BENRO GD3WH Geared head - useless in Portrait mode?

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mrk123

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Been using this for a while now, great solid piece of kit, but useless in portrait mode, as in it is not dsigned for portrait mode! You literally can not tilt it vertically up and down, useless considering it's designed for interiors..
I was also looking at the Manfrotto 405 or whatever it was, are these designed to be used in portrait?
Unlss someone can tell me i have ben doing it all wrong all this time.

BENRO.jpg
 
Mr Perceptive said:
Why on put an Arca compatible L-bracket on your camera, then you can mount it horizontally or vertically on top of the head -I do this (as do a lot of others) an d it helps with stability as the camera is always in the centre of the tripod head.
Click to expand...
Didn't know of the brackr, I know of the cube... and this bracket works with the benro giving you full adjustable portraite?
 
mrk123 said:
OK but I can't use th functionality of my Benro geared head with one of these L brackets.
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Yes you can you put the L-Bracket into the fixing on the head, effectively replacing the blue plate on your head. So take the blue plate off the camera, put on (for example) the orange 3LT L-Bracket, and use this on your Benro Head

With a Benro Ball Head - principle the same and L-Bracket - camera not fitted

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Is it bigger and heavier than the benro? I use my Benro for landscape also, it's so dialed, just sucks in portrait. In fact it's not possible to use in portrait if you are serious!
 
As said above, get an arc compatible L bracket. I've had a Benro GD3WH for 5 years and used it extensively with the L bracket so you can instantly switch from landscape to portrait orientation. Not used it for portraits but really can't see any problem whether you are "serious" or not.
 
atrendall said:
As said above, get an arc compatible L bracket. I've had a Benro GD3WH for 5 years and used it extensively with the L bracket so you can instantly switch from landscape to portrait orientation. Not used it for portraits but really can't see any problem whether you are "serious" or not.
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I mean the Benro on it's own, it is not designed for portrait, not if you want straight lines.
 
mrk123 said:
Is it bigger and heavier than the benro? I use my Benro for landscape also, it's so dialed, just sucks in portrait. In fact it's not possible to use in portrait if you are serious!
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If you are "serious" you'd have an L bracket as has already been discussed. Pretty much any "serious" landscape photographer has an L bracket on their camera.

The Benro GD3WH is one of my go to heads for landscape photography and I shoot in Landscape and Portrait without any issues at all. Your problem is not a faulty of the head, just the way you are attaching the camera.
 

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ecoleman said:
If you are "serious" you'd have an L bracket as has already been discussed. Pretty much any "serious" landscape photographer has an L bracket on their camera.

The Benro GD3WH is one of my go to heads for landscape photography and I shoot in Landscape and Portrait without any issues at all. Your problem is not a faulty of the head, just the way you are attaching the camera.
Click to expand...

I can put th benro in portraight, but for shooting interiors you usualy need your verticles straight, and as the benro comes, you can not adjust for your verticles.
 
mrk123 said:
I can put th benro in portraight, but for shooting interiors you usualy need your verticles straight, and as the benro comes, you can not adjust for your verticles.
Click to expand...

That has nothing to do with the head. How exactly do you want the head to deal with your verticals? and how exactly are non straight verticals any different when switching between landscape and portrait?

You either need to ensure the camera is level to the horizon which may mean lowering or heightening the tripod to capture the composition you want or if you can't do that you need a tilt/shift lens. There is no head that is going to fix verticals. If there was there would be no need for expensive tilt/shift lenses.

How to Avoid Converging Verticals | Photography Blog

Find out what converging verticals are in photography, how to avoid them, and when they are actually a good idea.
www.photographyblog.com www.photographyblog.com
 
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I manage to move my camera on the same head to the portrait position easily. It takes a few seconds.
My camera has a level in the viewfinder or on the rear screen.
 
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ecoleman said:
That has nothing to do with the head. How exactly do you want the head to deal with your verticals? and how exactly are non straight verticals any different when switching between landscape and portrait?

You either need to ensure the camera is level to the horizon which may mean lowering or heightening the tripod to capture the composition you want or if you can't do that you need a tilt/shift lens. There is no head that is going to fix verticals. If there was there would be no need for expensive tilt/shift lenses.

How to Avoid Converging Verticals | Photography Blog

Find out what converging verticals are in photography, how to avoid them, and when they are actually a good idea.
www.photographyblog.com www.photographyblog.com
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Looks like i need an L bracket..

In landscape the Benro works fine for making your camera dead centre on all axis, but when you flip to portrait you can't adjust for verticle, only 'left and right; and rotational.
Either an L bracket, Manfrotto or Arca Cube.
 
mrk123 said:
Been using this for a while now, great solid piece of kit, but useless in portrait mode, as in it is not dsigned for portrait mode! You literally can not tilt it vertically up and down, useless considering it's designed for interiors..
I was also looking at the Manfrotto 405 or whatever it was, are these designed to be used in portrait?
Unlss someone can tell me i have ben doing it all wrong all this time.

View attachment 384077
Click to expand...
Am I Missing something - the tilt on that clearly allows for portrait mode.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=icgwdTnt1dQ

at about 2:59
 
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Mr Perceptive said:
Why on put an Arca compatible L-bracket on your camera, then you can mount it horizontally or vertically on top of the head -I do this (as do a lot of others) an d it helps with stability as the camera is always in the centre of the tripod head.
Click to expand...
Exactly what I did. My A7RIV now permanently wears a Smallrig L-bracket, which then fits straight nto my Arca PO head/Quickset Fliplock clamp. It's perfection as a combo, and switching from landscape to portrait takes about 5 seconds.
 
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