If you are serious about photography or filming, at some time you will need a tripod. Some situations such as landscape or self-timer photography benefit from the use of a tripod. A good one will let you place the camera parallel to the ground and will pan and tilt to whatever angles you need. The Sony VCT R640 definitely falls into this category.
It has a lightweight frame (weight is about 2-3kg) which conveniently folds up for transport, painted black to look impressive. It feels very sturdy and well built. The legs can be lengthened to 3 times longer than when folded up, and the height can be further altered by a winder which can be used to raise the camera higher again. A pan handle can be used to rotate the camera on the tripod and angle it up or down. Added to this, it is possible to position the camera in portrait or landscape.
The amount of winders and tightener bolts looks very complicated at first and can be off-putting if you’re not very patient, but the instructions provided are very well presented and can help you get the hang of the tripod quite quickly. Little tip: don’t try to work it out without the instructions; you’ll get nowhere very fast! The only other drawback I can see is that the little screw that holds the camera in place has to be done up very tight and doesn’t always make you feel confident that the camera is held firm, though it probably is.
Overall, if you have a Sony digital camera (such as the P72, which I use) or camcorder, then this is an excellent tripod. It doesn’t have some of the features of the more expensive tripods (e.g. remote panning), but it is very good for its price (mine cost around £25). The Sony VCT R640 will seriously help you to take great photographs!
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this review is very informative and well written :-) it seems like you've put a lot of time and effort into wirting it and even drafted it out first on microsoft wrod! lol. the tripod looks really smart
Imagine the creative shots you'll take when you stow along a Sony tripod. Simply mount ... more
your SONY digital imaging product (check for compatibility) on one of these extremely portable tripods and soon you'll be snapping timed exposures or detailed close-...
Postage & Packaging: £4.87 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
Apr 24th, 2004
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