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GADGET BAG
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Steady Sidekicks
Accessories to enhance the performance of your tripod
By Maura C. Lanahan
When you’re shooting a long exposure,
or using a telephoto lens or a heavy camera where handholding
would mean camera shake, a tripod is a must. Imagine the extra
convenience that a tripod can afford you, then envision its uses
beyond the conventional.
Enhancements, attachments and upgrades can make your tripod easier
to use and improve your image-making. Accessories like quick
releases and clamps made out of strong, sturdy materials may
turn an extra tripod that you haven’t used in a while into
another useful piece of gear. One of these handy gadgets just
may make you appreciate your tripod in a whole new way.
Attachments
Having the ability to grab all your gadgets when you need them
is a huge asset while shooting. The Manfrotto (3146) Apron
Support has three separate compartments that allow you to
neatly keep your necessary tools off the ground and within
convenient reaching distance. The Apron hangs below your tripod’s
center column and is supported by straps that lock on to each
leg. List Price: $36.
The Wimberley Plamp is a portable clamp that can steady windblown
flowers and plants or any other macro subjects to achieve sharper
images. The Plamp also is capable of holding small reflectors
to modify the light. One end fastens to the tripod leg while
the other is lined with a soft material to grasp an object without
harm. List Price: $36.95.
With the ability to hold on to a variety of cameras and accessories,
Sunpak’s ClampPod Pro is that extra hand you always need.
Attach the ClampPod to your tripod leg and secure your flash
for sidelighting or use it as an arm extension. The ClampPod’s
ballhead allows for easy adjustments while its flexible steel
neck can bend in all directions and unscrews from the base for
easy traveling and compact storage. List Price: $24.95.
Down To The Ground
So you want that ultra-low-angle shot. You could lie down in
the mud, risking camera shake by handholding, but why do that
when you could use Slik’s Clamp Head? This compact camera
mount attaches to a pole or tripod leg and steadily holds your
camera in just about any position. List Price: $79.90.
Capture close-ups with ease via Kirk’s Low Pod, which
allows you to shoot low to the ground as its rubber-covered
feet resist slippage on rocks or other uneven surfaces. This
stable tool also has a carrying handle located in the front
that helps you move around quickly from shot to shot. List Price:
$124.95.
Quick Releases
Novoflex’s Q-Base Quick Release System allows you a convenient
way of using your tripod. Taking most Arca-style plates, the
Q-Base rapidly snaps into place, releases with ease and has
a built-in sliding focusing rail so your camera or lens will
slide smoothly for precision focusing. A full range of plates
are available at a variety of lengths. List Price: $210 (Q-Base);
$54 to $143 (plates).
Made from magnesium alloy, Hakuba’s QRA-635L (for 35mm)
and QRA-667L (for medium format) Quick Release Adapters convert
a conventional panhead into a quick-release panhead. To prevent
the camera from sliding when in vertical position, the 667L
features a retractable camera-rotation stop. Both releases include
three bubble levels to help you quickly achieve a straight horizon
line. List Price: $129.95 each.
Arca-Swiss has set the industry standard for large quick-release
plates with its quality Flip-Lock Quick Release. Available in
two lengths (60mm and 84mm), this model fastens and clamps tightly
to secure your camera, is adjustable to different plates and
has a double safety stop. With the lever fully opened, you can
mount and dismount your camera from the top without having to
slide into the clamp. List Price: $149 (60mm); $159 (84mm).
Panoramas
For precise panning, Really Right Stuff’s PCL-1 Panning
Clamp locks at 2.5-degree increments and has a built-in level
to assist in lining up images for easy panoramic stitching in
editing software. Capture a huge span of a scene conveniently.
The clamp actually is a quick release that replaces the clamp
on your ballhead and allows you to easily take your camera on
and off your tripod. In addition, the MPR-CL Integrated Rail
will position the nodal point over the lens. Together, the clamp
and rail make a great panorama system. List Price: $235 (PCL-1
Panning Clamp); $110 (MPR-CL Integrated Rail).
Want to capture an expansive outdoor scene by shooting panoramas
without spending too much cash on the setup? Go for Nodal Ninja’s
Panoramic Tripod Head. It attaches to the top of your tripod
and affords you the same functions as some of the more expensive
attachments. The Nodal Ninja is made of a lightweight, all-metal
aluminum construction and is compact enough to fit in your pack,
making it a great traveling tool. List Price: $119.90.
For The Heavies
If you’ve got some monster telephoto lenses, you need
extra-strong support. Jobu Design’s Black Widow Gimbal
(side mount) holds your heavy lens properly and safely. Perfect
for outdoor shooting, the Gimbal weighs only 2.65 pounds so
it won’t add a lot of extra weight to your pack, and it’s
made of all-weather materials to endure the elements. List Price:
$399.
Without something to hold it in place, larger lenses can be
so heavy that they tend to pull the camera forward. The Manfrotto
(3420) Telephoto Lens Support secures your lens and a Tilt Head
is included for adjusting various lengths and diameter sizes
of zooms that don’t have tripod mounts. List Price: $86.
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Gadget Bag: The Long View
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Compact super-zoom cameras offer tremendous telephotos in portable packages
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Gadget Bag: Multimedia Storage Viewers
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Back up and review your images in the field with handheld media devices
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Gadget Bag: Have A Ballhead!
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Prized for solid construction and ease of use, ballheads are the choice of professional landscape photographers the world over
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Gadget Bag: Sharpness Is Easy
May 2006
Tripods are indispensable, and new, exotic materials and construction make them better, lighter and stronger than ever
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Gadget Bag: Power Hungry
July 2005
Today's batteries help satisfy our insatiable electronic gear
By Ibarionex R. Perello
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