Nick Wright wrote: > I like my Bogen. Forget what model number it is, but it cost just > under $50 new.
As I recall, the 3018/3218/whatever-it-is that I have was between US$ 100 and 150, at least four or five years ago. > But then, I owned a "Velbon" (probably very comparable to the Slik > quality wise) ... Geez, I hope it's better than my experiences with Velbon. I have a DF-60 tripod (three section legs plus center post). It has a "built in" QR system from the factory. Tilt-pan head. The head's receiver and the QR plates are both plastic, and lots of slop [Sidebar: It appears to be some sort of short-fiber-filled thermoplastic]. I also have a really hard time getting the legs tight enough to be stable. It is probably destined to be cut up and used as braces for the air dam on our RX-7 race car. > Keep in mind that the biggest lens I used on it was my Pentax FA* > 300/4.5. I wouldn't have trusted it with a bigger lens. I believe the FA* version and the F* version are dimensionally virtually identical, excepting the tripod "foot" on the F* version. Assuming that's the case, that's a really light long lens (I have the F* version, specifically for the tripod foot). The FA* 200/2.8 is (seems to be ?) much heavier than the F* 300/4.5, and it's certainly bigger, especially with the hood deployed. The Sigma APO 400/5.6 Macro PK-AF is /significantly/ heavier than the F* 300/4.5 ... at least twice as heavy, I'd guess. And the 'pod and medium ball head (Bogen 3262, I think) handle it with aplomb. -- Thanks, DougF (KG4LMZ) -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List PDML@pdml.net http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net
