Congratulations! I love my Acratech GP ballhead and nodal rail. I have an E-3, but recently sold my E-510 (to get ready for the "next big thing"). Acratech's products are beautifully designed and manufactured. You should enjoy many years of good use.
Hi Dennis,
Thank you so much for your helpful reply, and it's great to meet another Oly user with the Acratech GP ballhead !
I've been looking for the best affordable quality, and the Acratech looks very impressive.
The clever versatility and functions of the design as well as the light weight, high quality of the finish, along with the open design around the ball making it easy to clean, make a winning combination.
It's great to know you're happy using it with your E-3.
My order is due to be delivered today, so I'm very excited !
I was wondering if the Acratech Universal "L" Bracket would work with the E-510 and E-3 ?
It should. It is on my list to someday replace my RRS dedicated L-bracket for my E-3, as the RRS bracket interferes with the Acratech clamp's detent pin when centering the camera for panoramas. Besides, the beauty of the Acratech Universal L is that once you buy it, the cost per camera is much cheaper than with dedicated L-brackets, as you can buy the lower cost plate instead. And don't compromise on an L-bracket solution - you need something robust, or you will defeat the purpose of having a quality tripod and ballhead. Talk with the Acratech folks on the phone - they are very helpful and probably would allow you to return the Univ. L if it didn't work out.
I really appreciate your advice on the L-bracket, and I agree it would best to have a robust bracket that will be suitable for present and future cameras.
From the instruction videos on their site, I can see the Acratech L bracket looks and works great with their ball heads, I'm planning to get the Acratech L bracket and the Nodal rail at a later date when the budget allows ! Of course I'll report back here on the combination !
I'm hoping that choosing the head and clamp, plates and a Universal bracket all from the same maker should give better compatibility than mixing and matching from different makers, especially as I'm buying online.
I have the GT-2540, which is the same as the 2541 but with a set screw added to the base for extra security when attaching the head to the tripod. It is a very fine tripod, very light and surprisingly stable compared to some much heavier tripods I have owned in the past. It is not as stable as something like the GT-3530S, of course, but well worth the compromise for traveling. For some added stability you can hang some additional weight from a hook on the bottom of the rapid column. I use my GT-2530 for most of my work, even near home, because it is so darned convenient and light.
Thank you very much for also giving your comments and advice on the tripod.
Although I've been very tempted by the compact size and weight of the GT-1541T, after re-reading the brochure and helpful advice here and from other internet research, I think the GT-2541 will be the best choice for size, weight, stability and security.
This will really stretch the budget, and means I can't get the L-bracket and Nodal rail till much later, but I think it will be worth it. It will be a fine combination with the Acratech GP ballhead.
One accessory that I highly recommend for your new tripod is the Gitzo GLevel2 Series 2 Bubble Level. It attaches to the bottom of the rapid column to assist in getting the tripod level. Got mine from Amazon for $14.
I'm glad you mentioned this, as I was looking at this, and wondering if it would be useful. I'll add it to the list ! Any other worthwhile accessories you recommend, such as shoes or spikes ?
Hope this helps, and enjoy your new gear!
Thank you so much again for your very helpful advice.
I'm really looking forward to the new gear, and I'm sure I'll enjoy it !
Best wishes to you.
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