[Mallee Boy]

FL Gulfer raises a good point about battery life (which I guess is what the warning is about).....in those conditions I would have a couple of spare batteries in my pocket, keeping warm.

Looking at the photos of the Tundra Buggy I still think the monopod is the way to go (with a good pair of gloves).

[JamesAus]

Well for a different take - when traveling by air I take an OmniPod beanbag support in my suitcase. It has 1/4" screw attached to the bag and Velcro straps to wrap around railings and stuff. I added a rubber washer to the mount screw to protect the camera base (fastidious, I know, but why NOT?).

Sure there are shots I miss where only a tripod will do - but not many.

And take some combination mittens/fingerless gloves with openings on the fingertips (they pull open when you need dexterity, but close up when you need warmth).

Ragg Wool Flip-Over Mittens from Campmor

I actually ordered the FatBag last week - Kirk Exclusive Camera Supports . Hope it turns out to be fairly decent. So many to choose from that I ended up just going for this one. Hopefully it's decent enough.

The Manfro 790B is a nice monopod also. Vitec Black Modo Monopod - Floor Standing Monopod - 39'' to 145.5'' Height - 2.2 lb Load Capacity - 790B - Buy.com
and get a Manfrotto 3229 Swivel Tilt Monopod Head with Quick Release for 35 bucks and you have a inexpensive set-up to haul around. Folds down to 18 inches.

Thanks for that, will look into it

By the way It says not to use your camera below 0c or 32f.

Hmm... don't have much of a choice really, and lots of people will be using their cameras, so I guess it's just a risk you have to take.

FL Gulfer raises a good point about battery life (which I guess is what the warning is about).....in those conditions I would have a couple of spare batteries in my pocket, keeping warm.

Looking at the photos of the Tundra Buggy I still think the monopod is the way to go (with a good pair of gloves).

Cheers, plan on taking 4 batteries which I hope will see me through the day. I read somewhere that a fully charged battery can die in 45 minutes due to the extreme cold.

Yes, I'm thinking monopod is the best way to go too.

[Ben_Edict]

Just wondering what the rest of you travel with, whether you take tripods/monopods or other camera stands?

Am doing quite a lot of travelling later in the year and am looking at best options for what to travel with

I almost always take a tripod with me. I searched long and hard and finally found a combination, that serves my lightweight/compact size needs perfectly: Velbon Sherpa Pro 540 + Novoflex Ball 30. An affordable combination, which weights in at app. 1.6 kgs and takes my K20 + bg + 70-200/2.8 or even the 400/5.6 if you don't extend the center column. Its half the weight or less of my other tripods and sees the most usage of all of them (I have five or six bigger and heavier ones).

James, a little tip for gloves. Go to a Garden Centre and buy some nitrile gardening gloves. They are thin enough to use without taking off and also thin enough to be a liner for more suitable cold weather gloves.

[JamesAus]

I almost always take a tripod with me. I searched long and hard and finally found a combination, that serves my lightweight/compact size needs perfectly: Velbon Sherpa Pro 540 + Novoflex Ball 30. An affordable combination, which weights in at app. 1.6 kgs and takes my K20 + bg + 70-200/2.8 or even the 400/5.6 if you don't extend the center column. Its half the weight or less of my other tripods and sees the most usage of all of them (I have five or six bigger and heavier ones).

Very nice, thanks for the advise Ben.

James, a little tip for gloves. Go to a Garden Centre and buy some nitrile gardening gloves. They are thin enough to use without taking off and also thin enough to be a liner for more suitable cold weather gloves.

Nice idea Gary. This forum is just great, some great advise I'm getting that I really appreciate

[Russell-Evans]

James, a little tip for gloves. Go to a Garden Centre and buy some nitrile gardening gloves. They are thin enough to use without taking off and also thin enough to be a liner for more suitable cold weather gloves.

For cold weather, I like Glacier Gloves.

I use the "ORIGINAL COLD WEATHER NEOPRENE FISHING GLOVE" version.
The product description reads "2mm fleece lined premium neoprene with our patented Toucti-Rite™ thumb and index finger make up our most popular fishing glove. Slit finger design adds dexterity to the thumb and index finger. Blind stitched and glued for lasting durability."



If it is going to be really cold, then a pair without the finger slits is probably the better choice? Maybe the PREMIUM WATERPROOF COLD WEATHER NEOPRENE FISHING GLOVE, a silk or synthetic liner, and a pair of over mitts might work out well?

Thank you
Russell

[JamesAus]

Thanks for that Russell, some good options there

Have you heard much about these at all?

[Russell-Evans]

Thanks for that Russell, some good options there

Have you heard much about these at all?

They look woven which I avoid when I'm buying gloves for working with my hands. Woven is great for layering, but isn't likely to work alone well in a cold high wind. I would recommend Spandex gloves, which are woven too , but if not stretched too far, remain pretty wind resistant.

For general cooler to cold weather, I bought a pair of Nike sports glove last year which I really liked. They were a thicker Lycra fabric that was surprisingly warm for the weight. I lost one, and I'm waiting for glove retail season to start again so I can see if I can find a like pair. I bought the last pair on sale and haven't been able to find them on line.

The only replacement that I found that I thought might be like the pair I lost were spandex equestrian gloves.



I looked at kayak gloves too, but can't tell if it is what I really want. There might be bicycle gloves like these too, but bicycle gloves usually have a thick palm pad which I think would get in the way.

If you have a multi-sports store locally, you might see what they have for different outdoor sports. I think the Nike pair I bought where for running, but I am not sure.

Thank you
Russell

[Ben_Edict]

I've found a 300mm f4 lenses, but it's $3,500 so way out of my price range unfortunately.

HI James, I only yet read through the whole thread and will add my ideas:

Firstly I would go with a zoom lens anytime for that kind of shooting. You cannot walk nearer to the polar bears but have to stay onboard your Tundra Buggy (which is a sensible notion, by the way). So something like the Tokina 80-400 or the Sigma 150-500 or the Bigma, you're already considering would be my first choice. I don't think the limiting factor for the image quality will be the zoom.

I have the old (first generation) Tokina 80-400. It is okay, but nothing to rave about. As I use mainly fixed focal length lenses, it sees very little use and will be off to ebay soon. I will, when I got rid of some more lenses, buy a Bigma myself, as after all what I have read about actual experiences, it seems to be a good choice. I hope this will be used more often than the Tokina.

Secondly: for that particular occasion, forget the tripod. Either use a saddle-bag style bean bag or a window clamp for the camera. The Gorilla pods are nowhere rigid enough to support such a long lens. A bean bag will also allow better camera movement, when following the bears.

You could use a monopod and cobble together a windows mount - perhaps based on the ubiquos Manfrotto studio clamp -, which would allow fixing the monopod to the window or another rigid part of the Buggy. That would give you the option, to rest, without letting go the camera over board.

I would personally prefer the bean bag for shooting out of the Tundra Buggy, otherwise a lightweight tripod might serve you well for other shooting opportunities (outside the Buggy) during that trip.

Thirdly: in cold conditions, use a carbon fibre tripod. It will cause less trouble for your hands, if you touch it... Not only tongues and lips can freeze to cold metal, fingers can so, too. I am speaking from experience... The bean bag is ofcourse a very secure device in cold conditions.

Fourth: I normally use lightweight, finger gloves made from stretch material (don't know, either The North Face or Lowe) for shooting. They are thin enough, that you can use the camera normally, but warm enough for most conditions. If it is really cold and windy, I prefer a combination of mitts with finger gloves. You can fold back the mitts, made of wind resistant GoreTex Windstopper and than use the thin finger gloves for shooting. If the fingers get cold, just pull the mitts over them again. The particular modell I use is made by Eska (a specialist gloves supplier from Austria) and it also sports the typicall small hole for the right index finger in the gloves, which hunters prefer, to pull the trigger with more "feeling" in their finger, than any glove can provide. Any good outdoor sports shop should provide a selction of those. I can highly recommend the Windstopper material, because it really keeps wind (and wind chill) out. That means, the gloves or mitts can be made lighter and thinner, without compromising warmth.

These are my recommendations after several tours through Iceland and in the Norwegian winter.

Ben

[Russell-Evans]

There is the Bogen Window Kit, US $67.47.



I think the Promaster SystemPro, US $69.99, is pretty neat.

Swiss army knife of tripods. Use it as a table top tripod or clamp it on virtually anything thanks to its two extremely versatile clamp legs.

Works on flat surfaces, thin surfaces, round surfaces, you name it. It's the perfect problem solver to have in your camera bag.

* Heavy duty steel construction
* Rugged clamping mechanism with multiple rubber grips Flexible ball head or 1/4" mounting screw to use your own head

If you are carrying the Bigma, the BushHawk might be a good option.



Maybe the BushHawk would be the best bet? If you have to stay in the buggy, how do you know you'll be on the side of the buggy the bears are on? A window mount would be useless then. I suppose if you are on a tour with very few people this isn't a concern, shrug.

I would want to have a tripod in any case, even if it was only a few inches tall. This isn't for the bears, but that far north there might be Northern lights, hopefully one cloud free night for star trails, and I would want a panorama. I'm thinking empty ice field all around with the camp at some point, to convey a sense of remoteness.

Thank you
Russell

[Ben_Edict]

If you are carrying the Bigma, the BushHawk might be a good option.



Maybe the BushHawk would be the best bet?

How do you get through airport security with THIS? I don't go close to an airport with my Novoflex rapid focus lenses these days anymore...

Ben

[Russell-Evans]

How do you get through airport security with THIS? I don't go close to an airport with my Novoflex rapid focus lenses these days anymore.

Paint it orange?



Thank you
Russell

[JamesAus]

They look woven which I avoid when I'm buying gloves for working with my hands. Woven is great for layering, but isn't likely to work alone well in a cold high wind. I would recommend Spandex gloves, which are woven too , but if not stretched too far, remain pretty wind resistant.

For general cooler to cold weather, I bought a pair of Nike sports glove last year which I really liked. They were a thicker Lycra fabric that was surprisingly warm for the weight. I lost one, and I'm waiting for glove retail season to start again so I can see if I can find a like pair. I bought the last pair on sale and haven't been able to find them on line.

The only replacement that I found that I thought might be like the pair I lost were spandex equestrian gloves.



I looked at kayak gloves too, but can't tell if it is what I really want. There might be bicycle gloves like these too, but bicycle gloves usually have a thick palm pad which I think would get in the way.

If you have a multi-sports store locally, you might see what they have for different outdoor sports. I think the Nike pair I bought where for running, but I am not sure.

Thank you
Russell

Very interesting Russell, cheers. I did wonder whether they would be good enough. I'm more just concerned by being able to find gloves that I'm able to handle the camera gear with ease with.

I actually noticed this through a google search earlier today too, so it definitely doesn't look as though they're good enough. Will have to do as you suggest and head down to my local outdoor sports shop and ask there.

HI James, I only yet read through the whole thread and will add my ideas:

Firstly I would go with a zoom lens anytime for that kind of shooting. You cannot walk nearer to the polar bears but have to stay onboard your Tundra Buggy (which is a sensible notion, by the way). So something like the Tokina 80-400 or the Sigma 150-500 or the Bigma, you're already considering would be my first choice. I don't think the limiting factor for the image quality will be the zoom.

I have the old (first generation) Tokina 80-400. It is okay, but nothing to rave about. As I use mainly fixed focal length lenses, it sees very little use and will be off to ebay soon. I will, when I got rid of some more lenses, buy a Bigma myself, as after all what I have read about actual experiences, it seems to be a good choice. I hope this will be used more often than the Tokina.

Secondly: for that particular occasion, forget the tripod. Either use a saddle-bag style bean bag or a window clamp for the camera. The Gorilla pods are nowhere rigid enough to support such a long lens. A bean bag will also allow better camera movement, when following the bears.

You could use a monopod and cobble together a windows mount - perhaps based on the ubiquos Manfrotto studio clamp -, which would allow fixing the monopod to the window or another rigid part of the Buggy. That would give you the option, to rest, without letting go the camera over board.

I would personally prefer the bean bag for shooting out of the Tundra Buggy, otherwise a lightweight tripod might serve you well for other shooting opportunities (outside the Buggy) during that trip.

Thirdly: in cold conditions, use a carbon fibre tripod. It will cause less trouble for your hands, if you touch it... Not only tongues and lips can freeze to cold metal, fingers can so, too. I am speaking from experience... The bean bag is ofcourse a very secure device in cold conditions.

Fourth: I normally use lightweight, finger gloves made from stretch material (don't know, either The North Face or Lowe) for shooting. They are thin enough, that you can use the camera normally, but warm enough for most conditions. If it is really cold and windy, I prefer a combination of mitts with finger gloves. You can fold back the mitts, made of wind resistant GoreTex Windstopper and than use the thin finger gloves for shooting. If the fingers get cold, just pull the mitts over them again. The particular modell I use is made by Eska (a specialist gloves supplier from Austria) and it also sports the typicall small hole for the right index finger in the gloves, which hunters prefer, to pull the trigger with more "feeling" in their finger, than any glove can provide. Any good outdoor sports shop should provide a selction of those. I can highly recommend the Windstopper material, because it really keeps wind (and wind chill) out. That means, the gloves or mitts can be made lighter and thinner, without compromising warmth.

These are my recommendations after several tours through Iceland and in the Norwegian winter.

Ben

Thanks Ben, fantastic response mate

Glad to hear someone else is a fan of the Bigma too. I'm yet to find someone who's really against it and has slammed it which is a good sign for me.

I actually ordered this bean bag which arrived in the mail today. I'm yet to fill it up, but I'm a bit worried about it actually as it doesn't seem large enough. Has anyone here actually used this product before?

A pentax camera user at work suggested buying a clamp ($5!) and using that to attach the monopod to something on the buggy to keep it steady. He took a photo of it here. What do you think of that?

Ouch! Definitely don't want that happening, will certainly consider a carbon fibre tripod now.

This is the Monopod I'm look at getting, isn't carbon fibre but do you think it would do the job?

That's a great idea re the gloves - will do. You're full of great ideas, thanks again for giving your thoughts

There is the Bogen Window Kit, US $67.47.



I think the Promaster SystemPro, US $69.99, is pretty neat.





If you are carrying the Bigma, the BushHawk might be a good option.



Maybe the BushHawk would be the best bet? If you have to stay in the buggy, how do you know you'll be on the side of the buggy the bears are on? A window mount would be useless then. I suppose if you are on a tour with very few people this isn't a concern, shrug.

I would want to have a tripod in any case, even if it was only a few inches tall. This isn't for the bears, but that far north there might be Northern lights, hopefully one cloud free night for star trails, and I would want a panorama. I'm thinking empty ice field all around with the camp at some point, to convey a sense of remoteness.

Thank you
Russell

Thanks for that Russell.

I'm wondering whether what I said above around using the monopod and using a clamp for it would be the best bet rather than buying a specific window clamp? What do you think?

I obviously can't take everything, but it's proving tough to figure out what to take and what not to. Wish I could take everything, but unfortunately that's just not possible.

How do you get through airport security with THIS? I don't go close to an airport with my Novoflex rapid focus lenses these days anymore...

Ben

Couldn't you just throw it inside your suitcase rather than take it as a carry-on?

[Ben_Edict]

I actually ordered this bean bag which arrived in the mail today. I'm yet to fill it up, but I'm a bit worried about it actually as it doesn't seem large enough. Has anyone here actually used this product before?

James, this is sure a very good choice. I wouldn't expect any Kirk product to be too small for the task...

A pentax camera user at work suggested buying a clamp ($5!) and using that to attach the monopod to something on the buggy to keep it steady. He took a photo of it here. What do you think of that?

I personally would not use this type of clamp. With the Bigma you have a high torque on the monopod which will be more than enough to turn the monopod out of that kind of DIY clamp. You should use something , that can be screwed tightly, like that:
http://www.amvona.com/?page=shop/flypage&view=1&product_id=2816

Its a derivate of the original Manfrotto studio clamp, but it copmes readily for your purpose and is very cheap. That is, what I would use to fix the monopod to the Buggy.

This is the Monopod I'm look at getting, isn't carbon fibre but do you think it would do the job?

I guess, it will be fine. I am somewhat unbiased with monopods, because I think, most anything will work. And the automatic feature seems to be very convenient - provided it locks securly in any position.

That's a great idea re the gloves - will do. You're full of great ideas, thanks again for giving your thoughts

All from hard earned experience... I have bought too many tripods and too much kit, I found to be unusable. I also made my experiences in very cold environments - not all of those were pleasant.

Ben

[Russell-Evans]

I think the Giottos P.POD monopod series has some interesting thoughtful ideas incorporated. My thought about buying one of the self supporting monopods is for use as a portable flash stand as well for camera support.

Specifications across models

• 15Kg support
• 1.22kg-1.36kg carry weight
• 160 cm-180cm extended
• 59 cm-64cm collapsed

Thank you
Russell