Biting the bullet - the Cube

[tashley]

Re: More test results from the Cube

Correction: Don't use it in portrait mode with an Arca L plate!

I will add that quite frankly the Cube is far less stable when tilted to 90 than my RRS L bracket on its portrait side is. With the Cube tilted 90, you have two sections extended and your camera is hanging both higher above and pretty significantly to one side of the centerline of the tripod, which in turn *definitely* adds instability to the system. The fact it's better than your plate in portrait mode for you should confirm an issue with your plate's design...

(Sidebar: I had a student with a bad Kirk plate that would not fully tighten to the base of his Mamiya. It worked fine horizontally, but almost always showed a few pixel motion if used in portrait. The culprit was his base's machining was bad and allowed the plate to move within the registration pin clearance. This allowed the camera oscillate on the axis of the mounting bolt my a few hundredth's of a mm whenever the camera was mounted portrait, which in turn showed up as a few pixels of motion in his images at any speeds under 1/125th. In his case, using longer lenses alleviated the problem as the extra off-center weight held the plate against the pins in a basically stable position. This is an example of precisely the type of little error in a part that causes problems, yet so many folks take for granted it being a "perfect" part of the system...)

Sorry,

I'm sure you're right. It was very kind of Arca to send me that part but I will now have to try the RRS version. It does seem to me that the Cube with 90 degrees of tilt must be compromised somewhat.

So if you personally are sure that you can shoot a 150 lens at 1/25th and 1/12th with MUP and no shake on your RRS I'll get one. But if it's my expectations that are at fault rather than my gear, I'll have to adjust them instead.

SO if you had a few minutes to try that test (say a 150 or thereabouts lens, RRS used in the portrait orientation with MUP of six seconds and shutter of 1/50th 1/25th and 1/12th) I think I'm not the only one who'd really appreciate it!

Thanks as ever for the advice Jack!

Tim

 

[Jack]

Re: More test results from the Cube

I'm sure you're right. It was very kind of Arca to send me that part but I will now have to try the RRS version. It does seem to me that the Cube with 90 degrees of tilt must be compromised somewhat.

So if you personally are sure that you can shoot a 150 lens at 1/25th and 1/12th with MUP and no shake on your RRS I'll get one. But if it's my expectations that are at fault rather than my gear, I'll have to adjust them instead.

SO if you had a few minutes to try that test (say a 150 or thereabouts lens, RRS used in the portrait orientation with MUP of six seconds and shutter of 1/50th 1/25th and 1/12th) I think I'm not the only one who'd really appreciate it!

Thanks as ever for the advice Jack!

Tim

Tim,

I am out of town on a family vacation and don't have my Mamiya gear with me. I will be happy to do that test for you and post the results when I get back to the studio. Be advised however, that as I have stated before I avoid 1/15th like the plague, along with anything in the 1/8th to 1/30th range when possible -- and since 1/12th and 1/25th are right there, I would not expect miracles regardless...

 

[tashley]

Re: More test results from the Cube

Tim,

I am out of town on a family vacation and don't have my Mamiya gear with me. I will be happy to do that test for you and post the results when I get back to the studio. Be advised however, that as I have stated before I avoid 1/15th like the plague, along with anything in the 1/8th to 1/30th range when possible -- and since 1/12th and 1/25th are right there, I would not expect miracles regardless...

Thanks Jack - and Happy Holiday!

 

[carstenw]

Tim, I meant the test with the legs unextended only as a confirmation that the tripod was not part of the problem. It will be more stable that way. If there is any improvement by not opening the legs, you know that the tripod is part of the problem.

 

[Jack]

Carsten:

I have the 3541 XLS, the longer version of Tim's, and I can tell you it is more than adequate for even 8x10 use with the legs extended. If you read Tim's historical thread, you'll see he eliminated about 90% of his early vibration issues when he finally got the 3541 LS...

Moreover, I used to own the 5 series carbon fiber Giant, and sold it -- bottom line was it wasn't significantly more stable for MF than my 3 series and it weighed a *LOT* more. It did go tall though!

Cheers,

 

[Guy Mancuso]

I have the 3540XLS which is the same and frankly I could almost sit on it and it would hold me. It's a rock of a tripod. I honestly need a ladder when fully extended.

 

[carstenw]

Hmm, maybe I'll have to revise my suspicion. I would still be tempted to test it, personally, to remove it 120% from my personal doubt, but then I have not worked with those tripods.

What are the longest lenses you use on your Mamiyas? I will add a 210mm lens sometime soon, and hope to eventually find a copy of the 350mm. This might be enough reason to still go for a beefier tripod, like the 5-series Gitzo.

 

[Guy Mancuso]

Not sure you really need a 5 series. They are nice but I don't thing any real gain unless you are shooting 8x10. I use a mamiya 300mm and get very nice results except that 1/15th which posed some issues but not tripod or head related. Seriously I have yet to have a issue with the 3 series , the 2 series I did in the wind with a 300mm. Back to the cube in it's vertical or 90 degree position I am not sure i would count on it better to flip with a L bracket. From what i have seen just not going to be as solid than it's horizontal position. The cube is a bloody rock though. Any issues and I doubt the Cube would be the source.

 

[Dale Allyn]

Hmm, maybe I'll have to revise my suspicion. I would still be tempted to test it, personally, to remove it 120% from my personal doubt, but then I have not worked with those tripods.

What are the longest lenses you use on your Mamiyas? I will add a 210mm lens sometime soon, and hope to eventually find a copy of the 350mm. This might be enough reason to still go for a beefier tripod, like the 5-series Gitzo.

Carsten,

I have the 3541XLS and find it thoroughly appropriate for my Mamiya/Phase kit. My longest lens is 210mm, but I find it rock solid at that length. I do weight my setup at times in the field with my bag, and nearly always add weight to it in the studio for macro/close-up stuff. It's just a habit. I always have sandbags handy in my studio, so place one on each leg and on the leg junction. But I do this with 35mm format as well. My macro work is usually not with strong light so shutter speeds tend to be a bit slow. (I don't like strobes for the close-up subject that I shoot in doors.)

My point is just to add another voice to those who spoke of the 3540/3541 legs and are happy with them. For the type of hiking that I do at times, the 5-series is a bit too much bulk and weight.