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Why buy expensive tripod legs?

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Mag
Posts: 8155 - Karma: 14,809
Why is it that tripod legs are always recommended to be expensive ones? what's wrong with the cheaper ones if they have the stability and height and can support the weight? just wondering what the difference between a say 80$ pair of legs are and a 400$ pair? I can understand getting a good head but I'm not really seeing the huge need for the legs.. thanks
Aug 1 2012 7:15PM
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bo0b
Posts: 2964 - Karma: 996
Because cheap ones usually dont have the stability of height, and are shitty build quality
Aug 1 2012 7:38PM
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Downtofilm
Posts: 6896 - Karma: 20,395
But they usually dont...
Aug 1 2012 8:38PM
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SSteezle
Posts: 9300 - Karma: 7,700
it's like real life man, you gotta do a little leg-work to get some head
Aug 1 2012 8:41PM
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Mag
Posts: 8155 - Karma: 14,809
I realise this was a stupid thread and I already knew the answer, I just didn't know that I did. It's just I've never had stability problems, and if I have I just stick it in the snow a bit, although I've never used anything properly heavy. Also is there any merit to using circular polarizers? lots of people seem to say they don't do anything but make the image less contrasted, but on some apparent samples it seems impressive,

Click for larger image
Aug 1 2012 8:51PM
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bo0b
Posts: 2964 - Karma: 996
Hahaha already had you at 10
Aug 1 2012 8:51PM
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erikK
Posts: 3245 - Karma: 2,329
polarizers are awesome. they can make blue skies a more deeper/darker blue and eliminate glare caused by the sun on glass, water, etc.
Aug 2 2012 3:14AM
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eheath
Posts: 61647 - Karma: 123,460
It's very easy to "think" you're being stable with your tripod. I always thought I was, I look back on old edits and after you start to recognize small tripod and movements, you start to see them everywhere in your shots. Having decent, well build legs is key.
Aug 2 2012 3:25AM
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family_vacation
Posts: 6200 - Karma: 7,840
I was under the impression that you were still raping the FS100 with 190 legs?
Aug 2 2012 3:37AM
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eheath
Posts: 61647 - Karma: 123,460
Yes. it's terrible. One of my legs only extends one length, one leg doesn't stop when you fold it out, it just keeps going, im missing all the bottom rubber caps and one leg is definitely bent. FSB4 is my high priority purchase (after a hard drive).
Aug 2 2012 3:39AM
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Mag
Posts: 8155 - Karma: 14,809
But when Kai on drtv made a video about them he said they were useless, and only good as a lens cap, I don't see why he'd lie?
Aug 2 2012 8:34AM
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Mag
Posts: 8155 - Karma: 14,809
Ah, I probably don't notice because id been using an UWA lens, thanks.
Aug 2 2012 8:36AM
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top_lel
Posts: 56 - Karma: 47
Doesn't he talk about uv-filters in that video? That's a big differnece
Aug 2 2012 10:11AM
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Mag
Posts: 8155 - Karma: 14,809
ah, you're probably right, makes sense.
Aug 2 2012 10:13AM
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Bmo.
Posts: 4907 - Karma: 2,667
ya he was definitely referring to UV filters. Find yourself a pond, and bring your CPL filter. Look through the viewfinder and turn the filter. You'll see how at some angles you can see right through the water and there is no reflection from the sun.

experimentation is the best way to learn a lot of things
Aug 2 2012 10:20AM
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top_lel
Posts: 56 - Karma: 47
I think Kai bullshits a bit about the uv-filters though. I use them on all my lenses and it often saves my ass. For example, like a month ago I was out trekking and brought my camera with me.
Clumsy as I am I fell on some rocks bashing my camera straight into some bigger rocks. Both the camera and the lens survived, but the lens hood was pushed into the uv-filter. Scary toughts if I wouldn't have used the filter that day.
Aug 2 2012 10:22AM
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juicedrummer11
Posts: 1960 - Karma: 1,331
this definitely. took some pictures at a golf course one day, borrowed a buddies lens and took some with that, then put mine back on with a polarizer and the pictures i got from that were soooo much better. i had deep blue skies and water with bright green grass all in camera. barely had to adjust contrast in post to get the picture just how i wanted it. definitely worth the investment
Aug 2 2012 11:24AM
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Mag
Posts: 8155 - Karma: 14,809
alright thanks, any recommendations for a decent cpf for going with the canon ef-s 18-55?
Aug 2 2012 11:42AM
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Wheat
Posts: 375 - Karma: 1,633
This one works pretty well and it's not too expensive

http://www.bestbuy.ca/en-CA/product/hoya-hoya-58-0mm-pl-cir-filter-58-0mm-pl-cir/10065514.aspx?path=00af9944ad84e973fab867c6f29d1c53en02
Aug 2 2012 11:58AM
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CliffyByro
Posts: 5678 - Karma: 3,903
i took this with a cpf on the 18 - 55:

Click for larger image

also here's a good article to explain in detail what they do:

http://www.bobatkins.com/photography/technical/polarizers.html
Aug 2 2012 12:36PM
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Mag
Posts: 8155 - Karma: 14,809
looks pretty good, but I'm not seeing why it only really fully polarizes at the shore? and thanks but I already know the physics behind it.
Aug 2 2012 12:53PM
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top_lel
Posts: 56 - Karma: 47
The only reason I really see for a polarizer filter is if you shoot lots of reflective surfaces and don't want very much light to be reflected. I would only buy it if I would photograph much moving water, like rivers and stuff.
Aug 2 2012 1:07PM
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1337
Posts: 31059 - Karma: 29,329
I didn't know the difference that much until I got a nice pair of CF Gitzo single tube legs. I now know I get every cent out of them. They are light making it easier for me to bring my tripod places, WAYYYY more stable when planted, no flex issues that i've noticed, and are going to last me longer than multiple pairs of cheap legs.
Aug 2 2012 1:11PM
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Balto
Posts: 25985 - Karma: 4,404
I shoot river rafting for work and couldn't without a CPL
Aug 2 2012 1:31PM
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alexat955
Posts: 2732 - Karma: 112
Or if you shoot snow. Or anything with the sky in it. Polarizers are a necessity
Aug 2 2012 2:34PM
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top_lel
Posts: 56 - Karma: 47
Ah, of course! Forgot to add that :)
Aug 2 2012 3:23PM
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Mag
Posts: 8155 - Karma: 14,809
Ok thanks, I'm right that the 18-55 has a 58mm filter yeah? Is it a fixed filter ring? or will it adjust when I focus?

thanks.
Aug 2 2012 4:47PM
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CliffyByro
Posts: 5678 - Karma: 3,903
its a 58mm yeah. and no it rotates when focussing but that doesn't affect the filter
Aug 2 2012 4:51PM
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Mag
Posts: 8155 - Karma: 14,809
how doesn't that cause the cp filter to change?
Aug 2 2012 4:59PM
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CliffyByro
Posts: 5678 - Karma: 3,903
the filter is made of two bits, one attached to the lens and the other attached to that, which rotates. if the lens rotates the whole filter does too, but the two parts remain in the same place relative to each other, so the polarisation isnt affected.
Aug 2 2012 5:04PM
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juicedrummer11
Posts: 1960 - Karma: 1,331
when focussing/zooming, the outer threads where the filter sits don't rotate, they only translate in and out as the lens zooms. the only time the filter "rotates" is when you switch from a landscape shot to a portrait shot or vice versa.  the filter does rotate independently on the threads tho, so when you get the filter rotated to where the maximum polarization occurs, you don't need to worry about zoom or focus. when you switch portrait to landscape by physically turning the camera sideways, then you will need to re-rotate the filter 90 degrees from where you just had it.
Aug 2 2012 5:42PM
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Mag
Posts: 8155 - Karma: 14,809
thanks I've got it now, how sensitive is it? will I notice a difference if say I'm doing a followcam and the camera gets tilted a couple degrees, that'll be fine yeah?
Aug 2 2012 5:49PM
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juicedrummer11
Posts: 1960 - Karma: 1,331
yeah that shouldn't be too big of a deal, you really notice a big difference, on mine anyway, around like 25+ degrees of rotation.
Aug 2 2012 5:51PM
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