3021 Pro Tripod

Great tripod for transporting in the car. If you want to capture some awesome mountain photos from the trailhead, or a very short, flat walk in, a tripod is essential. Photographing mountains from distances can be just as rewarding as photographing from on the mountain itself. However, when the car is only 5 feet from you, it's much easier to carry all the photo gear you need. The 3021 Pro is a burly, fairly heavy duty tripod. You can definitely tell the difference immediately between this and the Wal-Mart Special. Has a built-in level, handy for getting your camera aligned, bombproof construction, and is solid. You don't think Ansel Adams took all those pictures handholding a camera, do you? :) Granted, he used a large format camera, but that's beside the point. Gotta get a good tripod, even if it's only for carrying in the car.....still lots of excellent photo ops of mountains if you're in the right place, and have the right equipment.

My first tripod was the Bogen 3021. I still have and use it. Heavy? Yeah, it is. But it’s solid as hell. To make it lighter, I cut off most of the center post – I never use it ‘cause I’m short. But then I added a Kirk BH-1 Ball head (30 ounces). Go figure!

In the old days, when I was a bit younger, I did carry it on long hikes and climbs. No more. I have a lighter-weight for that. But when I have less than a mile or two to travel from the car, I use it almost every time.