Tripod News

It’s a truism that the best tripod is the one you carry with you, because it’s the only one you can use. But equally, it has to be the right tripod: the one that holds the equipment you use at the height you want and that locks it firmly, without “creep.” It also needs to be quick and easy to use, and durable. With that in mind here are some of the many tripods at photokina that caught my eye.

The trend in tripods is toward more compact and lighter-weight tripods, with an increasing number of entries in carbon fiber. Is carbon fiber the ultimate lightweight tripod? The jury is still out, although everyone seems to want one. And along with tripods, various ball heads grabbed our attention. We even found a portable copy stand.

It was with considerable dismay that I discovered, after my story on gimbal mounts appeared in a recent issue of Shutterbug, that Really Right Stuff (RRS) manufactures a gimbal mount as well; in fact, some might argue it is one of the best conventional gimbal mounts currently being offered among top-tier gimbal mount manufacturers.

Built primarily of CNC-machined black anodized aircraft-grade aluminum stock, RRS’s gimbal is one tough mount. And it’s also beautiful, to boot. Manufacturing quality is as good as it gets—and the postproduction finish and fit are impeccable. The custom knurled pitch lock knob for the articulated arm is solid aluminum. The custom pan knob is solid aluminum as well, but additionally has a rubber grip to facilitate rotation. Importantly, both knobs are located on the same side of the gimbal, thus facilitating access and allowing the user to release or tighten both with just one hand.

My impression of a tabletop tripod was probably like yours—a squat, three-legged support that collapsed down to handily fit inside a camera bag. After unpacking the 17 camera supports that arrived, I had to modify my definition of the genre to include designs that mushroom to roughly 2 feet when fully open—and some with considerable girth and heft. That also meant extending my thinking to models with a center column and multiple leg sections, which might be more correctly termed “mini” tripods. Either way, in contrast to a standard tripod at its full height, the tripods under discussion, when fully open, have a small footprint and should effortlessly fit in tight spaces.

Nikon 1 J1 Camera
The new Nikon 1 J1 is a compact system camera that features a 10.1-megapixel CX-format high-speed AF CMOS sensor. It has a dual core image processor and an advanced hybrid autofocus system that provides the user with fast AF with 73 focus points. The J1 can also capture 10 frames per second (fps) with a full resolution continuous shooting speed of 60 fps (AF locked). The camera comes with Short Movie Creator software and My Picturetown and features a Smart Photo Selector mode that allows the camera to select the best photo from a series of images based on a number of factors, including exposure, composition, focus, and facial recognition. The color choices with matching kit lenses include white, pink, red, silver, and black. The suggested retail price for the J1 10-30mm lens kit is $649.95.

Nik Software Silver Efex Pro 2
Nik Software has begun shipping Silver Efex Pro 2, a major upgrade to its Silver Efex Pro software. Silver Efex Pro 2 offers a unique darkroom-inspired workflow and the ability to fine-tune images with precise selective adjustments powered by U Point technology. The software’s new features include the History Browser for endless experimentation, revolutionary algorithms such as Dynamic Brightness, Amplify Blacks and Whites, Soft Contrast, and Fine Structure, plus finishing touches like Image Borders and selective colorization.

Calumet Pro Series D-SLR Camera Accessories
The Pro Series 4-Channel Wireless Trigger Kit is a 2.4GHz system that allows you to synchronize your camera and flash for remote operation over 328 feet. Calumet is currently offering two versions of this kit, one for Canon and one for Nikon cameras and flash systems, but it can also be used with studio strobes as well as...