Great Tool For Photographing Your Layout...

To heck with the bag, I like the camera. I have my father-in-law's Leica that he got in 1953, body, three lenses, and a flash. I now use Nikon DSLR.

I thought someone would mention the Leica. They

somehow remind me of a Jag. XKE. Panavision sells very few things. Most they rent and maintain. Don

CBQer posted:

To heck with the bag, I like the camera. I have my father-in-law's Leica that he got in 1953, body, three lenses, and a flash. I now use Nikon DSLR.

Yeah, nice camera.

My half-sister has her mother's Leica from way back when. I'm 70 and my 1/2sis is 88 (and will probably bury me), and I am not sure when the camera was made. Pre-WWII, I believe. I've only seen it a couple of times, and not recently.

Will the bag sit across the tracks and conform to the rails so it doesn't move while you are shooting.  It would be great on a siding to get a video of trains passing on the mainline.  I currently have a miniature tripod.  It is good except it disturbs the road bed if you are not careful.

Calico, yes I've shot many shots like that. It will lay over the track and conform to the roadbed. You can lay it of the side of a hill and level the camera. It won't slip down at all. Don

Staff member at B&H Photo ($21.95 + free shipping and no sales tax outside NY and NJ) says in the Q&A, "This tabletop tripod can hold compact point and shoot cameras, but will not support anything beyond a camera of this size."  Can anyone verify a DSLR front-weighted with an 18-135 mm standard zoom lens (~ 3 lbs total body + lens) would still tip over, as it does with a typical tabletop tripod?

What, me worry? 

That bag/tripod, in conjunction with a cable release or the camera's self-timer, would be a real asset in producing sharp track side photos. I always encourage or authors to take plenty of shots from at or near (slightly above or below) track side level to give the reader/viewer the impression that the photographer was standing alongside the tracks. Can resultin some very dramatic and realistic images.

Alfred, of course you wouldn't use a lens that long for a project like this. I use my Nikon with a 18 to 55mm lens and it works fine. I also use it because when shooting a layout you want a greater depth of field. Don

...or the do-it-yourself version 

Socks filled with marbles:

Jim

This is a cool little tool. When I first saw the heading I thought it was going to be about a Fricko pinhole lens.

Fred

This is for Allan Miller'

https://youtu.be/Wf91JnJ8RKE

https://youtu.be/e4qhuW0MgzI 

https://youtu.be/n-IRcJcHszY  

Jim, I thought you lost all your marbles. Don

Although the marbles in the socks are a terrific idea I believe the bean bag tripod would serve the purpose better.  It appears a little more compact and easier to set up.  I will be getting one of these camera tripods.

A plain bean bag works better for low angle shots because it will allow the camera to sit much lower than the one with a mount.

Another great idea to try out as well.

I have a floor base microphone stand that I added a counterweighted boom to.  A simple adapter makes a microphone clip into a standard camera mount. Then an adjustable angle mount. It lets me put the camera in a spot where it hovers over the layout but doesn't touch it at all.

I use the self timer instead of a remote release so that there is no camera shake from pressing the shutter button.  That alone makes a big difference!

Eddiem, I have done almost the same with "C" stands and added arms. I can get shots that are in a remote area with a different angle. Lots of ways to do fun stuff. Don

Benbo Trekker tripod gives some great angles in difficult locations also:

Jim

Jim, do you use a video tap with that rig. I find that really helps to tweak a shot. Don

scale rail posted:

Alfred, of course you wouldn't use a lens that long for a project like this. I use my Nikon with a 18 to 55mm lens and it works fine. I also use it because when shooting a layout you want a greater depth of field.

The lens is less than 4" in length, and the camera has various built-in capabilities that otherwise eliminate the need for additional lenses.

What, me worry?