As has been noted I seem to have a serious weakness when it comes to tripod collecting.
After all, how many ways do you need to hold a camera?
I don’t look at collecting like that.
I usually collect items that I think are seriously under valued, are different from my other items, are interesting from an engineering point-of-view. I have my first tripod, some tripods I bought from various employers, one I bought for one specific view camera, one I bought because the legs were made of carbon fiber, one I bought because the manufacturer is famous…
As you can see there are far more ways to catch my attention than simply holding up a camera.
And tripods keep coming home with me.
That is probably because there are a lot of:
tripod manufacturers
models
leg styles
heads
materials
Let’s look at this Velbon Sherpa 800R aluminum tripod, complete with a PH-157Q Three-way Head. Originally in the $90 range I paid $10.50 for it used. I should confess it came without it’s Quick Release Plate, which means I can’t even use it to “hold a camera”. In the initial view of the top you can see foam insulation on the top sections of two legs—which really make the carrying more enjoyable (the third leg has the name on it, and how may legs do you need to hold to carry it, to rework the “hold a camera” theme). It is almost impossible to pick out, but all the legs sections have an index grove so the leg locks will always be oriented exactly the same. There is no adjustment for leg angle (other than partially collapsed). The head is released by loosening the handle.
Vertical shots are a separate “flop” release—here flopped up.
The Quick Release socket has catch tabs (top edges) with right-angle sides and bottom. Pressing the missing plate into place depresses that silver square at the bottom of the socket so the catch "cam" can rotate into a slot on the plate to hold it in place.
I could buy a piece of water pipe insulation to cover that third leg at the price of covering the name. I think not.
The legs locks are all toggle clamps made out of reinforced plastic. I just rejected a local tripod because pretty well all the leg locks had shattered. Although all Manfrotto’s tripod parts are supposed to be available can you imagine replacing nine locks? Three legs times three sizes equals a small fortune. Besides I have no idea how the plastic locks are bonded to the leg sections...but I digress.
Although seriously corroded—don’t keep your tripods in unheated spaces, they might end up like this—I am a sucker for hex-head bolts. Steel holding aluminum castings to aluminum castings holding the aluminum legs tubes.
Nothing shoddy about this design!
Of course there are places plastic shows up—here plugging the end holes of the pan-tilt head hub. But even here note the exact rounding of the curves (until some dolt marked the top, but that is part of the weathering that adds character.
I happen to be absolutely positive everything really fine gets bashed immediately in my hands.
If I hadn’t accepted that as how the world works, I wouldn’t have been able to collect anything…just saying.
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