The first time I saw a Leica TableTop Tripod and Leica Large Ballhead was at a friend's house (many moons ago). "And you paid how much???", I asked, examining this little marvel, and wondering, what the hell do you do with it? This was at a time before the Vivitar 273 revolutionized flash photography, and you used bulbs, studio lights, or available light (with Tri-x). Soon there were articles in the various photo journals, using the clique of Leica b&w, available low light shooters (with hands stained from souping and printing) showing all of us how this tool was to be used. Believe it or not, when the Leica Tripod is used as a chest brace or wall brace, the offset tripod thread of the Leica M starts to make sense. Or used as a column, floor, ceiling, bench, etc (you fill in the blanks) brace. It was a revelation to me and many others, and a lesson I've never forgotten. My favorite examples was of a shot taken in a Gothic Cathedral, with a M3 and Leica Tripod braced on a column. I think there are a number of younger Leica "Guns" out there, who may not be aware of how useful a tool the Leica Tabletop Tripod and Leica Large Ballhead can be, and whose own personal expression may actually be improved by using it. Thanks for your patience.

-- Glenn Travis (leicaddict@hotmail.com), April 14, 2002

Answers

Thanks for sharing your insight. I am going to check it out! My Gitzo and Arca Swiss are giant comparitively, so for those occasions I want compactness (and who doesn't want that all the time?), this may be the key.

-- James (snodoggydogg@hotmail.com), April 14, 2002.

I have used one of these Leica Table Top Tripods for a long time. I like them so much I recently got a second one. I just wish I had sense enough to use it more often than I do. The older I get the less I can hand hold slow shutter speeds well. There are a multitude of times when a tripod isn't useful, avalable or appropriate but a good tripod will almost always make your picture sharper. Years ago when I was around the first really top Leica photographer I ever met I noticed that he used the table top tripod a lot, specially at night or indoors as a chest pod or braced against something.

-- Gil Pruitt (wgpinc@yahoo.com), April 14, 2002.

Speaking of gothic cathedrals, I used an old Leitz medium ball head for all my shots inside Washington National Cathedral. Extremely lightweight package to carry up and down all those windey stone staircases. I love shooting that way.

Street photography and PJ are great, but it isn't what I do with my Leica.

Joe

-- Joe Buechler (jbuechler@toad.net), April 14, 2002.