Tripod Head for Left-Eyed Photographers

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This isn't a large format question, but I'll take a chance and post it anyway:

I prefer to use a 3-way pan/tilt head for all of my work. Currently, I'm using a Bogen (Manfrotto)--I believe it's a model 3047. The problem is that this head--like all others I've seen--is designed for right-eyed photographers. With the head flipped to the side (to position a 35mm camera for a vertical), the protruding handle pokes me in the right eye when I look through the viewfinder with my left eye. I've switched the handles so that the shortest one is in the rear (rather than the longest, which is the normal configuration). This help a little, but not much.

Does anybody have any suggestions?

-- Rob Rothman (rrothman@riag.com), April 16, 1998

Answers

I used to have a 3047 and noticed the same problem (though I can't explain to anyone why I'm a "lefty" with my eyes and "righty" in all other matters). For other reasons, I switched to an A/S ball head and have no such problem. You might also look at Bogen's geared heads (2 models).

-- Mark Alan Wilson (wilson@wildrockies.org), April 17, 1998.

You might try an Arca Swiss B2 head with the appropriate Really Right Stuff plate for your camera.

-- Ellis Vener (evphoto@insync.net), April 29, 1998.

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