I think I solved my tripod/angled center column dilemma (fingers crossed)!

As most of you know, I have been trying to find an inexpensive tripod with an angled center column to use exclusively for tabletop macro shots and macro shots in my flower gardens. Well, last week I ordered one but what they sent me was not the model with the angled center column so back it went!

Last night I received an email from Outdoor Photo Gear advertising this new utility arm that attaches to my existing CF tripod so I went ahead and ordered one. Scary thing is, even on Vanguard's website they didn't say how much weight it will hold but by the photos, it will hold more than what I will be using., I think.

http://www.outdoorphotogear.com/stor...eid=9dc0a08527

It looks like it may just work at half the price of a cheap new tripod plus I can put a flash directly on the other end or attach my super clamp and flex arm to that end with a flash. That would also help I think when the orioles and hb's return in a month or so. What do you think Bob ...will it work for the hb's?

Eventually, when money flows more freely again, I hope to replace my current CF tripod and head with a CF model that has an angled arm but here's hoping this will work in the meantime! I'm on a roll lately for buying and returning since these lower budget deals are proving to lower budget useless junk! Yesterday, I just returned a Cowboy Studio 5-in-1 Multi Disk reflector, compact holder and light stand set. The stand and the arm didn't even go together (wrong arm in the box).

Denise

For what it's worth. My girlfriend uses a relatively cheap Vanguard tripod(Vanguard Espod Plus 234AP) and it feels very good and steady. If it is an example of the engineering and build quality of Vanguard you should be good:D

Hey! I have a manfroto variation of that on the way!

FWIW, I've got the Vanguard 283CT, same price as the Manfrotto 055CXPRO3, pretty much same specs (weight, height, capacity), except the centre column tilts at any angle. I remember seeing specs, but i've got a paper catalogue, carries 8kg, maybe 6 when tilting IIRC (catalogue is at my old place).

So far i've used it for normal tripod photos, hanging low for macro (a bug in a web about 10cm off the ground), reproduction work (some place wouldn't accept photos, on fax and scan, so I took a photo of the page under glass and printed it to pdf. If the Australian Defence Force can't figure out the difference, then either noone can, or i'm scared for the security of our country (they already emailed me a password in plain text, so I think the latter)).
Anyway, I've set it up but haven't taken any shots, of the column tilting into the back corner of a room to get really (really) wide-angle interiors, and have also tried tabletop macro too.
All in all a great tripod. Came with a free bag and stone-sack thing to tie around the legs and fill with weight for more stability. Can't see using it, but maybe i'll try it out one day...

I also have a Vanguard Ball head and it has been fantastic. Hopefully their quality is good with everything! Let us know how it works out.

Thanks! Initially, I wasn't too enthusiastic about it thinking it will just be another piece that isn't even worth the low price paid but you guys have me alittle pumped about it now! Looking forward to seeing if I finally found something that was a wise choice!!

Denise, I bet you will like dealing with Outdoor Photo Gear.

I went to their store in Lousiville and the owner (Chris) waited on me personally....I was buying some stuff for my trip to visit Bob and the Bosque NWR.

Chris was so nice...he is a pro photographer too and had been to the Bosque several times so he gave me some tips and was very helpful with choosing gear.

He even offered to let me call him from NM if I was stumped as to where to go and what to do!!!! (I was in good hands with Bob though and didn't need any help)

He said anything I didn't like could be returned no problem and he even gave me a 10% discount that he had previously advertised but had expired!

Great guy, great service! If you have any questions I would call him personally and I bet he'll solve your problem for you and give you a good deal.

Certainly looks the goods for macro work Denise.

Yes, I think it will work out (fingers crossed)! I did buy my ballhead from Outdoor Photo Gear a few years back and I was very pleased with them. The more I think about it, the more I am liking the fact that I will have a place off camera to put the flash rather than having the extra weight and bulk of a flash bracket on-camera or using a seperate light stand.

This should be delivered within the hour but just thought I would let everyone know this ...

This morning I received an email advertising 12% off everything in the store at Outdoor Photo Gear (where I ordered this utility arm last week.

On a whim, I emailed them asking if I can have the 12% credited back to me since the item hasn't actually arrived yet and I just received this reply ...

"Yes, of course. I will be glad to refund your credit card for $7.20 to account for the 12% discount. You will receive an e-mail from our credit card company with the transaction detail."

Sure enough, within minutes I did!

Outdoor Photo Gear is awesome! Granted, it's not a huge $ amount but I just absolutely love quick, hassle-free service like this!!

BTW- Everything I purchased and returned over the last week has been received and credited to my account or an exchange sent out if applicable ...accept for of course, Abe's of Maine. They received it Monday (the same day as Amazon) but have yet to acknowledge the return or credit.

Denise

Yesssss;)!!!! My experience exactly...kudos to Chris at Outdoor Photo Gear.....if you live within 100 miles of Lousiville Kentucky you should go see his place. It's not large bu the has alot of cool gadgets and he's fun to talk with.

Just to finish up this thread ...the Vanguard utility arm is awesome!!! It's perfect for what I needed for tabletop and it will be great to take macro shots in my flower gardens and over my planters instead of hand holding the camera! Now I will be able to use a shutter release also. My manfrotto super clamp attaches perfectly to the other end of the arm for being able to angle flash wherever needed or I can just attach the wireless receiver and flash directly on the arm! It comes with both 3/8" and 1/4 screws. The arm is very sturdy & everything clamps down well. The tripod remains very balanced and sturdy also. I can use either my existing ballhead or the head on my monopod. I am debating whether to get a head that I just keep attached to it. It also came with a very nice padded bag. Oh, and Outdoor Photo Gear threw in a candy sucker and a welcome back letter ...LOL!

Probably better ones out there but I consider this $50 well spent!

Denise

Nice Denise!!;) Could you post some photos later on so I can look at how it looks in use. It sounds like you have made a great buy and that you've found some great service down the road. Vanguard sounds more and more like having a great quality/price ratio. Have fun with it!:)

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Originally Posted by Joel Eade

Yesssss;)!!!! My experience exactly...kudos to Chris at Outdoor Photo Gear.....if you live within 100 miles of Lousiville Kentucky you should go see his place. It's not large bu the has alot of cool gadgets and he's fun to talk with.

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Wow, you'd drive 100 miles for a store? I know I don't mind to pay a little more for better service, but up to 100 miles. That sounds like Outdoor Photo Gear must be doing something pretty good then. Kudos to them.

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Originally Posted by Sheiky

Nice Denise!!;) Could you post some photos later on so I can look at how it looks in use. It sounds like you have made a great buy and that you've found some great service down the road. Vanguard sounds more and more like having a great quality/price ratio. Have fun with it!:)

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Here's a few shots taken with my old p&s. Keep in mind, I haven't used this thing in over two years! Also, I'm not used to loading directly from my computer so hopefully this will be big enough when you click on them.

Attachment 607

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I was planning on posting this ages ago (i've had the tripod for a month or so at least), but work and life got in the way.
Anyway, for anyone wondering about the carrying capacity of my tripod tilted, here's an example:
Vanguard Alta Pro 283CT, Acra-Swiss Monoball P0, Kirk 3" clamp, no-name brand lens plate, Zeiss Sonnar 180/2.8 for Pentacon Six (about 1.2kg but it takes great portraits), 7D with Kirk L-bracket. So there's probably 2-2.5kg of camera on it. Plus a 1kg bottle of water on the other end of the pole, and a 70-300L + EFs 15-85 in the rock-bag around the legs (I didn't have any rocks inside). The camera is actually vertically outside the triangle of the feet, but the water-bottle and extra lenses brings the Centre of Gravity back within so it doesn't tip over.
Not as solid as with a vertical column, but if you have to bend this way it's solid enough, i'd trust it for a few second exposure in mild wind...

Attachment 608

(sorry about the quality of the photo, my good camera was unavailable to take the shot with...)

The more I play with this the more I like it. Tomorrow I am going to try putting two flashes on each end ( one on the manfrotto super clamp & arm) and a camera in the middle and see if lighting will work out ok. Lots of possibilities! LOL!

Heck, with 4 manfrotto arms and 4 flashes, I could have a great lighting set-up for hummingbirds!

hah, denise you beat me to it (stupid slow internet takes ages to upload).

Anyway, I think your examples beat mine, is that the standard column of your tripod or as that the extra rod you were talking about?

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Originally Posted by Dr Croubie

I was planning on posting this ages ago (i've had the tripod for a month or so at least), but work and life got in the way.
Anyway, for anyone wondering about the carrying capacity of my tripod tilted, here's an example:
Vanguard Alta Pro 283CT, Acra-Swiss Monoball P0, Kirk 3" clamp, no-name brand lens plate, Zeiss Sonnar 180/2.8 for Pentacon Six (about 1.2kg but it takes great portraits), 7D with Kirk L-bracket. So there's probably 2-2.5kg of camera on it. Plus a 1kg bottle of water on the other end of the pole, and a 70-300L + EFs 15-85 in the rock-bag around the legs (I didn't have any rocks inside). The camera is actually vertically outside the triangle of the feet, but the water-bottle and extra lenses brings the Centre of Gravity back within so it doesn't tip over.
Not as solid as with a vertical column, but if you have to bend this way it's solid enough, i'd trust it for a few second exposure in mild wind...

Attachment 608

(sorry about the quality of the photo, my good camera was unavailable to take the shot with...)

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I'm not sure if your arm is longer than mine (man, that sounds wierd) but I don't think I would want mine much longer with this set-up. I just wish I would have discovered these angled columns/utility arms years ago!

I don't know how long my arm is, and i'm too lazy to go get a tape measure. It's 2 hand widths near enough, so 40-45cm.
I'm certainly impressed by the quality of my Vanguard, especially seeing as i hadn't really heard of vanguard before I started looking in december All the shops around here carry a lof of manfrotto, a few token Sliks and that's it. Only one stocked a few Vanguards, but not this model. Arca Swiss is unheard of in this country pretty much, thank god for B+H.

Here's a replication of a shot i was doing the other day (just use you imagination, pretend it's outside and there's a bug on a leaf under the lens, i'm not going outside to replicate it because i'm home sick from work today and don't want to get worse)
Attachment 609

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Dr Croubie

hah, denise you beat me to it (stupid slow internet takes ages to upload).

Anyway, I think your examples beat mine, is that the standard column of your tripod or as that the extra rod you were talking about?

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It is the short column that I bought and was convinced I needed ...I've never moved it from that position! I still have the long one that came with the legs and should probably sell one of them!

Thanks for the example photos Denise! It looks very nice to me. I wanted to see how it compared to my Manfrotto macro flashbracket and it does look much better to be honest;)

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Originally Posted by ddt0725

The more I play with this the more I like it. Tomorrow I am going to try putting two flashes on each end ( one on the manfrotto super clamp & arm) and a camera in the middle and see if lighting will work out ok. Lots of possibilities! LOL!
Heck, with 4 manfrotto arms and 4 flashes, I could have a great lighting set-up for hummingbirds!

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Doesn't that remind you of something?
http://tipsforphotographers.com/imag...te_mt-24ex.jpg

I had the ring flash and grew real tired of editing out the ring catchlights! The only time it looked good was when I wanted to make a spider look freaky!

Me too Denise:D I prefer a flash bracket with a diffused flash (430/580 kind) over the macro ring flash. It's somewhat bigger and less handy, but it gives way better lighting.