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

[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...



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

[ddt0725]

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...



(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!