First, a picture.
Missing from photo: my camera.
Reason for absence: something had to take the picture, right?
Gitzo GT2540 Mountaineer tripod
(link goes to the newer GT2541)
Made in Italy. Lightweight, sturdy, and compact. It's held up to a decent amount of abuse too over the years. I literally wouldn't change anything about this tripod. The G-Lock system rocks - easy to open, easy to close.
Arca-Swiss D4 geared head
(link goes to Rod Klukas's website - Arca-Swiss' USA sales rep)
Made in France. Pricey, but worth it. So well thought out... not as bulky as the Manfrotto 405 or 410 geared tripod head, and arguably more accurate. The ability to loosen the movements and use it as a makeshift ballhead to get it into place, and then lock them down and use the geared knobs to precisely move it into place is awesome - getting your verticals, well, vertical, is better and easier to do in-camera than it is in Photoshop. It took some time to get used to which knob controls what, but that's usually the case for a new tripod head. Why the company is called Arca-SWISS yet the head is made in France is beyond me, but I'll take it!
Really Right Stuff B2 AS II clamp
(not pictured in photo - oops)
Made in USA. Once you've had the best, it's hard to go back. The Arca-Swiss clamp was nice, however it left a bit to be desired. It didn't have the same feeling that a RRS clamp has when it's locked in place, so I switched it out with a RRS clamp, which just seem to be better engineered. I'm also going to take this opportunity to say that I love Really Right Stuff. I have two RRS heads (BH-40 medium ballhead and MH-01 monopod head), their MC-34 monopod, and a bunch of plates and clamps. I want everything they make - including one of their Carbon tripods, as soon as my Gitzo breaks or "grows legs" (get it?) and walks away... because they make everything to absolute perfection. Their customer service is exemplary - friendly and knowledgeable, and completely willing to help their customers out. I love Really Right Stuff. Love 'em. I have it on good authority that they'll be releasing some very cool new products in the future, so stay tuned.
It's a simple, compact setup that makes architectural photography all the more precise and intuitive, making it easier for me to concentrate what matters: taking an interesting picture. And while being a gearhead is fun, the camera and tripod are only tools that allow you to capture and share your vision.
Caravaggio may have had the world's most expensive paintbrush, but it wouldn't have done jack if he didn't know how to throw together a decent painting. Yo Yo Ma would probably still make a tolerable song on a $200 cello, even if it wasn't worth $2.5 million (which is apparently easy to lose). Michael Jordan still would have been a baller in plain ol' shoes than with fancy Air Jordans (really?).
Good gear is gear that inspires you and makes it easier for you to translate your vision of the world around you and make whatever it is you call art - whether it's photography, painting, music, basketball, scrapbooking, quiltmaking, writing, carpentry, masonry, hair cutting, or whatever else you like to do. As cheesy as it sounds, life is art.
