Groundpod

When I posted the Cormorant image last week I did mention my home-made groundpod - never did get back there last week - and one or to members have pm'd me asking about it.

Well it's here http://www.wildlifeinpixels.com/groundpod.htm for anyone who's interested, just don't ask me to bloomin' make you one

Really like this - I believe Nigel made one for his Wheatear series a few months back.

Might have to have a go at one myself actually! Perfect for Donna Nook!

Chris.

Chris - if your neck can stand it and you can get a 16" pan or bigger then leave the base out and plonk the Wimberley straight in the pan. But with a standard 14" the panning knob binds on the pan edge and you can't screw it down firmly without wrecking the rubberised coating on the knob.

But I was damned if I was going to buy a bigger pan - that Jamie Oliver's making a mint out of big pans

You can always use a turkey roasing tin from asda - dead cheap .

Then you can either bolt a ball head to a suitable sized plank of wood, or simply use a beanbag or two.

Hey I use a bread board :D - Nice pod though Andy - Because of my errrr cuddley nature I tend to get neck ache when putting my Wimberley directy on it so that Multitec precision base might just be the best thing. Where can you get one?

Adrian

I hear keeping the handle on can be an advantage too. Nice idea and nice pics to give an example.

Andy,

How have you physically attached the ball head to the frying pan, is it just bolted onto it?
The reason I ask is, if it's bolted through the bottom of the frying pan then surely the bolt head would stick out from the underneath of the frying pan, not an issue on sand I guess where the bolt head would just sink into the sand and leave the full frying base in full and stable contact with the sand, but surely it would make sliding the whole rig a little harder and render it unusable on hard ground.
Or have you somehow attached the head without having to have anything sticking out of the frying pan base?

Adrian - we must share the same dietician, Messrs Cadbury & Co plus too much port and stilton
I have a chipped verte-me-wotsit in my lower back and my neck is always uncomfortable (comes from holding that big brain up all day!) so sounds like you and I share the same needs and neccesities.

I got the base from Bob Rigby 01625 575591 - ask for Simon, as it was him who came up with the idea of that particular base when I was over there a couple of weeks back trying to sort it out.

Andy - I don't own a Wimberley head unfortunately. I own a MN 501 Video head. It should still work with that though shouldn't it?

Chris.

Ah now - Justin - good question

The spacer that I've put under the base is a grinder disk, the centre hole in that is bigger than the tapped centre post in the Multitec base. This gives about 1/4" clearance between the pan and the center post even though the edge of the base is tight to the disc and the pan - therefore I can carefully keep tightening the bolt and it squeezes the pan upwards to take up the clearance - in other words the bolt squeezes the pan and 'countersinks' it's self a bit.

It does have a slight rock on a hard flat surface - but then again I wouldn't use it in those circumstances - it works well on sand mud and gravel and the bit of bolt head doesn't seem to catch on anything.

Having said that I'm going to smooth it all out with some Devcon plastic steel when I have a chance but it works well enough

I see , thanks Andy.

I made one out of 18mm mdf once,it's about 20" long by 12", no problem counter-sinking the bolt heads on that one but it don't half add to the weight and bulk of the camera rucksack
Why I made it so big is anyone's guess ,perhaps sub-conciously I was hoping for a bit of snow as it's probably big enough to go sledging on

Chris,

I too use the Manfrotto 501 and whilst I've not yet tried it on a groundpod, there's no reason why it wouldn't work superbly, in some ways perhaps even better than a ball head.

Chris, the 501 is a flat base head isn't it - it should go straight in a pan and be high enough to not require the Multitec base.

As a matter of interest why do you use that head, the teflon friction system is rated for 6kilos max and the balance spring for only 2.5kilos - I know I'd break some internals on that head with my 800mm after a bit of heavy use and video heads have too much stiction in them for my taste shooting stills - but hey, if it works for you boss

Sounds like it would befine for the 400mm f5.6 on a light body though.

So what would it take for you to make me one Andy???? Name your price and I'll consider it Looks really cool

Graeme, we'd have to start with this http://www.calumetphoto.co.uk/item/355-101V/ and negotiate upwards

You are right though, it looks really cool doesn't it - just a pity that it usually has an overweight bearded prat welded to the back of it

NIce one Andy,
I used a bird bath from the local store, which is designed for pole mounting which means there is a hole in the centre which is the exact size of the velbon centre column!!! so fit shortened centre column into hole, screw on what ever mount takes your fancy it works well with either ball or manfrotto 393. just the job. oh comes with a clamp which fits the column underneath so no protruding screws

Paul King

PS total cost £9.90

Obviously I'd be reluctant to pay much for the latter

Cheers Andy and Justin for your responses - I'm sure mum and dad wouldn't notice if one of their frying pans went missing!

Thanks and Regards
Chris.

Hey Chris - if you get caught don't you blame me, I've been in enough trouble over this with the wife, so I don't exactly need Mrs. Lloyd on my case aswell