Testing — Tripod Head + Lens Combo

I have spent time of late rationalising kit for differing weight limits imposed by how much weight I can carry over a distance yet maintain the highest quality practically. I know that optimally if the lens throw and versatility is essential then I use the Sigma Sports 60-600mm, and almost invariably I can use it with the 1.4x Converter permanently attached. The ideal solid tripod support is the Benbo, as it is fairly straightforward to set up, and one major advantage lies with its ability to have the legs in water if need be. Also even with the central column extended, it is remarkably stable.

Another aspect that requires some thought is how the camera and lens is connected to the tripod. I can use a gimbal head with a leveller which provides a safely balanced head, but when the lens focal length is changed from long to wide frequently, it can lose its advantage, whereas when the Acratech Long lenshead is used with its overall balance set centrally, the only precaution needed is to lock it speedily when not actually using it. The gimbal’s advantage is safety, and overall balance, but it is much heavier than the long lens head. So, on this occasion I was verifying that the Long Lens head was critical where weight was the consideration.

The tripod was fairly lightweight with a good leg spread, so quick to set up. I do have a Silk Road Carbon Fibre Tripod, but its first setting is too tight for safety, so it is unsafe in speedy use, because the legs need to be unclicked to go to the second setting for each leg.

I also have a Gitzo tripod, but it is even heavier than the Benbo, so that is really for inside use only. I retained my Tamron 150-600mm lens, and now that I have had its internal firmware updated it really scores when Long throw is more essential than ultimate range, as it is far lighter than its Sigma equivalent, and the quality is still very good.

I feel most would find it hard to accept that all the shots using the EOS R body from wide angle and close-up, to distant building shots, were taken using the 60-600mm with the 1.5x Converter throughout. The EOS 5D MkII shots that are prefixed _56A were shot using theTamron 90mm and are the only images that have not been taken by the Sigma and 1.4x Converter. My recent windsurfer images were all taken using the 60-600mm with the Converter, which now remains almost permanently attached. It is a testament to just how well Sigma have produced their lenses.

A Climb to Millbrook Church

As many who know me will realise, I rarely travel without a camera, and on those occasions, I will have made a conscious decision not to be taking photos, or my family will have made that decision for me! Yes, I do have a phone  that Sports a camera, but for me that is not a serious option. For several years my choice has been a single lens reflex, and although I started as a Nikon devotee, there came a point where I opted to jump from film to digital, and at that juncture Canon offered a better quality than Nikon, so I jumped ship. 

Both camera makers spent the early digital years, swapping the lead in terms of quality or ease of use, but as I simply had to wait a short while when Canon was behind before the next model made a jump, I stayed loyal. This was as much due to my investment and the prohibitive financial cost of making such a jump. Both systems are very equal, and there are subtle handling differences which would mean at critical moments I could fail to capture a shot.

Recently, as I made the switch to a mirrorless body, I fell into just such a situation. I had my recently acquired EOS R and Sigma Sports 60-600mm crash to the ground, and whilst both were being repaired, I went back to my DSLRs, only to find I had lost the fluidity in the handling, that used to be second nature! The differences are only slight, but my brain is less agile than it was when I made the jump to digital all those years back!

I made a trip to my accountant today, and on the return trip, I parked the car in the village of Millbrook, and grabbing the camera I took a steep path up to the top to see what the views might be, and whatever else might be of interest. It was only when I reached the summit and saw the view, that I realised I had actually been to this same spot before, but on that occasion, I had started from the opposite side of the same hill! It had not been a wasted journey, but it was one of those forehead-slapping moments!

The end result is a single page gallery of what caught my eye, and certainly gave me a quality that justified my purchase, and its flip screen made all the difference to the ease with which I was able to get the low angles of some of the shots, and also the landscapes, due to the lack of shutter vibration, coupled with the larger pixel count inherent in the file size increase over my 5D MkIII, had I taken the same shots with the latter.

It was a useful opportunity to become more familiar with the EOS R for when I need to work swiftly and intuitively in the future.