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

  1. #11
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    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.

  2. #12
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    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

  3. #13
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    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!
    Quote Originally Posted by Joel Eade View Post
    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.
    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.

  4. #14
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    Quote Originally Posted by Sheiky View Post
    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!
    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.

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  5. #15
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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...

    Click image for larger version. 

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    (sorry about the quality of the photo, my good camera was unavailable to take the shot with...)
    An awful lot of electrons were terribly inconvenienced in the making of this post.
    Gear Photos

  6. #16
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    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!

  7. #17
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    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?
    An awful lot of electrons were terribly inconvenienced in the making of this post.
    Gear Photos

  8. #18
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    Quote Originally Posted by Dr Croubie View Post
    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...

    Click image for larger version. 

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

  9. #19
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    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)
    Click image for larger version. 

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    An awful lot of electrons were terribly inconvenienced in the making of this post.
    Gear Photos

  10. #20
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    Quote Originally Posted by Dr Croubie View Post
    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?
    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!

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