[mmhhdmj]

Hi Pentax enthusiasts,

I am planning a trip from Melbourne to Adelaide to ULuru in Australia. I going to buy K3 II + 16-85 + cpl + filters for landscape.

I am hesitating between GT1544T and GT2541. The former is much lighter and portable. But I am not sure if it handles the pixel shift function of K3 II in windy conditions. The latter is also much longer and cannot be put in my bag.

Can you please give me some suggestions?

Thank you.

[tduell]

Hi Pentax enthusiasts,

I am planning a trip from Melbourne to Adelaide to ULuru in Australia. I going to buy K3 II + 16-85 + cpl + filters for landscape.

I am hesitating between GT1544T and GT2541. The former is much lighter and portable. But I am not sure if it handles the pixel shift function of K3 II in windy conditions. The latter is also much longer and cannot be put in my bag.

Can you please give me some suggestions?

Thank you.

I have just been doing some test shots of paintings with the aim of making Giclee prints, and using a K3 II, and Benro tripod.
I have been hanging a bag of bricks from the tripod centre post, and using a remote shutter release to reduce vibration, but thus far my shots without PS are better than with PS, and these have been shot indoors.
So, if I haven't been doing things wrong somewhere in the process, I would reckon you need to look to the most solid, rigid and well damped tripod you can find if you the most out of PS.

Cheers,
Terry

[interested_observer]

Some thoughts.....

• For $750 to $900 you are in the upper price reaches of tripods. I would think that even with carbon you could find equivalent units for less. You need to look. My price range is substantially less. Are you going to backpack? How critical is weight?

• In terms of wind loading, you can hang your bag from the bottom of the center column (you will be shooting with out the center column extended for the best stability) in order to weight the tripod down for additional stability.

• You are going to need a head. If you are planning on using a ballhead, you will want one that can pan with a panning clamp that sits above the ball. Something along the lines of an Acratech GP or Arca Swiss P0

• A CPL will not uniformly apply its polarization on focal lengths wider than about the mid 20mm. Just the laws of physics and the way light can bend (or not).

• Back to the tripod - what do you like - twist legs or flip lock legs? Height of the tripod? Type of feet on the legs? For that amount of money, you really need to like the set of legs you are going to acquire. Also for that sum you could afford to take a look at Really Right Stuff (RRS) tripods.

• You might also consider supplementing the DA* 16-85 with the Sigma 8-16 for really wide shots and the DA 60-250 for telephoto. Also consider stitching pano shots with any lens (including ultra wide angle lenses). Also, consider the AW 1.4x teleconverter.

[mmhhdmj]

I have just been doing some test shots of paintings with the aim of making Giclee prints, and using a K3 II, and Benro tripod.
I have been hanging a bag of bricks from the tripod centre post, and using a remote shutter release to reduce vibration, but thus far my shots without PS are better than with PS, and these have been shot indoors.
So, if I haven't been doing things wrong somewhere in the process, I would reckon you need to look to the most solid, rigid and well damped tripod you can find if you the most out of PS.

Cheers,
Terry

Your input makes me more inclined to 2541.

Are you going to buy another tripod to realise the pixel shift?

[interested_observer]

I have just been doing some test shots of paintings with the aim of making Giclee prints, and using a K3 II, and Benro tripod.
I have been hanging a bag of bricks from the tripod centre post, and using a remote shutter release to reduce vibration, but thus far my shots without PS are better than with PS, and these have been shot indoors.
So, if I haven't been doing things wrong somewhere in the process, I would reckon you need to look to the most solid, rigid and well damped tripod you can find if you the most out of PS.

Cheers,
Terry

Terry - Have you considered wooden tripod? It's difficult to beat the natural features of wood for dampening vibration...

• https://www.berlebach.de/?bereich=firma&sprache=english

Also, you can usually find some large wooden surveyors tripods that are reasonable.

[tduell]

Your input makes me more inclined to 2541.

Are you going to buy another tripod to realise the pixel shift?

At this stage I would like to be sure that there aren't some other tricks one can use, and I would like to test another tripod...before I buy.

Cheers,
Terry

---------- Post added 11-18-15 at 09:14 PM ----------

Terry - Have you considered wooden tripod? It's difficult to beat the natural features of wood for dampening vibration...

• https://www.berlebach.de/?bereich=firma&sprache=english

Also, you can usually find some large wooden surveyors tripods that are reasonable.

Yes, that type certainly has that reputation.
What I would like to track down first is the source of the vibration, but that is probably going to be difficult.

Cheers,
Terry

[mmhhdmj]

Some thoughts.....

• For $750 to $900 you are in the upper price reaches of tripods. I would think that even with carbon you could find equivalent units for less. You need to look. My price range is substantially less. Are you going to backpack? How critical is weight?

• In terms of wind loading, you can hang your bag from the bottom of the center column (you will be shooting with out the center column extended for the best stability) in order to weight the tripod down for additional stability.

• You are going to need a head. If you are planning on using a ballhead, you will want one that can pan with a panning clamp that sits above the ball. Something along the lines of an Acratech GP or Arca Swiss P0

• A CPL will not uniformly apply its polarization on focal lengths wider than about the mid 20mm. Just the laws of physics and the way light can bend (or not).

• Back to the tripod - what do you like - twist legs or flip lock legs? Height of the tripod? Type of feet on the legs? For that amount of money, you really need to like the set of legs you are going to acquire. Also for that sum you could afford to take a look at Really Right Stuff (RRS) tripods.

• You might also consider supplementing the DA* 16-85 with the Sigma 8-16 for really wide shots and the DA 60-250 for telephoto. Also consider stitching pano shots with any lens (including ultra wide angle lenses). Also, consider the AW 1.4x teleconverter.

Thank you for you tips. Really helpful.

I will select one from 1544T or 2541. No other models. They are $800 in Australia and I think I can afford one. I am more happier with 2542T (tried it in store) however its price is horrible in Australia.

The only purpose I will be using a tripod is for landscape. But I don't like the exaggrated effect by super wide lens. The long focal length > 200 equivlent is also rarely used.

I would like to know if 1544T is stable enough for pixel shift. If it is YES I will go with 1544T otherwise 2541.

You said that "A CPL will not uniformly apply its polarization on focal lengths wider than about the mid 20mm". Is it 20mm equivlent or 20mm APS-C?

Many thanks again
Yubin

---------- Post added 11-19-15 at 03:27 PM ----------

Terry - Have you considered wooden tripod? It's difficult to beat the natural features of wood for dampening vibration...

• https://www.berlebach.de/?bereich=firma&sprache=english

Also, you can usually find some large wooden surveyors tripods that are reasonable.

I am a surveyor

if I am going to use a total station I would select a wooden tripod.
If it is just an automatic level then a very light aluminum is enough.

[interested_observer]

You said that "A CPL will not uniformly apply its polarization on focal lengths wider than about the mid 20mm". Is it 20mm equivlent or 20mm APS-C?

There are quite a few articles on CPLs and wide lenses. Here is one of the better ones. It comes down to a matter of taste and your intended use for the images.... About 28mm using a full frame sensor

• https://luminous-landscape.com/polarizers/

________________________________

I have not upgraded to the K3II. I have just been watching the debates and results of the pixel shifting approach. So, in terms of a specific tripod and PS - I am not there ....



---------- Post added 11-18-2015 at 09:58 PM ----------

Yes, that type certainly has that reputation.
What I would like to track down first is the source of the vibration, but that is probably going to be difficult.

Well, it's either the mount the camera is attached to or the structure the image is attached to (or a bit of both). When I was doing laser ring gyro development, we had to design and pore our own fully isolated foundation base. We decided to move out of the facility we were in - which housed a large 15' x 20' vibration table, plus we were too close to an airport. So we moved lot, stock and barrel down the road a couple of miles (closer to the golf course). The structural engineers had a wonderful time.

[rawr]

I probably shouldn't be offering tripod advice to a surveyor, but ... my cheap-skate 2c worth of advice is that both of those [Gitzo] tripods - GT1544T, GT2541 - seem to be poor bang for buck. There seem to be many a Velbon, Slik, Vanguard, Manfrotto that could do the job for much less.

Even a cheapie tripod like the Kenner 6662A+ tripod I got off eBay for $48 does a solid job, with the bonus that I don't care if it gets beaten up in the field or lost. Plus it has a hook underneath the centre shaft, unlike those fancy Gitzos. It's also just as stable as my 30 year old big, heavy Velbon.

[WPRESTO]

My personal experience on one feature: collar (twist) locks versus lever (flip) locks. Have had several tripods with each type, including a fairly high-end pod with collar locks (Gitzo carbon fiber) and a cheap tripod with lever locks (Slik 444 Sport). ALL of the collar locks have failed to lock properly - ALL of them are prone to slipping. NONE of the flip locks have slipped EVER. The inexpensive, now ancient (40 years) Slik 444 tripod flip locks are still 100% reliable. The Gitzo, even with new friction inserts (new ones are plastic, old ones were fiber) still slips unless the collars are twisted painfully tight.

[zvon]

Hi Pentax enthusiasts,

I am planning a trip from Melbourne to Adelaide to ULuru in Australia. I going to buy K3 II + 16-85 + cpl + filters for landscape.

I am hesitating between GT1544T and GT2541. The former is much lighter and portable. But I am not sure if it handles the pixel shift function of K3 II in windy conditions. The latter is also much longer and cannot be put in my bag.

Can you please give me some suggestions?

Thank you.

I use Vanguard alta pro 263at with Vanguard ph-55 head. I made several very successfull pixel shifted images which were aditionally focus stacked. If you are expecting winds that could compromise the tripods stability and create vibrations I think that you won't get sharp images without pixel shift, let alone with it. Then again, if it will be so windy and you plan on shooting landscapes, then the trees and other objects in the sceene will probably be going wild and create artifacts that are known for pixel shift.
tripods you mentioned are not bad tripods (they are expensive though), im just saying that wind + pixel shift do not go well at all no mater how stable tripod you use, especially if you expect winds that tend to move your tripod.

[UncleVanya]

I use Vanguard alta pro 263at with Vanguard ph-55 head. I made several very successfull pixel shifted images which were aditionally focus stacked. If you are expecting winds that could compromise the tripods stability and create vibrations I think that you won't get sharp images without pixel shift, let alone with it. Then again, if it will be so windy and you plan on shooting landscapes, then the trees and other objects in the sceene will probably be going wild and create artifacts that are known for pixel shift.
tripods you mentioned are not bad tripods (they are expensive though), im just saying that wind + pixel shift do not go well at all no mater how stable tripod you use, especially if you expect winds that tend to move your tripod.

THIS ^^^^^

I wondered when the impact of the wind on the subject would pop up. All the stability in the world is not going to help if the trees are swaying.

[stevebrot]

In terms of wind loading, you can hang your bag from the bottom of the center column (you will be shooting with out the center column extended for the best stability) in order to weight the tripod down for additional stability.

Another, lighter-weight, option is to load the legs using a length of bungee cord anchored by the photog's foot. Suspended weight will swing in the wind and set up resonance of its own. Wind may set up a hum in a bungee too, so YYMV. Yet another option is Velcro-secured bean bags around the tripod spider.

I am a surveyor

Except for your compactness requirement, the tools of your trade would be another option. Adapting a surveyor's tripod for view cameras is one solution for cost-conscious photographers in that realm.


Steve

[jbinpg]

Sorry to be Captain Obvious but I assume you have done all you can to minimize potential mechanical vibration such as mirror lockup?

[WPRESTO]

Adapting a surveyor's tripod for view cameras is one solution for cost-conscious photographers in that realm.

I have a wooden surveyor's tripod I obtained for a song decades back. Weighs far more than anything I've ever mounted on it (two heaviest loads: Pentax 1000mm f11 reflex with LX and winder; and Nikon 500 f4 with 2X extender with a Nikon FA and winder). I don't really think the tripod's massiveness increased stability greatly compared to my largest tripod (a Bogen/Manfrotto) which I sometimes used with a second small tripod below the camera body. Very awkward to set up and frame, much less reframe, but the two tripod set up was extremely steady.