Why Choose Dutch Hill Tripods?
As a landscape photographer I need a tripod. Many of the exposures are many seconds long. The weather doesn’t help - the wind is sometimes blowing and often its raining or there is water in a river or even worse salty sea water around.
The tripod I use has to be:
- Stable, able to hold a heavy camera and prevent camera shake.
- Easy to adjust with cold fingers or gloved hands.
- Light in weight so I can carry it long distances.
- Easy to clean so that if I get sand, soil or other debris in I can clean it easily without dismantling it.
- Made of parts that don’t corrode.
Over the years I have tried many tripods. Some are very lightweight and aren’t stable. Most have a centre column that I can’t resist using, even though I know it makes the camera unstable and blurred pictures almost inevitable. Regrettably, without the centre column the tripod just isn’t tall enough.
Others have disappeared beneath the waves on the odd occasion (fortunately without a camera) and needed careful dismantling and cleaning that still leaves traces of sand and salt leading to wear and corrosion later.
Photographing snowy mountains is difficult with some that you have to twist the legs to lock and unlock them to adjust the length. If the legs are wet and you’re wearing gloves you just can’t do it because every thing slips. Take the gloves off and your hands freeze. It’s also usually the moment you trap a piece of skin from a cold finger in the lock – ouch!
What’s the answer? There is no single tripod that does everything for every body all the time, but the Dutch Hill tripod P900 (Extended) comes very close. Made of carbon fibre, aluminium and stainless steel it is stable, stiff, light, strong and virtually corrosion free. The leg clamps are easy to use, even with gloves on. Cleaning it couldn’t be easier a quick wash down with clean water while moving the legs at their joints is all that is needed. It has no centre column to tempt you, it doesn’t need one, the one available in the UK is nearly four and a half feet tall without the head and if you use one the levelling plate.
I have used it with many cameras some heavy, some light, both film and digital and they are shown in the pictures below. The tripod gives all of them a stable platform.
Designed and built in America by a specialist tripod company it will last and last and last. It is guaranteed for 2 years, longer than most other tripods.
Specification of the P900 (Extended)
| Stable | Only one joint, supported on two sides, no centre column, made of carbon fibre to absorb shock and give exceptional torsional rigidity |
|---|---|
| Strong | Will manage a 28lb (12.7kg) camera and head |
| Light | 6.5 lb (3kg) |
| Corrosion resistance | Made of carbon fibre, aluminium and stainless steel |
| Maximum height | 53" (135cm) without head |
| Length extended and closed | 71" (180cm) and 41" (104 cm) |
This tripod is only available from Gilbert Park Photographyand for a quality tripod that will serve you and enhance your photography for years to come represents outstanding value for money.
Some photographers may find the one I use a little large to carry. There is a slightly smaller and lighter tripod:
Specification of the P900 (Standard)
| Stable | Only one joint, supported on two sides, no centre column, made of carbon fibre to absorb shock and give exceptional torsional rigidity |
|---|---|
| Strong | Will manage a 28lb (12.7kg) camera and head |
| Light | 6.25 lb (2.83kg) |
| Corrosion resistance | Made of carbon fibre, aluminium and stainless steel |
| Maximum height | 53" (135cm) without head |
| Length extended and closed | 59.5" (151cm) and 34.5" (88 cm) |
The standard metal, spiked feet can be easily changed by screwing in rubber feet for indoor use or in snow or mud.
(Please note the price does not include a tripod head that needs to be obtained separately, if you need any help or advice with this please contact us)
