Nikon 200mm AFD F4 micro lens: first impressions.

[Leif]

Adey: The colour closely matches the illustrations in several guides that I own, including Brooks and Lewington, and is as I remember it. I set the camera to neutral as I prefer a natural rendition.

I do agree that direct sunlight will create more saturated colours, as would flash. I know that some people prefer that look.

Anyway, I'm glad that you have confirmed the id.

Leif

[Leif]

Originally Posted by Don Hoey

Leif,

I can understand where you are comming from. It is easy for me as I do not often get myself into true Benbo territory so I use my big Slik 98% of the time. Not a snag for me, but it does weigh a fair bit.

The Slik is in a different league from the Manfrotto 055 range which I do not rate as any more stable than the Benbo and certainly not as versatile.

Low down with the legs spread apart I am not too happy with the Benbo and am thinking of how to attach a low level arm to the Slik.

An interesting question though as I do not know what alternatives are on the market. A bit of research required.

Don

Don: Thanks for the feedback. Now that I think about it, I got soft pictures only when using the Uniloc with legs extended. Evidently as the inner legs are thinner they are prone to flex, and I suppose the extra length does not help either. As I recall you have a Benbo 1 which I would expect to be more solid than my Uniloc 1600, and more like the Uniloc 1600 Major. I think I will stick with my old Uniloc for the time being. The fancy carbon fibre tripods look the business - light and sturdy - so I guess one of those might be next year's new toy.

Leif

[Don Hoey]

Leif,

Following your post I thought I should look at my Benbo today. When I stripped it down I found that a lot of paint had flaked off but had not fallen out. I think these flakes acted as a slippery surface. Picture attched. I cleaned the paint off and added a penny washer on each side of the bolt. Some improvement when the legs are splayed out, but still not good enough. The design requires the spike section to be the main contact area with the ground. Beyond a certain point the legs will want to carry on splaying out, and there is nothing in the design of the leg top sections to prevent it.

I have had this tripod for years and never thought of the simple solution before today. For other readers of the thread I have attached a picture of a foot. The hole is moulded into the hard rubber end and is obviously, ( I can say that now ) for a spike.This really only applies to use on damp/soft surfaces, not much use into chalk or flint. For harder surfaces swinging spiky plates would probably be the way to go, or possibly even a length of thin rope tying all thee legs together.

I have attached a pic showing the Benbo in use, effectively nailed to the deck with garden plant supports. This really does work. You can even slacken the main bolt to move the arm up or down as the legs are not going anywhere. The file size for this pic is still quite large despite being massively compressed to get it here.

Don

[Gidders]

I'm intrigued by, but havent tried, this type of photography.

What I can't get my head round is - how do you get your bug/damsel fly etc to stay around while you set a tripod like that up

[Leif]

Originally Posted by Gidders

I'm intrigued by, but havent tried, this type of photography.

What I can't get my head round is - how do you get your bug/damsel fly etc to stay around while you set a tripod like that up

Gidders: With great difficulty is the truthful answer. Last weekend I got up at 6am and drove to the New Forest. In the early morning the insects are docile, and can be photographed while they perch, although it can be hard to find them. Gradually as the sun warms the air, the insects become more active, and tend to skidaddle given half a chance. At that stage stalking skills and a long lens are needed. That means using slow careful motions to position a camera and tripod close to the insect. Some of the Hawkers are the worst in my experience, though Migrant Hawkers are fairly easy to snap as they enjoy hanging from tree leaves. I've also seen Golden Ringed Dragonflies perching in bracken on heaths. Recently I heard a rustle, looked up, and saw two mating Hawkers, probably Hairy Hawkers, hanging from a branch near me. Sadly my setting up of a tripod disturbed them and they scarpered.

Of course another problem is the wind, as the insects tend to cling to flimsy bits of vegetation. Then it is a case of waiting until a break in the wind, and then with luck, you have your photo. Or alternatively you can use a handheld camera with one or more flash units to freeze motion. I don't like full flash as to my eyes it can look unnatural, but some people on WPF use fill flash. I think Avi Meir does to very good effect.

An alternative is to trap an insect, take it home, and place it in the fridge to make it docile. You can then take studio photographs. I don't do this, as I don't really approve of it, though it's probably okay for common species.

Leif

[Leif]

Don: Funny you should mention that as a few months ago I stripped down my Uniloc, removed flaking paint, and replaced the grease with a coating of WD40. It is now much smoother to use, and the locking handle flexes more easily. Sadly my Uniloc does not have holes in the feet. Leif