Photographic equipment and reviews | Photography by Grant Glendinning

Feisol Elite 3372 Mark 2 Tripod

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I have been using this tripod since 2017 and must say it is the best tripod I have used compared to my previous three-legged friends.

Why I Needed a New Tripod

My Manfrotto 190XPRO3 Tripod had to be replaced because of corrosion around the leg locks and one of the leg adjusters was so badly worn the leg could only be partially splayed. Even though I tried my best to look after this tripod by cleaning it after every outing and stripping it down for a thorough clean when used in sand and saltwater, it wasn’t enough to prevent the ultimate demise of this tripod.

I really did not want to purchase another 190XPRO3 or indeed, any Manfrotto tripod! After having owned three of them, they have more or less all ended up in the same condition as the 190XPRO3. I, therefore, decided I needed a more robust tripod and one that was impervious to sand and saltwater but also sturdy and not too heavy. I also did not want a tripod with a center column as I find them to be pretty much useless as I never used them and they only add more weight and prevent you from getting really low-angle shots.

The Perfect Solution: The Feisol Elite 3372 Mark 2Read More

Sunwayfoto DYH-66i & Manfrotto 338 levelling bases

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Attached to the Manfrotto 410 geared head and 300n rotation unit above left is the Manfrotto 338 levelling base. Far right image is the Sunwayfoto DYH-66i levelling base.

Having the Manfrotto 300n panoramic head on my Manfrotto 190XPRO3 (new series) tripod is great for panoramic images, but adjusting the tripod legs to achieve precise leveling using the bubble level on top of the center column can be a bit cumbersome and sometimes quite time-consuming. To resolve this leveling issue, I decided to purchase a leveling base to quickly and accurately level the tripod.

After searching online and reading various reviews, I decided to go with the Manfrotto 338, which has a safety payload of 15kg—well above the weight of the heaviest gear I’d be using. It also weighs 600g and has 3 adjustment thumb knobs, which can be moved 5° in any direction, with additional locking screws once leveled.Read More

Canon 16-35mm f4.0 IS L

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Having relied on the excellent Canon 17-40mm f/4.0 L lens for most of my landscape photography since 2006, I recently upgraded to the superb Canon 16-35mm f/4.0 IS L. Until this lens came along, I had no plans to consider another Canon wide-angle zoom, aside from the dream-worthy TS-E 17mm f/4.0 L and TS-E 24mm f/3.5L II tilt-shifts. But the 16-35mm f/4.0 IS L caught my attention as soon as it was announced, hailed as Canon’s finest ultra-wide zoom to date, boasting superior optics to both the 17-40mm f/4.0 L and even the 16-35mm f/2.8 L II.