articles/Landscape/tools-of-the-land-page5

Tool of the Land - Landscape - part 5 of 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

by Mike McNamee Published 01/08/2015

Leg length and closed height of the tripod determine the number of joints required. Fewer sections are better for stability and require less taper in the leg diameter. The method of locking the legs can be snap levers or twist locks. Each has its pros and cons; snap locks can be operated two or three at a time but have more working parts. One consideration is the cleaning of the legs after beach use. Salt water and sand are corrosive and abrasive but this should not deter making the tripod work for its living, if it needs to go in the water, get it in there! The Sirui is particularly easy to clean in this regard. Note: as we finished this piece Sirui announced a new w-series tripod range that has waterproof/dustproof twist locks - see call-out.

When it comes to the tripod head, weight is once again the driving force in the decision. Also, two vital attributes are a spirit level and a rotating base for panoramas. A ball head provides a versatile and light-weight solution but if weight is no object the luxury of a geared head is hard to resist. Our Manfroto 410 heads are a joy to use although the knobs are a little fiddly if your hands are gloved. Prices vary from a little over £100 to more than £500; weights range from 200g to 2.25kg. Payloads go up to 50kg.

Cable Release
This is one area where you can skimp if you wish because kit failure will not be a show stopper - you can always go back to using your camera's timer release in an emergency. That said, if you need to time your shot because of a blustery wind then a cable release is useful. The Hama, shown here, is light and versatile as it will even peform time lapse exposures.

Clothing
There are specialist outdoor photographic-clothing companies. Such clothing tends to carry a premium price tag but Páramo, one of the major players, has the advantage of being a very ethical company in its outlook. Their production started in Bogotá, Colombia in 1992. There Nick Brown found a workshop employing some dozen ladies using two sewing machines. It was run by the Miquelina Foundation which, led by Sister Esther Castaño, helped desperate women (most facing no alternative but prostitution) to learn a trade and earn money. About 80% of Páramo clothing is now made in Bogotá. Buying Páramo makes you feel warm inside and keeps you warm! Cotswold are one of the stockists of Páramo gear and if you need to save money you can come out with a smaller dent in your pocket and plenty of really solid advice. Staff at Cotswold are almost all users of the equipment that they sell and are very knowledgable on the matter of keeping warm and dry.

The policy at McNamee Towers has always been to pay the extra for Gore- Tex as it is more waterproof and more durable - Mrs Editor's Gore-Tex jacket has just been retired after 25 year's of service. Today Gore-Tex is available in three grades with improved durability available at the higher end. Sadly Gore-Tex gear is also the most expensive!

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