Photography News: Tripod Company Re-Engineers Ball Heads
Afraid of missing out on the latest photo industry news while you’re out, well, actually taking pictures? Photography News of the Week is all the news you might have missed this week, published on the weekends. Alongside the biggest stories of the week, like the new Luminar with libraries, find briefs on the latest in accessories and photography news from this week.
Colorado Tripod startup cuts the weight of ball heads in half, pushes the range of motion past 90 degrees
Think there’s nothing new in tripod tech? A startup called Colorado Tripod Company just introduced two unique ball heads. The first is constructed from titanium — an industry first, the company says. The result is a ball head that’s 52 percent lighter with 54 pounds of locking force. The head also has an increased range of motion, going beyond the typical 90-degree tilt to a vertical orientation. A similar head will also be designed from aluminum.
The second design is the Aspen Ballhead; instead of leaving a cutout for the head to tilt to a vertical orientation, the ball is largely open. The head, which almost looks like it’s inside out, allows for a much wider range of motion than a traditional ball head, the company says.
The new ball heads can also be paired with the company’s centennial tripod, available in titanium and aluminum options, both with a 50-pound capacity. The startup is taking to Kickstarter to launch the new gear, already exceeding the original $50,000 goal. If the project is successful, early backers can pick up a ball head starting at $79 and complete tripod sets starting at $298.
The new Leica CL Street Kit is made for street photography
Street photographers typically look for something discrete and compact, and Leica thinks it may just have the right kit. On Friday, December 7, Leica unveiled the Leica CL Street Kit, which combines the CL camera body with the Leica Summicron-TL 23mm f/2 ASPH lens.
Leica says the pair is ideal for street because of the lightweight design and ergonomic handling with that “Leica look.” The kit mixes the 24-megapixel, 4K CL camera with a wide-angle 35mm. The new kit is available beginning Saturday, December 8, from Leica dealers for $4,195 for the pair.
DB Equipment’s latest bag is simply called The Backpack
DB Equipment’s latest backpack keeps things simple — all the way down to the name. The Backpack by DB Equipment is a minimalist backpack designed for photography enthusiasts. A camera insert allows the bag to easily swap between gear bag and a regular backpack. A laptop sleeve accommodates laptops up to 15 inches.
Originally launched as a limited-edition option in the Jay Alvarrez collection, The Backpack is now part of the company’s regular product line. Pre-orders are available now for $179, with the camera insert listing at $79.
