OT "The Pod" beanbag camera support

Brian said:

Going to do a bit of shopping tomorrow, having a look at "The Pod"
beanbag camera supports.

Anyone on uk.rec.walking tried them - any good or just a gimick?

You can easily make your own, just put some beans in bag, seriously!

I've used a couple of packets of dried peas placed in a ziplock plastic
bag (with all the air squeezed out first, then placed inside a small
stuff sack.

Works great. Brilliant for telephoto lenses, especially at long shutter
speeds. Rock solid, even in strong winds. I've taken shots with a
300mm lens at 1 second in gale force winds.

Paul
--
http://www.wilderness-wales.co.uk
http://www.wildwales.fsnet.co.uk

"Paul Saunders" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

You can easily make your own, just put some beans in bag, seriously!

I've used a couple of packets of dried peas placed in a ziplock plastic
bag (with all the air squeezed out first, then placed inside a small
stuff sack.

Works great. Brilliant for telephoto lenses, especially at long shutter
speeds. Rock solid, even in strong winds. I've taken shots with a
300mm lens at 1 second in gale force winds.

Bean bags are also good for close-up, when a tripod just won't get in there.
I used a homemade one too.

M.
--
From Sunny South Canterbury

Once upon a time I tried not to spoil my reply address.
Then the Swen-virus started to send me emails :-(
Remove mashed to reply. Sorry.

..

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Bean bags are also good for close-up, when a tripod just won't get in

there.

Quoted message said:

I used a homemade one too.

I forgot - ISTR that I stuffed it with poly beads (which are sold for
stuffing soft toys I think), for a lightweight (TM) version!

M.

--
From Sunny South Canterbury

Once upon a time I tried not to spoil my reply address.
Then the Swen-virus started to send me emails :-(
Remove mashed to reply. Sorry.

Paul Saunders said:

You can easily make your own, just put some beans in bag, seriously!

I've used a couple of packets of dried peas placed in a ziplock plastic
bag (with all the air squeezed out first, then placed inside a small
stuff sack.

Works great. Brilliant for telephoto lenses, especially at long shutter
speeds. Rock solid, even in strong winds. I've taken shots with a
300mm lens at 1 second in gale force winds.

Paul

Well, I treated myself to "The Pod". Not had a chance to use it yet.

It weighs in at 328g on the kitchen scales, while the Jessops Altantic
Alfa 3 QR weighs in at 548g.

One thing I'll do though is to seal over the velco with some duct tape
just incase it opens and all the beans fall out!

--
Brian

--
Brian

Mark Houghton said:

I forgot - ISTR that I stuffed it with poly beads (which are sold for
stuffing soft toys I think), for a lightweight (TM) version!

Hey, great idea! Why didn't I think of that? I just weighed mine and
it's over 500 grams!

Will any light poly stuff do? Don't know what beads you're talking
about.

Paul
--
http://www.wilderness-wales.co.uk
http://www.wildwales.fsnet.co.uk

Paul Saunders said:

Mark Houghton said:

I forgot - ISTR that I stuffed it with poly beads (which are sold for
stuffing soft toys I think), for a lightweight (TM) version!

Hey, great idea! Why didn't I think of that? I just weighed mine and
it's over 500 grams!

Will any light poly stuff do? Don't know what beads you're talking
about.

Probably tiny little spheres about 3mm in diameter. They are the most
"fluid" solids imaginable - don't ever open up any soft furnishings filled
with them without taking great care :-)

I have a couple of pouffes stuffed with the little blighters, that have
sagged through compression. It took me a while to track down some "spares"
(in John Lewis, as I should have guessed). I have several cubic feet
available if you want some posted to you...

--
All I want to know is: WHY ME?

Mail john rather than nospam...

In article <[email hidden]>, Paul Saunders
<[email hidden]> writes

Quoted message said:

Mark Houghton said:

I forgot - ISTR that I stuffed it with poly beads (which are sold for
stuffing soft toys I think), for a lightweight (TM) version!

Hey, great idea! Why didn't I think of that? I just weighed mine and
it's over 500 grams!

Will any light poly stuff do? Don't know what beads you're talking
about.

Paul
--
http://www.wilderness-wales.co.uk
http://www.wildwales.fsnet.co.uk

Polystyrene beads about 3/16" diam can be bought from fishing tackle
dealers. Try Mainwarings the big tackle shop in Sketty

I wonder if they would be too light, on the other hand if you dropped a
bean bag made from these into a stream it would float.
--
Bill Grey
http://www.billboy.co.uk

W. D. Grey <[email hidden]> wrote

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Polystyrene beads about 3/16" diam can be bought from fishing tackle
dealers. Try Mainwarings the big tackle shop in Sketty

I wonder if they would be too light, on the other hand if you dropped a
bean bag made from these into a stream it would float.

If we had a few made we could play "Poo Bags". Drop 'em off a bridge
and race 'em. :-)
--
Gordon

Gordon said:

W. D. Grey <[email hidden]> wrote

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Polystyrene beads about 3/16" diam can be bought from fishing tackle
dealers. Try Mainwarings the big tackle shop in Sketty

I wonder if they would be too light, on the other hand if you dropped a
bean bag made from these into a stream it would float.

If we had a few made we could play "Poo Bags".

^^^

You could coin that phrase, but "Pooh Bags" would be better, really. "Poo
Sticks" is just too, well... A tautology for a start.

[Sorry I'm chortling too much to write any more !]

--
The scenery only changes for the lead dog.

Mail john rather than nospam...

W. D. Grey said:

In article <[email hidden]>, Paul Saunders
<[email hidden]> writes

Quoted message said:

Will any light poly stuff do? Don't know what beads you're talking
about.

Paul
--
http://www.wilderness-wales.co.uk
http://www.wildwales.fsnet.co.uk

Polystyrene beads about 3/16" diam can be bought from fishing tackle
dealers. Try Mainwarings the big tackle shop in Sketty

I wonder if they would be too light, on the other hand if you dropped
a bean bag made from these into a stream it would float.

Try this site.

http://www.coolbeanbags.com/ebusiness1/store/product_details.jsp?pid=99&cid=52&brc=&red=product_list.jsp?id=52&portal=Google_Bean_Bag_Filling

Enough to start your own buisiness 🙂

--

Don`t Worry, Be Happy

Sandy
--

E-Mail:- [email hidden]
Website:- http://www.ftscotland.co.uk
Looking for a webhost? Try http://www.1and1.co.uk/?k_id=2966019

John Laird <[email hidden]> wrote

Quoted message said:

Gordon said:

W. D. Grey <[email hidden]> wrote

Quoted message said:

>
Polystyrene beads about 3/16" diam can be bought from fishing tackle
dealers. Try Mainwarings the big tackle shop in Sketty

I wonder if they would be too light, on the other hand if you dropped a
bean bag made from these into a stream it would float.

If we had a few made we could play "Poo Bags".

^^^

You could coin that phrase, but "Pooh Bags" would be better, really. "Poo
Sticks" is just too, well... A tautology for a start.

[Sorry I'm chortling too much to write any more !]

So am I now!
I wasn't brought up on Pooh, I'm afraid!
Poo bags are what dog owners seem to like to leave lying around on local
popular walks.
--
Gordon

"W. D. Grey" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Polystyrene beads about 3/16" diam can be bought from fishing tackle
dealers. Try Mainwarings the big tackle shop in Sketty

I wonder if they would be too light, on the other hand if you dropped a
bean bag made from these into a stream it would float.
--

They worked fine, even at extreme close up (with lens tubes) - though you do
have to "snuggle" the camera in a bit. I'd not thought about it floating,
though!!

M.

--
From Sunny South Canterbury

Once upon a time I tried not to spoil my reply address.
Then the Swen-virus started to send me emails :-(
Remove mashed to reply. Sorry.

In article <[email hidden]>, Gordon
<[email hidden]> writes

Quoted message said:

Poo bags are what dog owners seem to like to leave lying around on local
popular walks.

The type of dog owners to which you refer Gordon don't even bother with
Poo bags - unfortunately.

Gets the rest of us a bad name.
--
Bill Grey
http://www.billboy.co.uk

In article <[email hidden]>, Mark Houghton
<[email hidden]> writes

Quoted message said:

"W. D. Grey" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Polystyrene beads about 3/16" diam can be bought from fishing tackle
dealers. Try Mainwarings the big tackle shop in Sketty

I wonder if they would be too light, on the other hand if you dropped a
bean bag made from these into a stream it would float.
--

They worked fine, even at extreme close up (with lens tubes) - though you do
have to "snuggle" the camera in a bit. I'd not thought about it floating,
though!!

M.

Nice to know. I use a bag of dried peas. It comprises an old bank cash
bag - the larger cloth type. Just a tip for anyone using dried peas -
don't forget to take out the B-icarb tablet first. (oops!)
--
Bill Grey
http://www.billboy.co.uk

W. D. Grey <[email hidden]> wrote

Quoted message said:

In article <[email hidden]>, Gordon
<[email hidden]> writes

Quoted message said:

Poo bags are what dog owners seem to like to leave lying around on local
popular walks.

The type of dog owners to which you refer Gordon don't even bother with
Poo bags - unfortunately.

Gets the rest of us a bad name.

Yes, but if they didn't wrap it up in plastic it would at least
disappear in a week or so. :-(

I tactfully mentioned it to one lady dog walker and she said that they
dropped the bag on their outward journey and collected them on the way
back, to place in the bins.

This may be true, but it mars the appearance of a pleasant public area
in the meantime!
--
Gordon

W. D. Grey said:

Nice to know. I use a bag of dried peas. It comprises an old bank cash
bag - the larger cloth type. Just a tip for anyone using dried peas -
don't forget to take out the B-icarb tablet first. (oops!)

I remembered.

I weighed my dried peas, over 500g.

Now I've got polystyrene bits, feels a bit insubstantial but seems to
work, and weighs little more than a feather.

Paul
--
http://www.wilderness-wales.co.uk
http://www.wildwales.fsnet.co.uk

I noticed that Message-ID: <[email hidden]> from
Gordon contained the following:

Quoted message said:

Yes, but if they didn't wrap it up in plastic it would at least
disappear in a week or so. :-(

I tactfully mentioned it to one lady dog walker and she said that they
dropped the bag on their outward journey and collected them on the way
back, to place in the bins.

Yes, it's not the collecting, it's the disposal. It's really not
pleasant carrying bags of poo. If you had biodegradable bags, disposal
in the nearest clump of nettles would probably be ok.
--
Geoff Berrow (put thecat out to email)
It's only Usenet, no one dies.
My opinions, not the committee's, mine.
Simple RFDs http://www.ckdog.co.uk/rfdmaker/

Brian said:

Well, I treated myself to "The Pod". Not had a chance to use it yet.

It weighs in at 328g on the kitchen scales,

How big is it?

Paul
--
http://www.wilderness-wales.co.uk
http://www.wildwales.fsnet.co.uk

"Paul Saunders" <[email hidden]> wrote in news:cntidn$8de$1
@newsg4.svr.pol.co.uk:

Quoted message said:

How big is it?

lol, only just found this reply!

The Pod is around 130mm in diameter, by 45mm thick
--
Brian