Okay everybody - Watch the birdie!
Written: Aug 26 '02 (Updated Aug 26 '02)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Inexpensive; stylish and professional looking; surprisingly sturdy; smooth panning.
Cons: Not suited for professional photography.
The Bottom Line: Great piece of equipment for such a low price. Should be adequate for most needs of the casual photographer.
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| kiminnc's Full Review: Vivitar V-2200GX Tripod |
For my birthday, I received a gift certificate to Amazon.com. I didn’t have a thing in mind that I really wanted or needed. I decided to key on over there and have a little look-see to get some ideas.
When I opened the Amazon.com homepage, I noticed a special for a camera tripod. I had wanted a tripod for a long time. We’re a military family and we never seem to have photos of our entire family together since we don’t have any relatives in town to take the photos. And I think we all know how difficult it is to get an entire family together and looking spiffy for those studio portraits (they’re always kind of yucky anyway). I wanted a tripod to take family photos for holiday greeting cards to send home to my relatives. I began reading reviews on tripods to get an idea of cost and features.
Shopping - Know this about me --- I know absolutely nothing about photography, and am completely clueless about camera equipment. My gift certificate was only for $10, and I didn’t want to spend a fortune on a tripod since my needs were so basic. The least expensive tripod was the Vivitar V-2200GX Video/Photo Tripod at $19.99. Features for the tripod are as follows:
· Quick-release mounting platform
· Geared center-column design
· Extra wide stance and stability
· 2.2 lbs.
· 3 way panhead with 2-pin video/photo design
· Anodized aluminum 3-section leg assembly in champagne finish
· Folded length: 21 inches
· Extended length: 59 inches
Okay, sounds good to me – especially since I don’t know what I want anyway, right? I like the idea of a champagne finish! How can you go wrong with “champagne” as part of the decision-making quotient?? I read the reviews and it seemed that most of the reviewers were happy with the quality of the tripod for the money invested. I put in my order and received my tripod a few days later.
Set up! - When I opened the package I was happily surprised to find a fairly heavy duty, sturdy, piece of equipment. The champagne finish gave it a more refined look. Forget “Andre’s” – we’re talking Dom Perignon!! And darn it – I’m fresh out of caviar!! Oh well, maybe I’ll just use it for taking photos. Not being much of an instructions reader, I immediately began extending legs and adjusting the height of this thing. Hmmm….. Okay, I guess if you’re a midget or seated this tripod will work great!! Oh… wait a minute! Here we go! The legs have extra extensions that can be opened to bring the tripod to... chest level?? Well, that’s okay, I guess. I’m still nimble enough to bend over a bit while I take photos. Whooaaa! These legs have even more extension! Okay, now we’re talking - I am standing fully erect to take photos.
Now, what is this 3-way panhead with 2-pin video/photo design feature? Okay, this is a removable plastic piece that can be screwed on to the bottom of most cameras and video cameras allowing these cameras to snap on to the tripod. Why? With this adapter, one can take a freestanding photo and then quickly snap it on to the tripod for a stationary shot. I’ve found that it’s kind of handy to just leave the adapter on the bottom of my digital camera when I’m just using the camera at home. That way I can snap it on to the tripod with ease. The adapter works just fine on our video camera too (circa 1994 model). If you look on the underside of almost any decent camera or video camera you'll notice two little screw holes. These holes are for attaching the cameras to tripods (I'd never even noticed them before).
Lights! Camera! Action! - The panhead allows the camera to “pan” the area and is wonderfully smooth in movement. This is another big plus for this camera! The smooth panning action is perfect for taking videos without a lot of that bumpy filming that is popular in the Blair Witch Project and music videos. Personally that style makes me very queasy.
The Vivitar V-2200GX Video/Photo Tripod is surprisingly stable for a $20 piece of equipment. This tripod has a built in level enabling the photographer to adjust the 3 independent legs even if positioned on an uneven terrain – so good for rugged outdoors situations if needed. The tripod legs end in semi-points that are effective enough to stab the ground, but not so pointed that they’re dangerous or cause the tripod to be tippy.
And they lived happily ever after - So, once I figured out how to do the “delayed” shot with my digital camera – Voila!! We’re a whole family again! Another wonderful thing about having this tripod is that we can set up the video camera on holidays and no one has to be the guy that experiences the day through a lens. Cautionary note on this use: When there is no real live person behind the camera, great discretion must be exercised in what you say as every word is saved for posterity!
I seriously doubt that this tripod would cut the mustard for anybody with grandiose, photographic ambitions, but for the casual user, this thing is great! Hey everyone -- say, “cheese”!!
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
kiminnc
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Location: North Carolina
Reviews written: 27
Trusted by: 3 members
About Me:
Too much of a good thing is wonderful!---Mae West
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