New Tripod

[Seapy]

Thanks for that Akira, I like the rail, I have several shorter ones of the 'Sunway' style, I need a couple of 140mm rails but also I very much like that rail, is it 300mm?  What I want to do is mount it across the chord of a section of my Pano head curved rail and use it instead of your first ball head on the tripod, to give the essential tilt function for the camera, instead of using the ball head, strikes me as more rigid, if perhaps less adjustable.

Could you please give a link to the supplier of that long rail?

[ArthurDent]

Third tripod arrived today. Everything appears to work. It locks down rock solid. The column rotates as advertised. Quality appears to be quite good. Sirui ball head mounted with no problems. I am happy. I had a martini with my dinner to celebrate, good gin, olives stuffed with blue cheese. Life is good.

[ArthurDent]

Arhtur, the lens is an old Olympus Zuiko MC Macro 38mm/f3.5.  It has an RMS mount and is thus mounted on my D750 via a cone-shape RMS to M42 adapter, an M42 to M39 adapter, Nikon BR-15 M39 to F mount adapter and Nikon M2 extension tube.

My first slr was an Olympus OM1. I bought it with an Olympus Zuiko 50mm, f/1.4 lens. It was a great camera and a great lens. The lens made quite an impression on me, I felt it was very well constructed and very sharp and still think it could compete quite well with most modern 50mm lenses. So, I applaud your choice of the Zuiko lens.

[Akira]

Thanks for that Akira, I like the rail, I have several shorter ones of the 'Sunway' style, I need a couple of 140mm rails but also I very much like that rail, is it 300mm?  What I want to do is mount it across the chord of a section of my Pano head curved rail and use it instead of your first ball head on the tripod, to give the essential tilt function for the camera, instead of using the ball head, strikes me as more rigid, if perhaps less adjustable.

Could you please give a link to the supplier of that long rail?

Robert, yes, the rail (Sunwayfoto DPG-3016R) is 300mm long from end to end.  The suppliers can be easily found on eBay:

https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=m570.l1313&_nkw=sunwayfoto+dpg-3016r&_sacat=625

However, their pricings are a bit too high.  I bought mine from the authorized Japanese dealer on amazon.co.jp, paid 5,680 JPY with the point return of 1,420 JPY value (so, it was virtually 4,260 JPY).

[Akira]

My first slr was an Olympus OM1. I bought it with an Olympus Zuiko 50mm, f/1.4 lens. It was a great camera and a great lens. The lens made quite an impression on me, I felt it was very well constructed and very sharp and still think it could compete quite well with most modern 50mm lenses. So, I applaud your choice of the Zuiko lens.

I bought my Zuiko MC Macro for 9,000 JPY.  It was second-hand, but much cheaper than its usual price.  It actually has a tiny dent on the front element which was the reason for the price but hasn't had any negative effect on the images so far.  It was a real bargain!

[Seapy]

Robert, yes, the rail (Sunwayfoto DPG-3016R) is 300mm long from end to end.  The suppliers can be easily found on eBay:

https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=m570.l1313&_nkw=sunwayfoto+dpg-3016r&_sacat=625

However, their pricings are a bit too high.  I bought mine from the authorized Japanese dealer on amazon.co.jp, paid 5,680 JPY with the point return of 1,420 JPY value (so, it was virtually 4,260 JPY).

Thank you for the link, Ouch! The nodal rails I have already bought were about £15 or less? they have a clamp at one end, much more complicated.

The metal will be about £8 per metre, unless I use some more of the large slab I already have.  I can machine the dovetail grooves myself. That way I get a cleaner, stronger rail without all the holes, which I don't need.

[Seapy]

I bought my Zuiko MC Macro for 9,000 JPY.  It was second-hand, but much cheaper than its usual price.  It actually has a tiny dent on the front element which was the reason for the price but hasn't had any negative effect on the images so far.  It was a real bargain!

I spotted this:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Olympus-OM-system-Zuiko-MC-38mm-F3-5-macro-lens-old-style-lens/153049063856?hash=item23a26f61b0:g:amcAAOSwruxbFTm7

Rather more than JPY 9,000 but in my opinion still worthwhile for a specialised lens designed to go to X12 magnification.

Right now I don't have funds for new lenses but it's on my list for the future.

[ArthurDent]

I bought my Zuiko MC Macro for 9,000 JPY.  It was second-hand, but much cheaper than its usual price.  It actually has a tiny dent on the front element which was the reason for the price but hasn't had any negative effect on the images so far.  It was a real bargain!

That’s $81.36 at the current exchange rate. Yes, a true bargain! Zuiko lenses were quite expensive back in the day. I could only afford the one. I didn’t know anything about macrophotography back then, so it wouldn’t have occured to me to purchase a macro lens even in the unlikely event I could have afforded it. It probably was a real budget buster when new.

[Macro_Cosmos]

Sunwayfoto stuff is pretty much all outsourced, they seem cheap compared to RRS but they aren't at all cheap when such rails can be had from direct suppliers. I'm not paying 200%+ extras for what is essentially a logo reprint.

Mengz makes most of Sunwayfoto's rails, clamps, and plates. Another supplier is ishoot, they have their own factories and reskin stuff for other brands.

ishoot has an ebay store. For Mengz, they sell their stuff here: https://www.gumptrade.com/

[MFloyd]

Confinement and inaction gave me the opportunity to think over the purchase of a “real” tripod and ballhead. The stuff I have for years is just junk. As a sport / action photographer, the use of a tripod is about nil, if not forbidden. The only accessory of this kind I’m using is a monopod (carbon Sirui) equipped with a quick release clamp from Really Right Stuff (RRS). And even the use of monopods became quite marginal with last year’s purchase of the Nikkor 500mm f/5.6E PF.

So why a tripod ?  I (would) like to make some landscape pictures, time exposures and some astro photography for which a stable tripod is a must. But I disregarded the purchase as being too expensive for the rather marginal (non professional) use of such costly device, at least when you are aiming for quality.

Finally I made the jump by investing (?) $2’000 bucks in a RRS tripod and ballhead. All due to arrive today by my gentle postman.

The ballhead, is a beefy BH-55 ballhead:


RSR BH-55


RRS TVC 34L Mk 2 & BH-55

and a carbon tripod from RRS. I, finally ended up to go for a TVC 34L Mk2 tripod, TVC standing for Tripod, Versa, and Carbon. The only term needing some explanation is Versa, which stands that the top plate / assembly of the tripod can be changed. The first digit stands for weight category going from 1 to 4, 3 is OK for supporting up to 50 lbs. The second digit, stands for the number of leg sections: 4 sections with regard to transportability (3 being the ideal for sturdiness, but 4 seems still OK); L for the tall version going as high as 180 cm.

RRS TVC 34L Mk 2 & BH-55

More explanations here: https://www.reallyrightstuff.com/tripod-guide

More feedback later 

[Bill De Jager]

That's exactly what I have and was using this morning for a lens test, though I have an earlier version of the BH-55 without the rotating top.  I've been very pleased with the RRS tripods and ballheads in terms of both stability and ergonomics.  They're rock solid and the tripods don't have the problem the Gitzo tripods have of the feet getting loose and falling off.  The models with four-section legs are quite stable.

[pluton]

RRS makes good stuff.  Do be careful to periodically check the clamp lever for looseness.  While the lever clamp is faster and slightly more compact, I chose the screw clamp on my BH-55 to avoid the potential for unnoticed loosening and a consequent "Manfrotto effect' disaster. Happy shooting!

[MFloyd]

Everything arrived and looks even better « in real ». Thanks Bill and Keith  . First pictures already made. 

Image of the beast


RRS BH-55 Ballhead & TVC 34 L tripod

[CS]

An excellent looking setup, Christian, congratulations. 

[MFloyd]

An excellent looking setup, Christian, congratulations. 

Thanks Carl. Too kind  . I think I made a good choice. Really superb equipment.