This is the top end of a set of Sachtler carbon fibre tripod legs. In this case the picture is of my own set, which has a 100mm bowl. For wildlife cameraman work this is too small, a 150mm bowl being essential. The 100mm bowl cannot take a head large enough to handle long lens work, and the whole set up is inherently more prone to twist and other movement.
Why this picture? Well, a lot of the wildlife cameraman work that I do necessitates the use of long lenses, and for the past few weeks I’ve been using a Canon HJ 18 x 28. Anything with a focal length this long is a challenge to keep steady, especially in field conditions. Soft ground is one problem, but wind is the killer. A substantial tripod head is essential, but when you’re hiking miles to the tops of mountains there is a point when the ‘tripod carrier’ says enough is enough. We have been using a Sachtler 25 head, and in reality it is on the light side, but most of the time it is OK.
Often forgotten are the tripod legs. I show this picture because I have come across a problem on the 150mm bowl set I have been using where the top of the legs meet the bowl on the Sachtler carbon fibre legs, and it’s not the first time I’ve encountered this. There can be a certain amount of play in the joint where the allen key screws hold the legs onto the bowl. It could be wear, but I doubt it, as this set is brand new. More likely it is a bad component inside the fitting. When I get a minute I’ll take it to bits and have a look (it will not tighten up any more). The slackness manifests itself as a slight clunk when starting to pan, or most other tripod head movements, and it is particularly noticeable when the head is loaded with a heavy set up. Maybe this is being picky, but wildlife camera people need all the help we can get!