Need help with table (mini) tripod for my E-500

mx22 · Mar 15, 2006

Hello,

After strugeling with a table tripod I bought in BestBuy some months ago, I finaly came to the conclusion that this torture must end. Constantly folding legs, bad (or maybe just too small for E-500) ballhead and tendency to fall when camera gets even slightly out of center are just too much for me to keep up with...

Can anyone guide me in a direction of a good table / mini tripod for my E-500? I mostly use it with 14-45mm lens, but plan to buy either 30mm or 50mm in future. BestBuy's tripod was giving me around 7-8' minimum height and around 13-14' max - I can use a bit small minimum height, but would prefer maximum height be no less then 10' if possible. Pricewise I would like to stay under $100... Any suggestions?

Thanks!

EastCoastSnapper · Mar 15, 2006

Sorry I can't help recommend a particular pod but here are my comments.

I think I know exactly the one you had from best buy. I got one for a gift and found it too small. I felt very nervous about it falling over. So the rule of thumb I follow is...make sure the legs of the pod are wider than the camera at full zoom. This will ensure the stability of the pod.

BorisK1 · Mar 15, 2006

I'd be afraid to use a table tripod with my E300 - too easy to knock the camera over. Have you looked into bean bags and clamps?

Boris

mx22 · Mar 15, 2006

Hello Boris,

Well you can't always rely on bean bags and clamps, they are just too restricting. Tripods are on the other hand are much more versitile and good tripods, I'm sure, should hold E-300/500 firmly...

Cheers,

Alexei

BorisK1 said:
I'd be afraid to use a table tripod with my E300 - too easy to
knock the camera over. Have you looked into bean bags and clamps?

Boris

OMTim · Mar 15, 2006

Bogen had a small one - fits into a pouch and slides into the camera bag, about as sturdy as any table top unit I've seen, but it is also marginal for anything more than moderately heavy.

macdane · Mar 15, 2006

mx22 said:
Can anyone guide me in a direction of a good table / mini tripod
for my E-500? I mostly use it with 14-45mm lens, but plan to buy
either 30mm or 50mm in future. BestBuy's tripod was giving me
around 7-8' minimum height and around 13-14' max - I can use a bit
small minimum height, but would prefer maximum height be no less
then 10' if possible. Pricewise I would like to stay under $100...
Any suggestions?

I have a friend who swears by this one:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=269751&is=REG&addedTroughType=categoryNavigation

...and the price is right, allowing the excess funds to buy whatever kind of head you want.

HTH,
Dane

onefiftymike · Mar 15, 2006

This is probably way over your budget, but it's nice to know such a product exists:

http://www.reallyrightstuff.com/pod/index.html

Has anybody out there used one of these?
--
Cheers,
Mike

Recent member, new E-1 owner (14-54, 50-200)

Digitalfuzz · Mar 15, 2006

You can try looking here for the SLIK mini models.

http://www.thkphoto.com/products/slik/slik-cts-n03.html

About as good as I've ever seen for a table tripod.

--
JLM

E-300 Gallery http://aerialantix.smugmug.com/
http://community.webshots.com/user/aerialantix
E-300 / HLD-3 / FL-50 / 14-45mm / 40-150mm / 50-200mm

onefiftymike · Mar 15, 2006

Digital Fuzz,

Did you not check out the link I posted just above yours? Read the specs. How can you say that a little toy tripod that can't hold more than 2.5 lbs. is "as good as you've ever seen"?

This is a dslr forum. I would assume that the people here are looking for serious products.

-
Cheers,
Mike

Recent member, new E-1 owner (14-54, 50-200)

Mark Thornton · Mar 16, 2006

http://www.photoethnography.com/ClassicCameras/index-frameset.html?tripods.html~mainFrame

I have the Leica table top tripod which is very robust but not cheap. It isn't as high as you would like either, but then it doesn't wobble.

decmate · Mar 16, 2006

Hi,

I have used a Slik mini, the one with the tilt head and NOT ball & socket, for a few years without problems.

Regards,

John
--
Who is that in the hyperfocal distance?

Barrie Marshall · Mar 16, 2006

I have used an Ultra Pod in the past but have not done much table top photography lately and non with my E-1, I dug it it out and tried it with my E-1 with the 14-54 attached, it was good and solid, the legs on it are very wide and your camera will not wobble at all, mine is an Ultra Pod II
--
Baz

Barrie Marshall · Mar 16, 2006

http://candlelantern.com/tripods.html
--
Baz

onefiftymike · Mar 16, 2006

You all really need to read this: http://www.bythom.com/support.htm (by Thom Hogan). Whether it's tabletop or out in the field, you don't get good support on the cheap. And a couple of ounces isn't going to realistically hold 2-3 lbs. without wobble. Laws of physics and all...

--
Cheers,
Mike

Recent member, new E-1 owner (14-54, 50-200)

Digitalfuzz · Mar 16, 2006

I don't consider the link you posted to be a "table" tripod.

And it sounds to be larger than the original poster is talking about.

And YES, for a tabletop tripod, it is as good as I've ever seen. I would never use the one you mentioned as a table top tripod. Not that I'd use a table top tripod.

The guy is looking for ideas, and no one mentioned the SLIK, which is a great solution, as backed up by another poster.

--
JLM

E-300 Gallery http://aerialantix.smugmug.com/
http://community.webshots.com/user/aerialantix
E-300 / HLD-3 / FL-50 / 14-45mm / 40-150mm / 50-200mm

macdane · Mar 16, 2006

Mark Thornton said:
I have the Leica table top tripod which is very robust but not
cheap. It isn't as high as you would like either, but then it
doesn't wobble.

I've heard good things from others about the Leica but have always balked at the investment when I'm not sure I'd use it much. FYI, B&H has a used one for about $75...

Dane

djmitchella · Mar 16, 2006

The ultrapod II is definitely worth a look as long as you don't have lenses that are too long. It's not amazingly solid, you'd want to use anti-shake/MLU, but it's very pocket-sized.

http://www.pedcopods.com/products.htm for the link there.

-- dan

Mark Thornton · Mar 16, 2006

The Leica pod has been used to support medium format cameras. It can happily support many times the weight of an e-500 + lens given a suitably robust ball head.

ksj · Mar 16, 2006

It included the 482 ball head (4.4lbs), but I use my Acratech on it as well and it works great.

You can get just the tripod here:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?A=details&Q=&is=REG&O=productlist&sku=5239

Hope that helps,

Kevin

onefiftymike · Mar 16, 2006

Digitalfuzz said:
I don't consider the link you posted to be a "table" tripod.

And it sounds to be larger than the original poster is talking about.

Why not? It folds down to 12.3 inches - would work just fine on a table. And re: what the original poster is talking about - he NEEDS something a little larger. His mini or micro or whatever was tipping over.

Anyway, sorry to be going on like this. I've spent too much money over the years on poorly-designed, underbuilt tripods that really only offer adequate support for pocket cams. And I've owned some well-known so-called professional models that weren't up to the task (unexpected flopping, risk of over-tightening, creeping heads, etc.) We consumers should be demanding better. There are a few companies making top gear, but its admittedly expensive. But so are the top lenses and the top bodies (and everything else photographic, I guess). At least with tripods you just need good design and robust quality. There's no technological obsolescence to worry about. A good setup will last a lifetime.
--
Cheers,
Mike

Recent member, new E-1 owner (14-54, 50-200)

Need help with table (mini) tripod for my E-500

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