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Digital Camera
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Web Site Design for
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The Velbon Maxi 343E
Is this the perfect tripod for digital cameras?
One of our "finds" at PMA 2002 |
Scroll down to read about the Velbon Maxi 347GB
the slightly bigger brother of the Maxi 343E |
| I never even considered using a light
weight tripod before testing the Velbon Maxi 343E. It's light weight and
sturdy construction makes it easy to take anywhere. |
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My CoolPix 990 mounted on the Velbon Maxi 343E Tripod |
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Velbon Tripods are distributed by
Hakuba. Velbon is one of those after market names I remember from
about 30+ years ago when I first started shooting pictures. I was
particularly impressed with the Maxi 343E tripod. It seems to be
the perfect balance between size, weight, sturdiness and cost.
17.5 inches folded
weighs 1.9 pounds
Extends to 62 inches
Topped with a sturdy removable ball head
All metal construction and has the sturdiness of far heavier tripods.
Carrying case included
Advertised for under $90 on the web |
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How to use a light weight tripod for
sharp photos
Always use the wider leg extensions before the narrow leg extensions as
needed for a comfortable working height. Extend the center column about
six inches and grasp it firmly with downward pressure with your left hand.
Operate the camera with your right hand. I just finished shooting over
1800 pictures on a Southwest trip with
the CoolPix 5000 (and CoolPix 950) using this Velbon 343E maxi tripod.
Only three pictures from the entire trip had to be deleted due to
unsharpness. And only because the tripod was settling into the sand at
Monument Valley. |
| In searching on the web, I found a story that describes how this tripod
came to be built.
Herb Keppler
of Popular Photography was
frustrated by the lack of a tripod on the market that met his needs as a
traveling photographer. So he listed the necessary features and challenged
Velbon to build it |
| Roger Hicks wrote a
full page about the Velbon Maxi343E in the March 2002 issue of
Shutterbug Magazine. |
"The Tripod Guys" at PMA 2003
Herbert Keppler from Popular Photography with Larry Berman |
The Velbon tripods were
written up in
Imaging
Resource newsletter 12/13/02
"A while ago we were impressed with Larry Berman's story of his
Southwest trip in which he relied on a
lightweight but capable tripod from Velbon manufactured by Hakuba. That
turns out to be the tripod Keppler fell in love with, too. Who are we to
argue? The warranty is reassuring. The
pedigree (Berman and Keppler) is inspiring. But love has a mind of its
own. And we did fall in love with this tough little tripod." |
The
Velbon
Maxi 347 GB Tripod
with Pan Quick Release Head
Shown with the Maxi 343E |
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Velbon
does make some inexpensive, light weight, but sturdy, tripods.
It's approximately the same height but slightly sturdier. I do wish it
came with a ball head though. The pan head is awkward to use with the
swivel body CoolPix as you can't lean the camera forward to look down
through the LCD because the pan head handle hits you in the face. But for
any other style camera it's easy to use. The pan head also contains an
easy to use quick release plate. You can see that both tripods are
extended to full height without using the extension of the center column. |
Comparison between the Maxi
343E and the Maxi 347GB
The 343 is 1/2 pound lighter. The 347 is one inch shorter when folder but
one inch taller when fully extended. It also contains leg braces for added
stability and a geared center column for more accurate camera positioning. |
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Digital Camera
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