modified this tripod with an eyebolt on the bottom of the center column that allows me to attach my backpack, camera bag or use my foot looped through a bungie cord, to apply down pressure to the tripod while I'm using it. Even with light equipment, if a medium wind begins to blow then I recommend you attach some weight to the bottom of the tripod to further stabilize it. I would not consider using it for anything heavier then 3 or 4 pounds, or for any lenses longer then 100mm. Technically it is supposed to support equipment that weighs a little over 8 pounds but I would be nervous using something this heavy. I have also used this combination for my Pentax ZX-60 35mm single lens reflex camera with the 50mm lens, which weighs a little more then a pound. I use the tripod combinations described above for my Canon Powershot G10 which weighs a couple ounces less then a pound. But this one works quite well when using lighter digital point and shoot cameras as long as the weather is calm. If you have a larger camera then you need to find a better tripod. This tripod is not adequate to support and stabilize most digital single lens reflex cameras. I have been using this tripod for over 3 months now with no problem whatsoever. Overall, for me, this makes for a great kit. This reduces the weight to less then 3 pounds making packing the tripod a whole lot easier. For my backpacking I have a Flashpoint F1 ballhead. I use this tripod and ballhead combination for my product photography. ![]() It came with a pan tilt head which was not what I really wanted so I have replaced it with a Manfrotto 484RC2 ballhead. I have one Slik U8000 tripod that I have had and used for over 10 years with no trouble. Although plastics and lightweight metals are commonly used I have never had any problems with them holding up. I have used Slik tripods for years and I have always been very happy with them.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |