As the leica tabletop tripod and large ballhead are on back order here and would come to a staggering Australian $500, I bought a Manfrotto Tabletop tripod and 210B head for A$79.20. I want to be able to use it as a chest pod.

Sitting the Manfrotto on my desk, the camera would mount on the plate 110mm (4 3/8") above the desk. Can anyone tell me how high it would be on the Leica combo so I can machine the appropriate alloy extension.

Many thanks,

-- Tim Gee (twg@optushome.com.au), May 29, 2002

Answers

My M6TTL on my Leica Ball-and-socket head (Article 14110) screwed into my Leica Tablelap tripod (14100) on my table is 242.5 mm (9.55 inches) high.

-- Michael Kastner (kastner@zedat.fu-berlin.de), May 29, 2002.

Thanks for taking the trouble Michael,

I'm amazed at how high that is. Can I just confirm that your measurement of 9.55" (242.5mm) is from the surface of the table to the underside of the camera.

If so this will mean an extension more than double the height of the original Manfroto. Actually they make an extension like that as an option.

Cheers,

-- Tim Gee (twg@optushome.com.au), May 29, 2002.

Hi Tim!

Yup, that measurement is from the surface of the table to the underside of the camera. The whole head is indeed very high. Maybe you can use any other head instead (for the tripod, that is). The exact height of that Leica tripod itself (again, from the surface of the table to the top of the tripod excluding its own screw's height and excluding any head) is 115.5 mm (4.55 inches) so we're getting closer to the dimensions you stated above in your first question here.

I once saw a similar tabeltop model from a company in Taiwan. I think the company's name or model was "Hakuba" or something like that. It had legs similar to those of the Leica above. I also forget whether or not it included its own head and if it did, the head was shorter than the Leica head. It costed about 15% as much as the Leica stuff above but I didn't buy it because it was less sturdy (or maybe because it was just not Leica).

Finally, as regards total height issues, don't forget that you might someday want to get a camera body mounting plate. E.g. Really Right Stuff's model B30 which gets the M-body's bottom screw bushing dead center. The thickness of my B30 is 9.0 mm (0.35 inch).

-- Michael Kastner (kastner@zedat.fu-berlin.de), May 29, 2002.

Thanks again Michael.

I'll do some experiments with the setup to see if it is OK as a chest pod. I'll also check to see that the whole deal is stable enough with such a high extension when used on a flat surface. The footprint seems to be significantly smaller than that of the Leica. If it's all too small I'll use it in my "mini leica" kit (Rollei 35SE) and maybe think again about how to rationalise/justify the cost of the Leica gear.

Cheers

-- Tim Gee (twg@optushome.com.au), May 29, 2002.

Tim,

Just curious - don't you find the narrow spread of the legs on the Manfrotto make's it less stable as a chestpod versus the Leica?

-- Gregory Goh (GregoryGoh@hotmail.com), May 29, 2002.

Well Gregory I only bought it today so I don't know yet. I must confess to sharing your concern though. I'll give it a try, as I said to Michael, and see what happens. It may be in a few days but I'll post findings of the road test even though I can't make a direct comparison with the Leica setup.

Cheers,

-- Tim Gee (twg@optushome.com.au), May 29, 2002.

Tim

$500 is a terrible price I agree, but I have to say that the Leica table top tripod and the large head is about the most useful and best made tripod accessory I have ever bought. I have had mine for 17 years and it is, quite franlky, as good as a full tripod fopr any Leica M and lens, except that it usually needs a surface. I use it frequently pushed up against an interior wall and it permits exposures of a few seconds, depending how long you can push it against the wall. A superb thing - but it is not small. I regard it as an essential for me when I am out travelling with my camera.

-- Robin Smith (smith_robin@hotmail.com), May 29, 2002.

I've had my legs and ball head since the early 70's. Still have the box for the tripod with a $15.00 US price sticker on it. I found the short version of the ball head a few years ago at a swap meet, the one that is "blued" à la a gun barrel. It was only 1½ - 2 inches shorter. Looked cool with the blueing but the ball was smooth , not knurled like the ball on the taller model so it wouldn't lock down quite as tight. I sold it to a collector who couldn't live without it and made a few bucks for extra beers. I still see these occasionally at camera shows. Good Luck. FWB

-- F. William Baker (atelfwb@aol.com), May 29, 2002.

Tim, the Manfrotto telescopic extension (14.7 to 24.4cm) is a wonderful and lightweight addition to the table top tripod and converts it to a very useful chestpod. Cheers

-- Lutz Konermann (lutz@konermann.net), May 29, 2002.

I've been using the Bogen TableTop with the extension since last fall, and consider it an indepensible tool for low light photography. Great thing is, the it is small enough and light enough to always have on you.

-- Glenn Travis, RA (leicaddict@hotmail.com), May 29, 2002.

I agree with Glenn about the Bogen table top tripod with extension. It is cheap and small and convenient. The extension helps a lot. You have to be careful with this tripod in that the legs are like pot metal and snap off easily. Ken Ruth, of Photography on Bald Mtn, made a brass fitting that lets the Bogen "Automatic" Monopod #3245 attach to the little table top tripod (Bogen). Steadies the monopod a lot. I use it with ISO 25 films in the M4-P. It holds flash slaves nicely. I can really recommend the Bogen Automatic Monopod. Real handy.

-- Frank Horn (owlhoot45@hotmail.com), May 30, 2002.

Thanks for all the advice folks.

I bought the extension for the Manfrotto tabletop. Actually it was a neat kit of pod, head and extension in a strong velcro top black bag which can be fixed on a belt. (Camera shop was happy to credit the pod and head I purchased yesterday)

It is very handy for placing on surfaces and the extension adds a lot of flexibility. I can get down behind it without squashing my face on things or dislocating my neck. The patterned ruberised surface of the ballhead which contacts the M6's base plate seems soft enough to avoid leaving marks. When it comes to using it as a chest pod however it's early days yet as I am having a few problems. I think physiology has something to do with it. I played in the forwards in Rugby Union = no discernable neck. So the extension puts the viewfinder a bit out of reach and I have to strain forward to see. Now this results in enough twisting moment on the camera to cause it or one of the moving parts of the head or extension to come loose. To fix this means tightening everything a bit more than I would like.

I will have to experiment a bit more, maybe eventually machine a shorter spacer, or perhaps stretch my neck. My wife has occasionally threatened to do the latter so maybe there's the answer.

As I said it's early days, and one way or another I'm sure I can make it work having been encouraged by the experiences of others which have been shared kindly here.

Cheers,

-- Tim Gee (twg@optushome.com.au), May 30, 2002.