DigitalPro Shooter Volume 3, Issue 9, October 20, 2005

Stanford's Stanley
wins $2M DARPA prize

nikondigital.org Photographers' Dictionary:

Amateur Photographer:

Someone who takes photos because they want to

 

Pro Photographer:

Someone who takes photos because someone else pays for them 

 

Consumer:

Someone industry relies on to purchase lots of stuff that sees little use 

 

ProSumer:

Someone industry relies on to purchase lots and lots of stuff before they figure out that it doesn't really work the way it is supposed to and then buy the replacement a year later

 

Hobbyist:

Someone who has enough time to actually figure out how to make the products they buy work the way they are supposed to 

 

"Project":

What you tell people you're working on when you're really just out taking pictures 

 

"Customer":

Someone willing to write you a check 

 

"Client":

Someone willing to write you a check more than once 

 

Studio:

Laundry room with 2 strobe lights, used mostly after the rest of the family has gone to bed. 

 

Digital Studio:

Laundry room with 2 strobe lights and a computer.

 

Fine Art Print:

Anything you sell for more than you spent on paper and ink 

 

Rush Job:

Something I forgot to do yesterday and now need to rush someone else to make my deadline 

 

Urgent Rush Job:

Something the client forgot to do and now needs me to rush around and do for them 

 

Contract Proof:

If this proof print doesn't make the client happy they reserve the right to take out a contract on the printer and photographer 

 

Color Management:

The process of hiring, training and setting appearance goals for the colors you need for a project. Then reviewing their achievements and firing any colors which do not perform as required. 

 

Raw files:

Files you purchase from the meat department to be cooked at home. These contrast with JPEG files which you buy in the freezer section and warm in the microwave. 

 

Software Activation:

A way to make sure that when something unpleasant like a computer crash happens it becomes really, really unpleasant. Also gives you someone else besides yourself and your computer vendor to curse when it happens.

Alaska Grizzly
2005 Safari

Searching for the Perfect Ballhead

I've been a loyal user of a Arca Swiss B1 ballhead for many years. The heads are rock solid and I've never had trouble with the adjustable tension system--although certainly others have. It was never the right head for my 400f/2.8 or 600f/4, but my B2 was okay for that task and I replaced that with a Wimberly several years ago. But the B1 has been frozen in time so every once in awhile I can't resist looking around to see if there are better options. In particular I recently needed to replace my B1 so I went looking.

I really wanted to find a lighter head, but also wanted one stable enough to use with my Wimberly Sidekick. I tried the Acratech Ultimate Ballhead, a very light weight head (under 1 lb with quick release) with a unique design. For short lenses it works great. However with the Sidekick attached it is a disaster. It holds the Sidekick okay while you are photographing, but the minute you put the tripod on your shoulder the camera and lens start to torque over and it is time consuming to re-adjust them each time you stop. I wrote to Acratech about the issue but never heard back so I can only assume they have no answer either.

My next stop was the Really Right Stuff BH-55 I've always been a huge fan of RRS camera and lens plates, and have their small head for casual shooting but had never used their fullsize head before. The BH-55 didn't disappoint me. While no less expensive than the B1, it is a little smaller and lighter. More important are the design innovations that RRS has made in the traditional ballhead design:

• Dual drop-slots to make it easier to "go vertical" with a standard plate
• Larger panning knob to make it easier to tighten the ballhead for removal
• Captive knob on quick release plate or an option for a nifty locking lever
• Ergonomically designed knobs to make them easy to identify & turn
• Plus all the high-quality materials and construction that we've come to associate with RRS.

Fireweed Meadow
2005 Alaska Safari

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