Excuse me if this is a poor question, but what is the primary advantage to an "L Plate" type thing as opposed to simply tilting the ballhead. I'm about to buy a new tripod/head in the next month or two and just want to make sure I do a good job with my cash.

Hope I phrased that right, rebuke me if needed

-mac

Viewfinder is higher. Weight of the camera doesn't hang off the side of the head. More "wiggle" room than when the head is slotted off to the side.

What DarkPenguin said, plus: flipping camera around by the L-bracket is much faster than flipping the ballhead over to it side and recomposing (the camera stays pointing in exactly the same direction with the bracket).

Try it - you'll like it

The main advantage of the L-Plate is that it minimizes the amount of recomposition needed from changing between Landscape and Portrait, because the lens remains in the same position. This is explained in a tutorial on ReallyRightStuff's website.

Thanks guys, that's about what I thought, but I just wanted to make sure I had all bases covered before I start looking to buy anything.

Once you play with one you will forgo new bodies and lenses to afford it. I wouldn't even consider a camera which didn't have an L plate available, I preordered the RRS L plate long before the camera itself!

Another fan here, just go for it!

Wondering if they will make one for the Mamiya ZD... I hope that they won't, that would prevent me from thinking of buying that one...

Cheers,
Bernard

Another minor reason for using an L-plate: Structurally, having the camera hanging off to the side (instead of straight over the tripod) is less stable and can allow worse vibrations.

Lisa

And some combinations of camera/tripod/BH can't be easily configured for vertical shots...

Like my Contax 645 on a RRS BH-55 b/h atop a gitzo 1548. Without either the gitzo 1321 leveling base or an L-bracket, when I tried to go "portrait" orientation by tilting the b/h into its drop-notch (getting that where you want it is a hassle anyway) the camera would bump onto the tripod's broad shoulders. the leveling base solved the problem but its additional weight is not for everyone.

I wouldn't have bought a conventional plate for the contax if i'd known at the time an L-plate was available.

Sadly it doesn't look like they make one for the 300D w/grip.

Oh well.

Check out Kirk - they make one for the Rebel with BG-E1

This is the most important aspect of it for me.

If the camera is level in landscape mode and I flip to portrait mode, it's still level. There is no risk of a one-degree error just because there was something preventing the ball head for flipping completely over, and so on.

I was so irritable when switching compositions earlier, but after I got the L bracket for my 20D, it's been so incredibly easy every time.

In addition, I find that it provides a nice extra grip; I don't use the BG-E2.

The downside is that if I wanted to use the BG-E2, I'd need a second L bracket, and there would be lots of hassle switching between using and not using the BG-E2.

The same problem goes for the 5D and the BG-E4, of course.

Thanks for all the responses guys, but right now it's sort of a moot point anyway. My budget for a new tripod will be in the $200 USA range, so another $160 for an L plate alone is out of the question. At least at the moment. I'll probably get that L plate about the same time I get a 1D Mk II N and a 400 f/2.8

Don't waste your money on cheap crap. If you buy a <$200 tripod, you'll soon find that it doesn't really do what you need and you'lll end up buying a better tripod anyway. Save your money and get it right the first time; you'll spend less money in the long run.

Agreed! Been there, done that, learned my lesson.

I had too many shots ruined by vibrations on breezy days with my first cheap tripod, and got a better one.

Lisa

Well, if I had $600 for a tripod I would spend $600 on a tripod. However, since I'm a dirt poor college student that's not an option. Plus, while 200-300 isn't a whole lot of money I've used tripods in that range and know that they will work for what I want/need. I'm not primarily a landscape photog, I shoot with a tripod probably 5% or less of the time. Currently I've been trying to use a 30 dollar Wal-Mart tripod that will barely hold up my 70-200. Compared to that just about anything is better.

$200 is an odd price. It is either too little money or too much money to spend on a tripod. (Not that you asked but for that kind of money I'd buy the slik 700.)

If you are using it so little and you have a budget constraint, something will most likely be better than nothing for what you want to do. Under these circumstances I would suggest buying it from a retailer that will let you exchange it within a 30 day or so time period. Test whatever you can get within your budget at the store with the heaviest stuff you will put on it, and see whether it seems sturdy enough. Then take it home, put it out on the street on a windy day, take some pictures and see whether they come out sharp enough. In other words, do your best on your budget by allowing some flexibility with the purchase arrangements and trust your own judgment about the results.

DarkPenguin: I'll have a look at the Silk 700, thanks for the tip.

MarkDS, thats not a bad idea, although the nearest decent camera store is 45 miles away...

Also, I guess 200 is an "odd" number, but I've played with an associate's Bogen/Manfotto 3021BPRO, which, with head, costs around 250 and I liked it. It seemed plenty big for everything I have now or will in the near future. Of course, who knows, maybe I'm wrong.

Another idea, though not one I've tried: If you're on a budget, might it be worthwhile to look into buying a somewhat used tripod? I imagine you'd get a considerably better tripod for the money, as long as you don't mind a little minor wear & tear. There must be plenty of photographers who have upgraded to a bigger/lighter/different-height/whatever tripod and are selling perfectly decent older ones.

Lisa

MacGyver:

Everyone here is giving you good advice, based on we have bought cheap, regretted it, and then moved on to decent gear.

But still, you have the cash you have to work with and that is where you are.

What I would say is watch ebay. Decide what you willl spend, and then actively look.

The ONLY bummer about the L plates is that every new canon body that comes out needs a different one! So I personally have sold D 60 and 10D RRS L plates on ebay.

Do a search of completed items. You'll see you could save yourself 50 or 60 bucks vs buying new. Same goes for a tripod. Like this year I bought a great carbon monopod for $120. It was from a camera store, and they also sell them at the store for $165 or so. Go figure.

These things are tools/pieces of equipment. Nothing better than a great tool, nothing worse than trying to use junk. A walmart tripod is just an invitation to put your camera on something that is going to fall over and break everything.

Maybe think about a monopod like I did. It's way better than nothing. I have been using it for indoor basketball where my tripod is not practical, and I'm pretty pleased.


Good luck to you.

Bob.

(ps, hey, we'd all trade you a tripod to live for a week as a college student again!)

Bob,

I know I'm getting great advice, if I came off as anything other than thankfull, my mistake. It's help like this that makes this fourm worth it. Also, I have given thought to a monopod, and I will be getting one in a little bit.

Nniko, good thinking on the buying used, I honestly hadn't even thought of used tripods. I guess I thought that when someone gets a new tripod the oldone goes to tripod heaven or something...

Yes indeed - Tripod Heaven is the place for my previous one - I bought a Linhof in 1958 - it was the cat's meow in those days and it stuck in my mind that I paid something like 45 dollars for it which was top dollar for a high school student in those days, when Canadian dollars were worth at least as much as US dollars, and adjusted for inflation since then it would be like spending around 300 or more today. Well, the Linhof lasted until Spring of this year (yes 1958 to 2005), when one of the legs lost a lug and that was the end of it - it is indeed in Tripod Heaven. I replaced it with a Gitzo - they tell me the last tripod I will ever buy - and based on my age and experience with the Linhof it is probably true!

2005-1958 = 47 + 17 (average HS age) = 63.

Just saw on cnn or yahoo! that the average life expectancy is 77.

So 14 years for a Gitzo? I'm pretty sure my feisol won't last that long.

I fully expect the Gitzo to outlive me.

I took a quick look for tripods on eBay, and it was hard to find anything decent among the cheap junk (clearly "too good to be true" sorts of deals); if you go that route, be very careful what you buy. If it were me, I'd go to a big local camera store (if there is one in your area) and see what used equipment they have for sale. You can even try it out with your camera before you buy.

Lisa

This is a good thought which I second, or third, or whatever....I have both mono- and tripods, and I find myself using them in about a 2:1 ratio in the monopod's favor. Might be because I bought the behemoth Gitzo 1548 (used on glee-Bay, so it can be done), or it might be because the Contax 645 on a monopod is just so much easier to handle when shooting the kids, their sports, stuff out in the field, etc.

In retrospect that was kind of a grim calculation.

Well, you are a dark penguin, aren't you?

Man, this took a turn for the dark side...

Actually he's quite a cheerful fellow, once you get to know him.

I have no doubt - all in the name of some fun!

I wonder if Dark penguin knows about this essential site...

http://www.liveonbankiz.org

It appears to be in French, but it is a life penguin simulator, great stuff.

Cheers,
Bernard

Also check "www.eleverundragon.com" hyperlinked on the same site - real fun stuff - getting back on topic, the L plate could come in real handy for recomposing those quick on-the-fly snapshots of your dragon eleve.