Tripods for Pentaxians - The Nightaxians Episode 10

There's no such thing as the perfect tripod but there may be the perfect tripod for you.
In this episode, we talk about the tripods we're using to help support the mighty Pentax K1 and the 15-30 lens during our long exposure shoots. Do you have a favorite? Let us know in the comments!
Upcoming Night Photography Workshops with Tim and Ken! Join us at these great locations for night photography, light painting, learning and fun!
Nelson Ghost Town
May 4, 5 and 6, 2023
www.capecodworkshops.com/nelson
Old Car City
October 25-29, 2023
www.capecodworkshops.com/carcity
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Tim Little:
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Mike Cooper:
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[@lisakelly6058]

Excellent show!

[@CapeNightPhotography]

Thanks!

[@themercuryseven6332]

Great episode. I loved all the information and approach to using and selecting tripods for night photography or otherwise. Thanks!

[@CapeNightPhotography]

Thanks for watching!

[@KenLeePhotography]

Added info: This was edited out, I think, but I think center hooks can be used only if the weight (camera bag or whatever) is on the ground. If the weight is swinging from the center hook, that's what I don't like.

[@PentaxLife]

Great topic and some nice tripod . I have 3 zoom travel Next is a big Construction aluminum tripod that has my star tracker. And a K&F Concept 68" Carbon Fiber Daily use . Thanks for the video.

[@KenLeePhotography]

Good call, putting the heavier aluminum tripod with the star tracker.

[@CapeNightPhotography]

You can't beat a good heavy tripod for those sorts of things. How do you like the K&F tripod? -Tim

[@PentaxLife]

@@CapeNightPhotography Seems to be a good tripod add a problem with one of the set screws it wasn't keeping tight so I just put a little bit of lock tight on it and it holds together really well now.

[@CapeNightPhotography]

@@PentaxLife Funny, I was looking at a loose screw on a tripod last night and thinking I was going to hit it with that stuff too.

[@JackRussellTerror]

Got my first tripod for my film camera around 1987. It was a Velbon Victory 150. I used it for many years even up to getting my first DSLR, the K100D. The plastic knob on the thumbscrew that secured the center rod finally broke about 7-8 yrs ago. I replaced it with a Ravelli carbon fiber with twist locks and used it for about 4.5 yrs until one of the twist locks on one leg broke. I didn't like the twist locks either so I next went with an Amazon Basics Tripod that was actually made by Ravelli, had snap locks and weighed a ton. It could not be attached to a backpack but did have it's own carry bag. I could take it with me but it was too cumbersome and heavy if you had to hike ANY distance. It also had a pistol grip mount to hold your camera. Over time the pistol grip quit holding snug and I had to replace it with an aftermarket mount. It is extremely stable even in high winds due to its weight. Now it stays at home and is only used for inside photo projects or things I do around the house. When my wife took up photography I got her a Zecti with snap locks which worked great but it was too small for me (this was all before getting my K-1 II). She uses it with her K-S2. I then got myself another carbon fiber made by Zomei that collapses to under 14.5 inches and each leg has 4 segments. It has the dreaded twist lock legs, but is very light weight. The only issue I've had with it so far is one of the legs came loose from the socket it was attached to but I fixed that with super glue. I use it with my K-70 or more frequently with my Sony A6000 which is tiny. I did get a Joilcan for my K-1 II which 81" tall so I don't have to bend over to use it. It is light weight which allows me to attach it to my camera backpack. All these tripods came with ball heads that seem to work fairly well. Weight and sturdiness were my most important parameters that I considered when purchasing a tripod. I also tried to stay well under $100 and succeeded there.

[@KenLeePhotography]

It's amazing that you can even get a decent $100 tripod. Even a few years, that was just about unheard of, but now there seems to be a lot more inexpensive tripods that people find satisfactory. It's great to have all these choices.

[@CapeNightPhotography]

"Dreaded twist locks" haha! I feel that pain. I will say that this new LeoPhoto tripod has some beefy, rubbery twists and they are the best I've used - and that's coming from a guy who hates twist locks. Sounds like you have a good system for your use case going on there. Some of these cheaper tripods are of great build quality and design. I used to shy away from cheaper product but many of them are on par with their much more expensive counterparts.

[@ronbokje6213]

30 years someone gave me a quick set 16mm film camera tripod. It’s enormous but can hold so much weight. I still use that a lot and a smaller manfrotto for travel

[@PeterFerris]

I can't say a single bad thing against my RRS (Really Right Stuff) 4 section Versa (TVC-34L MK2) tripod & BH-55 (ball head). It's never failed me yet. Far from the most portable but an amazing blend of sturdy, light, extremely well engineered.

[@KenLeePhotography]

@@PeterFerris RRS makes such great stuff. I am intrigued by Ron's 16mm film camera tripod, though.

[@CapeNightPhotography]

Sounds like a good combo! I think having a heavy weight tripod and a light weight tripod is the best way to go for most people. I currently have three tripods but I am using one strictly for real estate photography so they all have a purpose.

[@Nareimooncatt]

Another Slik 700DX Pro user here, and I love it. Big, beefy, stupid tall, and stable as heck. Like Ken, I don't extend the center column unless absolutely necessary (hence why I went for long legs). At full height, I needed a step ladder to manipulate the camera. Lol. Plus the center column is thick and has a locking collar and set screw. Having two points of locking contact does seem to help keep it relatively stable as well. But I'll be the odd one out in pairing it with a Manfrotto pan and tilt head. I like the extra finesse of only manipulating one direction of movement at a time. A little disappointed in it, though, because one of the plastic twist lock handles cracked on me the other day and now have to see if I should warranty claim it. It's from their Xpro line and just under 3 years old.

[@CapeNightPhotography]

It's a great tripod! It's also good for defending yourself against coyotes, but that's a different story! Sorry about the issue with your pan head. Seems like a fluke and certainly worth filing a claim for it even if it might be out of warranty. Maybe they'd even give you a discount toward a replacement.

[@Nareimooncatt]

@@CapeNightPhotography I tried contacting the company that handles warranty claims for Manfrotto in the U.S. but didn't get a reply. It just happened and I haven't got around to contacting Manfrotto themselves. It's just under 3 years old, but that head has the 10 year extended warranty if you register it (which I did).

[@CapeNightPhotography]

@@Nareimooncatt Oh good so hopefully you can get a replacement. Also, I have been having a terrible time getting people to reply to just about everything. I've never seen such a level of unresponsiveness. -Tim