Landscape Photography No129 - The Innorel RT90C tripod

[@IanElson28]

I have the RT80ç. I do have the bowl. I found it helps on a hill, where the front leg is out fully. I love it!

[@huwalban]

Excellent. I hadn’t thought of using the bowl in that manner. I have the bowl plate too but, like the tripod itself, it is a beast and adds to the weight so it tends to not get used. Perhaps next time I’m in Blandford woods (which have lots of slopes) I ought to give it a try… Thanks for the support of the channel and for leaving a comment. It is appreciated.

[@alangauld6079]

I gave up trying for a universal tripod and now have 3: A big Giottos model that I use in the studio/home/garden, a mid-weight Cullman (aka Wex' own brand) and a lightweight travel tripod (also Giottos) for longer hikes but it only comes a little over waist height. The Cullman is my goto for landscapes and I have a levelling base fitted because I often do panos. I occasionally bring the big tripod if I know the conditions might need it and I'll be near the road. It has a Nova head which includes a pano ring on top of the ballhead (rather than at the base) which removes the need for a levelling base. But 90% of my work is on the Cullman which I love and at under £100 for a carbon fibre build is great value. However, I don't need a lot of height, very few of my shots are at head height, the vast majority are waist level or lower.

[@huwalban]

Ahhh, you can never have too many tripods (is what I say to my other half when I come back with yet another box of goodies :) ). I picked up a Benro Tortoise at the Wales & West show and have to admit that I've been very impressed with it. It isn't quite as tall as the Innorel, and not as chunky, but it is significantly lighter. I have to be honest that I reach for the Benro now more than the Innorel because of that fact. I also have a small Vanguard that I use for the KZbin content, but am considering replacing that with a smaller Benro Tortoise so impressed I have been with the one I've got. I'm due out for another trip away in September for a few days and want to make the decision there whether I persist with the Vanguard for a bit longer or part with some more gold :)

[@paulduckworth1121]

Huw, many thanks for the video. I have the Benro Tortoise following the demise of my Vanguard last year and really like it. One of the things that I like with tripods is to have the spiked feet, they do help with wind and water (setting up in moving water). With height, as with many things, once you have a tripod that lets you set up higher than your previous one you eventually find that you want to go a bit higher again (lol). As for weight, speaking purely for myself, if something is too heavy (not just tripods) they eventually get left at home and not taken out.

[@huwalban]

Cheers Paul. I too, now, also have a Benro Tortoise. At the time, if it was a short walk from the car then the Innorel would come out, if a hike or and all day recce then the Benro. Will be interesting to see how long that one lasts :) Hope you are keeping well buddy. Looking forward to going up North later in the year.

[@GuidoVanDeWater]

Wow what a beast indeed! For me the portability is the biggest issue that I had. I don't want / can carry around heavy stuf. I rather have quality glass then a heavy tripod with me. So eventualy I ended up with a Rollei c6i carbon pro. It does the trick for me almost always. It's high and steady and has multiple levelers for panorama shooting. I thibk the weight is less then half of what your showing. Tripods are so personal everyone has different wishes and demands on them. For what you explained it is a perfect fit for you. Good video I always like to see why people use gear and especially when they well thought about it. Grt guido

[@huwalban]

Thanks Guido. I am 100% with you. I too regularly scour gear videos from real people because I think you learn so much more about the product, more so sometimes than from the official reviews. Yeah, it is a personal choice - stability and height were the two key things for me. At the moment I’m still young enough to cope with the weight, although since making this video I’ve invested in another option with is not quite as high but considerably lighter. Therefore, if not far from the car then the Innorel comes out, if it is a hike or recce then my other option is the choice. All good fun playing with new gear though - who doesn’t like a new bit of kit eh? Hope all is well with you sir

[@GuidoVanDeWater]

@huwalban that sound like a good choice. I was in Denmark last week with a huge storm blowing over. And my tripod blew over a couple of times while recording video. I bet yours would have stayed were it was 😅 so I see the benefits here but also the downsides 😅 just. Wondering were do you live in England? I'm thing about doing a trip there later this year. Maybe we can do something together. Grt guido

[@huwalban]

@@GuidoVanDeWater Hello Guido. I live in the South West of England near the town of Shaftesbury. The “local” photo attractions are mainly coastal with the Jurassic Coastline 40 minutes drive away. Locations like Lulworth Cove and Durdle Door are popular, there is also Portland Bill lighthouse and Pulpit Rock, and there is a very attractive pier at Boscombe. I tend to use resources like Booking.com to look at accommodation options, but I’d avoid England school holidays if you can as this area gets very busy during those times. Give me plenty of warning and I’ll see if I can get some time off work. It would be wonderful to meet up and for me to show you around.

[@jnrickards]

I bought a similar Innorel, the ST324CF and being shorter than you, it looms even higher. The biggest difference, which was a selling point for me, was the leg locking mechanism, flip locks rather than the twist locks, I've never liked the twist locks. I bought it to support my Bronica GS-1 medium format film camera: I don't need the Innorel's strength for my Olympus E-M1, even with the pro f/2.8 lenses so I bought a lighter weight Innorel for my Olympus (and easier travelling/walking/hiking). My future wish is to include large format 4x5 photography into my "arsenal" so the ST324CF fits nicely. The only gripe I have about the tripod, actually pertains to all tripods, the leg spread could be wider. I know that there are stops that enable the legs to spread wider at 2 steps but the narrowest position is, in my opinion, too narrow and given that this is a very tall tripod, a wider stance would still provide lots of height.

[@huwalban]

Ah, the Manfrotto that I had previously had flip locks but I encountered two challenges - 1. I trapped the edge of my finger in one on a cold day and blimey did that hurt, and 2. I had to oil them constantly to stop them from seizing up. The only gripe I've had with the twist locks is when using the tripod on a sandy beach but they are very easy to dismantle and clean out, and to be honest I should have been move careful to avoid contamination in the first place. I'm with you on the leg spread - it could do with twice as many leg spread interval locks which would be darned useful on windy days. I'm also trying out a Benro Tortoise model which is a lot lighter, but not quite as tall - it is amazing how the technology and options move along so quickly! Thanks for the support of the channel and for taking the time to leave a comment. It is appreciated.

[@rogerlush3344]

Chosing a tripod is something very personal, or I think it is. Mine is nothing special, a K&F concept with a ball head, and detachable monopod leg. But it's sturdy enough for me, and reasonably weighted for carrying, I chose it after looking at several different types and listening to various you tube reviews, personally I don't like twist release legs because dirt can get in and make them difficult to lock/unlock, my preference is lever release legs, far quicker to get the legs out, but thankfully there is much choice for all tastes. But your choice is what suits you and the rigors that you require so long may it serve you!

[@warpspeed9877]

That's the way to go. I got a Coman TG series carbon tripod with bowl top and 4 section legs but i attached an Innorel G54 double pan head (a beast!). The tripod itself goes up to 1.9 meters ( so my Sigma SD Quatrro H is at 2 meters +) and the first thing i did to test it was to go under it grab the bowl top and hang myself (feet on the air and all). I weigh 90 kilos. It didn't bulge an inch. So no problem when attaching big teles to it. And i can do it in water streams and inclined ground now with no sweat. And the G54 is keeping everything in check. Combined weight is 4 kilos. Total cost for tripod and head (bough separately) was about 500 euros (shipping to Greece from Holland and China included). I call that a bargain.

[@huwalban]

Thanks for the support and the comment. I’ve got a hankering for one of the Foveon cameras. I was looking at some of the early SDxx DSLR models but apparently spares are very scarce these days. The ambassador I know recommended a dp0 but they are reasonably big bucks here in the UK. I might have to take a chance on a faulty one, and then see if my friends at Sigma UK can do something to sort it. The Innorel is a complete beast and it definitely draws comment when I’m out and about using it (which secretly I quite enjoy) :)