Clik Elite & Redged

About 3 months ago I bought the Canon 70-200mm F4 USM L lens, which I was really excited about… Until I re-discovered, how difficult it was to work with optics that are without the Image Stabilizing tech, which I had grown so used to. (Clik Elite & Redged)

This led me to start doing homework on how to kind of, “fix the situation” AGAIN.

Fortunately for me, I had a shoot planned at a good mate of mine, Sean Laurenz’s studio, and he convinced me to try out his trusty tripod setup, which co-incidentally I had experimented with in past years. As fate would have it… the tripod I had used in the past years could be called nothing less that absolute garbage in comparison to what I used during the shoot. this day.

It was awkward at first, as Im very much, an “angles” kind of shooter (the genre being fashion / lingerie, as opposed to panoramic landscapes).

But as I began working through the clothing design sets, I found the tripod actually made life a whole lot easier. Both on the shoulders and focus stability.

At the end of the day, I thought 99% of the shots taken were sharp as a tack, and almost as good as my Canon 24-104mm f4 IS L, in terms of sharpness and IQ.

To cut a long story short I obtained Manfrotto 458B legs, and was on the lookout for a good ball head (which is what I used at the shoot I had just done).

In particular something with a big ball, and less knobs, screws, wing nuts and thumb heads than what I had used before.

All the adjustments confused the hell out of me, and kind of made me concentrate more on the camera adjustments than on the shoot…

I think I looked everywhere on the planet for a price / quality comparison which worked for me. I went so far as to order both a new tripod and ball head off of eBay, which turned out to be the worst mistake of my life, other than thinking that all tripods were the same…

Enter, Clik Elite

I visited the site and immediately liked the specs on the Redged RP-3 ball head, as well as the simplistic design and aesthetics.

Im happy to say I contacted them and spoke to, possibly one of the most helpful, intelligent, and accommodating sales persons Ive ever had the pleasure of dealing with. Bruce Poynton. He checked stock for me on the spot, and sent the item that afternoon. It arrived the following morning, and Im pleased to say… I flippen LOVE the product. Unlike other ball heads, its lubricated with Teflon instead of oil. It rotates and moves easily, and can hold 20kg’s without so much as a squeak. The tightening screw takes almost no torque to hold whatever you load on it without any issues. Have I mentioned I LOVE this product?

I will be giving it, its first, firsthand exercise this weekend, and will be making my conclusive decision then, but I am very optimistic on its performance.

On the whole, I kind of wish that all online retailers behaved and executed sales exactly like Clik Elite. These guys deliver exactly what they say they do, without delay, stuffing around, and deliver, in my humble opinion a truly amazing product range. I dont often recommend retailers and brands, due to the fickleness of the industry, but I have absolutely no issues, whatsoever in recommending these guys and brand to anyone.

Do yourself a favor and look into the brand, as well as the local outlet, http://clikelite.co.za.

[UPDATE] 20-04-2013

Tonight I decided to expand on the tripod and head decision, and go ahead and purchase the Redged RQB-39 Quick Plate, from them as well.

Whilst my battery grip fixes onto the ball head plate just fine, I get the willy’s twisting the weight of the camera body, battery grip with two batteries, as well as as the tele zoom, around to unscrew it. This quick release will make life a damn sight easier and safer when removing it. Plus the added bonus of it also being able to hold 20kg if necessary.

Im eagerly anticipating its arrival in the new week!

The change of seasons

In lieu of last years change of events, shortfalls and nightmares, Ive chosen to write about the changes we have all felt within the industry… That is… the industry we have all chosen to work within, as well as the gradual changes we have all felt in out everyday lives, involved within this industry.

2012 ( as far as I am concerned) involved MANY changes… some good, some bad. Being pessimistic by nature, mostly bad…. really BAD. From a personal perspective, it seemed to involve a lot (even more so than me) large dosages of negative energy. A lot of it coming from newb’s becoming involved within the industry, as well as from people in general. Due to this Ive taken it upon myself to rather try inject a little bit of positive energy into everything I do… Mostly newbs, unfortunately… depending… (I repeat myself)

Happy New Year … and stuff

I’ve been stuck on this first sentence for a while now and keep skipping back to Facebook to see who’s “liked” my status and frivolous comments. (For a peek at my New Year wishes and personal brand of randomness hop on over to http://www.facebook.com/cathy.welmannolan.) And even as I get stuck into my third sentence here, I’m mentally compiling a list of the top movies I watched last year, to post for anyone who actually cares enough to read it.

In a roundabout kinda way, this Facebook fetish and my craving for “virtual approval” make me think about the industry that Thomas and I operate in and the way in which it is often perceived: a bunch of “I’m too creative for my own good” photographers and stylists, and a gaggle of models who think that their physical perfection makes them too good for the rest of the world. In other words, a vain bunch of creatures who feed off envy and adulation.

Who would have thought?

This past weekend, saw us leaving the noisy city of Durban and heading ‘up the mountain,’ to the Drakensberg for a weekend away.
We left on Friday afternoon, and the trip was quite an experience in the fundamentals in South African road demarcations and sign boards…
To say the AA issue map was, ‘lacking’ would be a complete exaggeration of its use. It was terrible to the point, where we ended up traveling an hour and a half, out of the way, then paid a road toll into somewhere we really didn’t want to be, and then had to tun around, and once again pay toll fee’s to exit. Wunderbar…