Experience /w RRS tripods

haroldp

@haroldp: I called RRS last week and they told me that their current L-Plates for the D800/D800e will fit the D810.

Thank You.

.... H

Hval

Framer,

I admire you your diplomatic skills. Miles better than mine. Mind you, if I tried to put an island in the centre of our kitchen no one would get in. It is only 3m x 3m (9' x 9'). That's without the cabinets in.

Oh yes. My RRS stuff is in UK customs. Been there since before midnight yesterday. I might get the stuff some time this week or next week.

Hval

UK Customs clearance.

Well so much for paying for a rapid delivery (not the fault of Really Right Stuff). My RRS stuff arrived with UK Customs on the night of Monday the 14th. It is still with them. What an incompetent bunch of beeps.

Once it gets transferred to Parcel Force, they send a card out telling me how much Tax, VAT, their charge etc are. I pay that and then they deliver. This process takes about a week (from past experience). So a process of a couple of days in the USA followed by two weeks in the UK! Don't anyone ever complain about the USPS.

WestEndBoy

In Canada, it is a one or two day delay at most. I have had my own experiences with the British civil service. There is something deeply wrong with the British Civil Service and I sometimes cursed Thatcher for not having finished the job.

Golf007sd

@Hval: The wait will be well worth it.

Photobug

I am happy I live in the USA and don't have to deal with customs. I have bought stuff from EU and had to deal with the taxes so I can only image the delays. +1 @Golf007sd.

Symphotic

I recently added a PG-02 HB and a PG-02 VA to my collection of bits and pieces from RRS. Besides giving me a Pano-Gimbal head (with which I have still had no luck trying to photograph bats in flight in my back yard) I found I can turn the vertical arm 180 degrees and mount the camera outboard and facing down on a macro focusing rail. This allows me to photograph assembly procedures for electro-optic devices on a much more stable and less obtrusive camera mount than the Manfrotto setup I was using before.

I've now moved a quick release clam onto my manfrotto tripod, mounted a dovetail plate on the bottom of my BH-40, and now use the manfotto/RRS hybrid as my lightweight carry system.

Because of the modularity of RRS products, I am now down to only using two tripods for all purposes, where I had 4 in service before. I don't think I have saved any money using RRS: single purpose tripods are cheaper than all but the least expensive RRS components, but the ability to reconfigure what I have for almost any purpose I can imagine has saved me a lot of time and allows me to come up with new mounting solutions. And when I travel, I can carry less.

haroldp

@symphotic:
' I found I can turn the vertical arm 180 degrees and mount the camera outboard and facing down on a macro focusing rail. This allows me to photograph assembly procedures for electro-optic devices on a much more stable and less obtrusive camera mount "

Thank you, I have these components and never thought of that, much more stable than horizontal arm.

... H

Symphotic

...
Thank you, I have these components and never thought of that, much more stable than horizontal arm.

... H

I have lots of fun coming up with various combinations. Until now I was trying to photograph circuit board details using a manfrotto geared head and focusing rail or the manfrotto tripod with the rickety center post that swings out horizontally, but neither of these worked out. I couldn't position things exactly where I wanted them, especially when using extension tubes. I have an X-Y stage, but it is tricky to put the circuit board assembly on a stage unless the board is unmounted, which isn't very often. So I've come up with a setup where I can rough position the camera into place and use two focusing rails for my X-Y. If i get another B150B I will have 5 convenient degrees of freedom.
I had the focusing rails all along and was inverting the center post with a ball head on the tripod to get my X-Y, but the offset of the arm gives me more flexibility about where I position the tripod. In this picture I have the center post installed, but that can be removed if it gets in the way.
This setup is actually quite stable.

Golf007sd

@Symphotic: WoW :O :O

Now that is just beautiful. Way cooooool.

You do know what you just did to me right? Need I say more. Let see if it gets re-listed. However, I have been waiting for the VG-02...arrrrr.

Msmoto

I am wondering if I am allowed to post any photos of my Induro in "bizarre mode" on this thread….? )

haroldp

@Symphotic: WoW :O :O

Now that is just beautiful. Way cooooool.

To quote the great 20th century philosopher Arthur Fonzarelli, 'cool is a heavy burden'

.... H

Hval

Msmoto,

Why not. It will be educational.

Symphotic, I hate you. I was intending to purchase the gimbal head at some stage. I now suspect it will be sooner rather than later. Deep sigh.

Photobug

You can do anything with good gear. +1 @Symphotic
Great job. Excellent creativity.

Killerbob

I just came back after weeks in the Greenlandic outback. I had along with me an MC-34 RRS monopod w. the MH-02 LR on it (traveled light), and it certainly performed. I have the Rock Claw foot on it, and it was light, easy to deal with, steady and took the beating it was to travel in Greenland:)

We were in the mountains, on the ice, in the water, and everywhere in between...

Symphotic

....
Now that is just beautiful. Way cooooool.
.... However, I have been waiting for the VG-02...arrrrr.

Thanks: I was never, ever one of the cool kids. I was the pimply-faced skinny wimp running the AV equipment.
The VG-02 looks like a winner, but I had a fluid head once and never used it. We are hoping to make a series of instructional videos at the end of the year, and maybe I'll get either the VG-02 or more likely the F-350.

For now, our videos don't need to follow action, so I set up my system like this: one for video and one for stills.



I swiped a clamp from my monopod and bolted it to the top of my vertical arm, then installed my ballhead with a dovetail plate.

Golf007sd

@Symphotic: Now that is just bad ass!!!!

This is what I...we keep referring to as: modularity. I cannot think of any gear that has the versatility of RRS.

They say a picture speaks a thousand words...well here you go ladies and gents. And yes, this will also cost you a few thousand dollars...and worth every penny.

@Killerbob: Looking forward to seeing what you captured on PAD.

Symphotic

,.... And yes, this will also cost you a few thousand dollars...and worth every penny. ....

It does up to a bit of money, but the most I ever spent at one time was for the tripod. All the other bits I bought one piece at a time, starting two years or so back with an L plate and a quick release clamp to put on top of an existing manfrotto ball head. I buy something only when I need it, and as time goes on I need less.

Golf007sd

All the other bits I bought one piece at a time, starting two years or so back with an L plate and a quick release clamp to put on top of an existing...I buy something only when I need it...

I have done the same...yet I must admit, if I see a good deal on eBay, I will pull the trigger knowing it will come in handy in the near future. :P

haroldp

The only RRS purchases I ever regretted, were L plates after I sold the camera.

Golf007sd

Haroldp: Let ebay be your friend.

Hval

It has arrived!

At long last my RRS items have arrived. They took one week to get through Customs, and cost me a few hundred pounds. It all looks good. Certainly a dark non reflective black, which is nice. I also have an MPR 192 precision plus that I bought of ebay.

I look forward to learning how to use it all.

Golf007sd

@Hval: Welcome to the RRS...officially.

Hval

Golf007SD. I like it already. The macro rails are going to take a bit of time getting used to. I tried my B150B with MP192 and mini clamps last night. Big thing I learnt was - bring a stool. I have got used to setting up my cam ranger and using my iPad to set up pictures. Actually using the camera viewfinder means I need to bring a stool. I am too unfit.

I love the BH-55 bullhead with the PC-LR clamp. I couldn't get it to work properly last night (D800 with Sigma 180mm macro and SB910 flash). I just couldn't get the friction correct. I suspect it was because of not getting the system balanced properly. I know it is a lack of practice though. The camera balanced well even when pointing vertically down. I did not need additional weight to keep the tripod from tipping over.

Here is an example of a photograph that I took yesterday.

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Golf007sd

First impressions:
The Really Right Stuff L-Plate for the D800 fits, but not well: there are three covers instead of one on the left hand side (facing the rear) and the top and bottom covers (MIC and HDMI) cannot be opened. So you will need to buy a new L-Plate once RRS figures this out.

Well it looks like I stand corrected and the information provided to me earlier is not fully true. Looking at RRS website, it would appear that they too have found this to be the case. Thus, they are in the process of coming out with a new L-Plate for the D810 that will function in the truest form.