Can we talk about Tripod BAGS?

IMO, bags are not the best choice.
I like hard cases. The old Oconnor style with the spring loaded bottom that kept the tripod from moving around was great. Many of these are 30 years old and still going.
The one problem is that most of the sticks people are using are a lot smaller, and don't fit well in these older cases.
Building a hard case out of irrigation pipe wouldn't be very hard.

On the issue of dead zippers and tears. Try going to auto upholstery shops to get them repaired. Jeep soft tops are full of these big zippers, and most of these shops can fix these no problem. They could probably fix tripod bags too.

Scott Sheriff
Director
http://www.sstdigitalmedia.com


"If you think it's expensive to hire a professional to do the job, wait until you hire an amateur." ---Red Adair

Where were you on 6/21?

PortaBrace.

Not cheap at all. But my main tripod field bag is more than 15 years old and it's still going strong.

I have to hose it out and scrub it down every time it gets soiled, but that's about it.

YMMV.

"Before speaking out ask yourself whether your words are true, whether they are respectful and whether they are needed in our civil discussions."-Justice O'Connor

Love PortaBrace - Worth it. Always had a PB cam bag.

Chris Tompkins
Video Atlanta LLC

We use SKB rolling golf club cases. They ship well as checked luggage and because they look like golf clubs the baggage handlers don't beat them up like they do with production cases. However they fall apart after about 2 years, so we salvage handles and clasps as spare parts and replace. For us it is important to have something with wheels because most shoots are one guy, and you need to be mobile without an equipment cart.

For just a tripod there is some extra room inside so we'll throw in some extension cords or just some sheets of acoustic foam as padding. And if we have a local shoot, we'll just carry the tripod raw or in the canvas bag, but I agree, those things just don't hold up.

Mike Cohen