Tom look under the Pro Carbon Tripod series http://www.giottos.com/eng_public/frameset.htm this link may take you straight there.

Bear in mind you would need to factor in the price of an head, I'm using the Manfrotto 322RC2 Heavy Duty Model, however this makes the tripod very heavy, but any ball or three way head would sufice.

There are two types in the range, one alluminium and one carbon fibre, with both you can have the lens actually touching the ground.

Also look here http://www.warehouseexpress.com/inde...s/giottos.html

I bought a Velbon CF631 this summer which has a splittable centre column and with the legs open goes down to a mere 12cm (+ the height of your head). This shot was taken with it at its lowest a couple of weeks ago which would have had you flat on your stomach to look through a viewfinder (as opposed to a swivel screen digiscoping rig).

Attachment 75

The cheapest mail-order price around and very good service came from Morris Photo in Oxford

A number of the velbon models have the splitable centre column allowing you to get very low to the ground, as to some of the slightly older Manfrotto tripods. Another option for ground level shooting is to use a beanbag on the ground, much easier and cheaper than buying a new tripod.

CF630 is available from WE for £139 + P&P, a veritable bargain, can't see much difference between 630 and 631. I bought the CF530 but with hindsight I think the 630 would have been the better buy for the extra £15 over the 530. As postcardcv has said, the centre column is splittable. As well as being able to splay the legs out (by differing degrrees), you can split and reverse the centre column so that the column hangs down. Both halves of the split column have 1/4" threads on them that take a tripod head so you can use either half in the "hanging" configuration, with or without the legs splayed out to get the camera right down to ground level. If you wanted, you could even go below ground level with this technique. Framing up the shot is tricky when you have your head in a hole in the ground, but that's life.

Duncan

Duncan, having looked at the two images of the Velbon, it's my considered opinion that for versatility it does not compare with the Giottos.

I think all tripods become very tricky to use when at ground level. The Giottos Inovator performs in exactly the same way as the Velbon, but with a very big bonus as the attached image shows. You can turn the camera though 360 deg, raise or lower it and turn it on it's axis.

Now does the attachement work, I'm new to all this.

Harry

This certainly looks more user friendly than the Benbo. It has the extendable arm which was why I went for my Benbo all those years ago. If I was looking for a tripod for macro I would want to check this one out. I'm not surprised you ditched you tracker.

Don

Yes the Benbo was like trying to play a set of bagpipes, mind you when you eventually got it into the correct position it was extremely stable.

What I like about the giottos is that by replacing the center column you have a conventional tripod, so I have the best of both worlds.

Harry

I have just been to the gallery and to think I posted Tannin a link to Heather Angel. :confused:

These are absolutely STUNNING pictures. An inspiration to all. The lighting on Christmas Cacti, Bindweed and Autumn Leaves is superb.

Don

Well thank you very much Don, the lighting all excluding the bindweed was from two Sigma flashguns, usually with kitchen paper towelling to difuse the light.


Harry

This really goes to show what can be done for little cost. Pictures like yours look like they cost megga bucks in kit.

The idea behind the flash thread was to show what can be done for little cost. I've held reflectors in my teeth and tripped the shutter with the cable release taped to my knee before now as my hands were full. The final picture never shows things held in place by gaffer tape or bluetak, so give the impression that youv'e spent shed loads of cash on a lot of fancy kit.

Thanks again for sharing your superb pictures.

Don.