Anyone Own a "Pod?"

I did a search for tripods for cameras with off-center mounts and found
a company named Semsons that sells a bean bag with an off-center
support for cameras with off-center mounts. If anyone knows a place
online where they make real tripods for cameras with off-center mounts,
I'd appreciate hearing.

N.B. All the digital photo zen masters on this group please spare
yourself the indignity of stooping to reply. This means I'd just like
to hear from camera owners who actually have dealt with off-center
tripod mounts.

 

Well - I have tried some of the shorter pocket tripods, and that seems
to help with off center mounts. Even if they aren't perfectly
balanced, they don't usually topple over with the short legs. I also
bought this cheap pocket tripod with wire (think bendable desk lamps)
legs that I could bend in such a way to counteract the off-center
mount. I'd just make sure one/two of the legs were bent away from the
legs.

Of course a weighted down tripod will probably suffice. The large
majority of off-center mounts are in compact cameras.

I also use a monopod. Of course that forces me to hold onto the
camera so balancing it isn't really an issue.

 

If you don't want any of the folk on this group who actually know what they
are talking about to respond, then so be it.

However you would then never get to know about the Giotto Sliding Camera
Mounting Plates.

You should be aware before you go and buy one, that you do need a suitable
tripod, complete with a head, to mount it upon.

Please don't come back and ask which size of screw fits your Camera Base
Plate.

Zen master Roy

 

That would be a very small number of folks.

 

Probably true. While I did film photography for many years, I feel like
a beginner all over again with a digital camera. Still, I see people
post things that are clearly inaccurate, so like every other Usenet
group, I have to be careful about acting on what I read.

On the original post: I have a cheap monopod from WalMart that's
sufficient for steadying my camera in most low light conditions. I've
also used immovable objects (tree, fence, telephone pole) to steady my
camera when I've left my monopod at home.

 

I'm not understanding your problem.Every tripod I've seen lets you
tighten the mounting bolt so that the camera won't move, offset
mounting hole on the camera or not.
Is your camera/tripod not capable of this?

I'm not sure what you mean here.
I have an FX01, so I meet your requirements.
I often wonder about people who ask for help, then decide beforehand
who they will accept help from. Usually, IME, such people aren't
really willing to learn anything beyond their immediate needs.
Such people have empty refrigerators, if you take my meaning.

--
Angelina Jolie moved into
a mansion in New Orleans
with Brad Pitt where they
say they will be very
involved locally. The
actress is nothing if not
meticulous. Whenever Angelina
Jolie orders in Chinese she's
very careful to specify boy or girl.

 

Until I got my 30D I normallyI used a Leica M3, which has an
off-center mount (it's as far from center as it can get and still fit
on the camera). I never had to do anything special to put it on a
tripod, just screwed it down and shot. When there was a problem it
was not because of the offset attachment, it was because the tripod
was a piece of crap that wouldn't hold a center mount steady either.

..

 

Hi Bill

I think we, and all other semi intelligent, readers know that what he is
looking for is totally pointless.

My ancient Velbon has a platform that is 2.5 x 2.2 inches, and the screw
sits in a slot 1.5 inches long. I have used it complete with a Nikon FE and
200 f4 lens in the portrait format, without any slipping.

If that is incapable of holding any Canon P & S steady, no matter the
inclination of the head, or the position of the tripod socket, then I am as
complete a numpty as he is.

I suspect he has not read my response about Giotto Quick Release & Sliding
Mounts, I've probably been KFd.

I rather like the description of Zen Master, but feel it is a bit above my
true position.

Roy G

 

Really? That makes me feel better. (Lucky you, to get a 30D.)

The Canon tech support guy said he and a colleague couldn't figure out
why Canon chose to put the mount in the corner, and he also mentioned a
Leica.

I did an Amazon search and found several sliding mount attachments, but
how do you know if your mount takes a 1/4 screw or a 3/8? Is the
measurement the width of the "hole" in the camera base or something
else? I measured my A710's tripod mount and didn't come up with
exactly 1/4 or 3/8.

Finally, what's the difference between a Hogen (sp?) and a Giotto?
Thanks.

 

Hi all.

I bloody knew it.

I knew he would ask if his camera took a 1/4 or 3/8 Screw.

Zen ( Soothsayer) Master Roy

 

It's almost certainly a 1/4" screw. Measure the hole again; if it's a
little bit smaller than 1/4", it's sized for a 1/4" screw. If you want
to be sure, take your camera to a hardware store or a Home Depot or some
place where they sell screws loose in bins. Find a 1/4-20 screw and see
if it threads into the tripod mount.

-dms

 

I have a compact camera with an way offset tripod mount, makes a lot of
sense in this
case since the tripod mounting hole is directly below the shutter
button. If the mounting hole were in the center of the camera I would
torque the camera when pushing the shutter.

All you need is a decent tripod, nothing else, but if you don't want to
believe this oh well, have a wonderful life.

Scott

 

1/4 is "standard" for digital and 35mm, 3/8 would be for larger
formats that need a stronger screw.

If you're not sure, go down to the hardware store, Home Despot or
whatever and get a 1/4-20 machine screw and see if it screws into the
camera. Don't tighten it though--some cameras don't have much
material at the end of the screw hole.

Hogen? You mean Bogen? One of the major brands. Giotto is another.
As to the difference, both make a wide range of tripods, you really
need to read the detailed specs.

 

Thanks to you and Dan, I'm keeping my A710. I only asked about the
difference between the Bogen and the Giotto because I didn't realize
the Giotto on Amazon is made of cork, which is obviously why it's so
cheap.

 

WTF??
Giotto doesn't make any tripods made of cork.

--
Angelina Jolie moved into
a mansion in New Orleans
with Brad Pitt where they
say they will be very
involved locally. The
actress is nothing if not
meticulous. Whenever Angelina
Jolie orders in Chinese she's
very careful to specify boy or girl.

 

I considered replying "BALSA!!!" earlier this morning, but didn't,
thinking that most would read it too literally. Decent tripods
sometimes use cork on their camera plates to provide a better grip,
at least until the cork eventually hardens some years (decades) down
the line. Some Giottos use cork, but that "obviously" isn't why a
particular Giotto specimen would be sold "cheap". With its "give",
cork would probably be just what one would want for a camera having
its tripod mount offset to the corner, and this is one product that
might deservedly have a restocking fee. <g>

 

That makes sense - the cork on the plate.
It's becoming more and more obvious that mutefan has no idea what he's
into.

--
Angelina Jolie moved into
a mansion in New Orleans
with Brad Pitt where they
say they will be very
involved locally. The
actress is nothing if not
meticulous. Whenever Angelina
Jolie orders in Chinese she's
very careful to specify boy or girl.

 

It's becoming more and more obvious that mutefan has no idea what he's

Hi.

That has been rather obvious for a long time, ever since his posts
concerning the Rebel, & EOS's.

What he has not realised yet, is that with a small camera on a tripod, the
offset bush is actually a benefit. It makes it much easier to get your eye
to the VF window.

If he gets a Quick release system with sliding plates, can you imagine the
questions about how to fit them together, and get them onto the head.

At least it all stops him taking pictures, because as soon as he does start
we are all going to pestered into looking at them on some site or other.

Roy G

 

If you're bemoaning the fact that you have a tiny tripod that falls over
when your camera is mounted to it because the center of gravity is all
wrong, then just hold on to the camera while it's mounted. Tiny tripods
are only supposed to provide a little bit of stability.

If you're bemoaning the fact that it doesn't 'look right' to have a
camera mounted off-center on a bigger tripod, then you bought the wrong
camera.

If you absolutely, absolutely MUST have your tiny camera lined up in the
center, then here's what you do. You go to
<http://www.reallyrightstuff.com/> and order the following:

1) Point 'n Shooters Package ($295, includes Manfrotto tripod and BH-25
ballhead with Arca-Swiss-style clamp) Alternately, you could get just
the ballhead or just the clamp, depending on the situation.

2) MPR-113 ($55, multi-purpose rail, long enough for your camera, short
enough to not be excessive)

Set up the tripod. Mount the camera to the rail. Slide the rail into the
clamp until the camera is in the middle. Take pictures.

If you don't want to spend that kind of money, then go to WalMart. Get a
$15 tripod. Use it in happiness. Take the $335 you saved and put it in
an interest-gaining investment account of some sort.

 

The stability also depends on the leg orientation when the
camera's center of mass doesn't coincide with the tripod's axis. To
maximize stability, if the camera's tripod mount has it offset to
one side of the tripod, one of the tripod's legs should be
positioned to the same side as the camera. If the legs are rotated
60 degrees in either direction the stability will be minimized. A
tiny tripod still won't be very stable, but every little bit helps.