Roof Racks and Carriers

[ninchendo]

First off, let me preface my question by stating that what I am about to ask is not malicious or demeaning...

I have limited photography experience. Actually let me change that... No photography experience. I consider a good photograph when I take a picture of my family with my cell phone and no one has their eyes closed. I have done some searching through the roof racks and continually see the comment on having using it to take pictures. Does the roof rack really do that much of a perspective change for a picture to justify a $1500 purchase? Wouldn't a fabricated 4'X4' platform that I can make for 50 bucks suffice as a platform on the factory roof racks (300 lb rating)? I can totally see the reason for the roof rack for heavy gear or a RTT, but don't understand the need for photography alone.

Once again, I am asking because I really don't know. I am not trolling or trying to be a smart ***. Learn me up.

 

[yellowdog]

Um, OK, I'll give you the benefit of a doubt here and assume you have limited knowledge of car suspension, etc. I'm obviously unsure of what you are trying the photograph, and more importantly, what shutter speeds you are using. That being said, I'm not sure how much a tripod will help if you are standing on the rooftop with it, there is the least bit of breeze, you touch the truck, etc.

I'd personally never bother to place a tripod on a 'firm' surface that is suspended by springs. Unless, of course, you're going for some kind of blurred special effect.

Those are good points- movement of camera rig from "whatever" source; wind, human interaction, etc... But with a remote trigger, e.g. CamRanger, wireless remote, intervalometer, or the self timer can eliminate the human issue.

I wouldn't think the "slightest" breeze would create an issue, if that were the case shooting from high vantage points, mountain tops for example would not be possible.... and I wouldn't think the "slightest" breezes would move the truck enough to blur the photo... but that is just my thought as I haven't tested this. As for the shutter speed, shooting a "fast shutter speed" takes care of this anywhere from 1/250 up depending on what the situation is. And then there is video...

Thanks for the post, I hadn't thought about the suspension issue and how that could could affect shooting w/ a tripod. But also keep in mind that shooting handheld or a monopod would also be an option. The reason I inserted a tripod in my follow up post was to note that I would need enough room up top for more than myself and my box.

 

[yellowdog]

First off, let me preface my question by stating that what I am about to ask is not malicious or demeaning...

I have limited photography experience. Actually let me change that... No photography experience. I consider a good photograph when I take a picture of my family with my cell phone and no one has their eyes closed. I have done some searching through the roof racks and continually see the comment on having using it to take pictures. Does the roof rack really do that much of a perspective change for a picture to justify a $1500 purchase? Wouldn't a fabricated 4'X4' platform that I can make for 50 bucks suffice as a platform on the factory roof racks (300 lb rating)? I can totally see the reason for the roof rack for heavy gear or a RTT, but don't understand the need for photography alone.

Once again, I am asking because I really don't know. I am not trolling or trying to be a smart ***. Learn me up.

The "worth" all comes down to each person, as you said you consider a "good" photo to be one where your family photo has everyone with their eyes open... you only invest in whatever camera equipment you need to get the photos you want. The rack in my case is more than just a readily available higher platform, it's for additional gear storage and possibly camping so it solves several issues. I hate throwing my muddy waders and wet gear in my car, plus light stands and other non-breakable gear has damaged the hatch area in my Subaru.

 

[Engineer]

All of us accept and disseminate information differently... but to make a member or anyone feel "stupid" for asking a question especially in a place created exactly for just this matter is ironic and mean spirited.

No mean spirits here, the details in your original question were lacking and like has been said, ANY of the racks you mentioned can and will hold a cargo box and allow you to stand on them. So there really wasn’t anything to expand upon until more information was shared

I think others have covered your options in enough detail to give you something to think about/research just a couple other thoughts

*To my knowledge only Gobi and Baja make ladders unless you are getting a rear bumper as well, not all racks are compatible with both ladders IIRC. A ladder is not required if you are willing to climb using the steps/slider or a window sill however If I was going to be going up and down often I would get a ladder.

*Consider the K9 Rack (aluminum) if you are going to be up and down a lot. My Gobi has held up fine but it has only had minor use and if I was doing it all over again I would strongly consider a K9. I don’t think they come with a mesh floor but you can get them with a lot of slats that should be fine to walk on/use for a camera base.

 

[1engineer]

[MENTION=146302]yellowdog[/MENTION] go through here http://www.toyota-4runner.org/5th-gen-t4rs/158462-j-blickphoto-thread.html and see what Jake did for a rack. Jake is an amazing guy and photographer. For those of you that this is tl dr here is a sample:

 

[yellowdog]

[MENTION=146302]yellowdog[/MENTION] go through here http://www.toyota-4runner.org/5th-gen-t4rs/158462-j-blickphoto-thread.html and see what Jake did for a rack. Jake is an amazing guy and photographer. For those of you that this is tl dr here is a sample:

Thanks 1engineer- great stuff he has...!

 

[b407driver]

Those are good points- movement of camera rig from "whatever" source; wind, human interaction, etc... But with a remote trigger, e.g. CamRanger, wireless remote, intervalometer, or the self timer can eliminate the human issue.

I wouldn't think the "slightest" breeze would create an issue, if that were the case shooting from high vantage points, mountain tops for example would not be possible.... and I wouldn't think the "slightest" breezes would move the truck enough to blur the photo... but that is just my thought as I haven't tested this. As for the shutter speed, shooting a "fast shutter speed" takes care of this anywhere from 1/250 up depending on what the situation is. And then there is video...

Thanks for the post, I hadn't thought about the suspension issue and how that could could affect shooting w/ a tripod. But also keep in mind that shooting handheld or a monopod would also be an option. The reason I inserted a tripod in my follow up post was to note that I would need enough room up top for more than myself and my box.

Perhaps "least bit of breeze" was a bit of an exaggeration, but I can assure you that wind will move a vehicle, even a heavy truck like a 4Runner. Whether or not that affects the quality of your image to a degree that you care about, only you can answer. I personally use a 50MP camera and print large, and I can assure you it matters to me. If you use a high-MP crop camera (i.e. small pixel pitch), same thing applies.

If a change in perspective is the primary reason for wanting to shoot on top of your truck, then I'd simply question the use of the tripod. I'd also ask what kind of tripod and head you are using, along the same lines of why you are asking about the best rack for the job. Tripods require extra time and effort to use in a way that it matters, and shooting handheld gives you way more freedom when shooting at relatively high shutter speeds (which I'm sure you know).

I do 'get' wanting to get up on top for that better view (I've thought about that myself), I just can't get past needing to jack up the frame of the 4Runner in order to stabilize it for the types of images I'm after.

Good luck with finding the right rack, I'm currently looking myself, albeit with different requirements and concerns.

 

[e60ral]

here is just one scenario [MENTION=144051]b407driver[/MENTION]: you want to take a timelapse sequence using the vantage point the rack gives you and setup a tripod on your rack. wind may move your vehicle, but for something like a landscape timelapse it shouldn't be more than you can fix in post if you secure the tripod.

or maybe you want to to focus stack, or maybe you want to frame a photo and wait for an animal to look your way, etc... there are all kinds of scenarios where you might want a tripod and a little bit of movement isn't a problem, i mean for ****'s sake, here is ansel adams:

 

[b407driver]

here is just one scenario [MENTION=144051]b407driver[/MENTION]: you want to take a timelapse sequence using the vantage point the rack gives you and setup a tripod on your rack. wind may move your vehicle, but for something like a landscape timelapse it shouldn't be more than you can fix in post if you secure the tripod.

or maybe you want to to focus stack, or maybe you want to frame a photo and wait for an animal to look your way, etc... there are all kinds of scenarios where you might want a tripod and a little bit of movement isn't a problem, i mean for ****'s sake, here is ansel adams:

That's great, glad it works for you, and I'm certain you can come up with myriad other scenarios. I could care less what Ansel Adams did, or how he did it. He nailed it, and he probably had the discipline (and foresight and kinesthetic talent) to wait until that vehicle wasn't moving.

That being said, I personally can't stand time-lapses where the camera is actually moving on a small scale (read: the video sort of vibrates). To each his own, your mileage may vary, but after decades of learning the hard way, I've decided that details matter. If I was taking a shot that I thought was print-worthy (large), I most certainly wouldn't have my camera (tripod-mounted) on a spring-loaded platform. That could mean gigabytes of images lost to a controllable variable, let alone the perfect moment reduced to a rubble of useless data.

People around here ruminate about minor little details with their suspension, tire tread, and interior LED lighting. I do it with photography, because it's how I make my living.

Sorry, wrong forum.

 

[yellowdog]

That's great, glad it works for you, and I'm certain you can come up with myriad other scenarios. I could care less what Ansel Adams did, or how he did it. He nailed it, and he probably had the discipline (and foresight and kinesthetic talent) to wait until that vehicle wasn't moving.

That being said, I personally can't stand time-lapses where the camera is actually moving on a small scale (read: the video sort of vibrates). To each his own, your mileage may vary, but after decades of learning the hard way, I've decided that details matter. If I was taking a shot that I thought was print-worthy (large), I most certainly wouldn't have my camera (tripod-mounted) on a spring-loaded platform. That could mean gigabytes of images lost to a controllable variable, let alone the perfect moment reduced to a rubble of useless data.

People around here ruminate about minor little details with their suspension, tire tread, and interior LED lighting. I do it with photography, because it's how I make my living.

Sorry, wrong forum.

Would love to see your work- care to share your website or IG feed?

 

[b407driver]

Would love to see your work- care to share your website or IG feed?

Not particularly, no. And, I don't do Instagram. Or Flicker. Or SnapChat...

I'm not on this forum to promote my photographic experience or work. I've previously had a very public presence on the Internet as a moderator of one of the largest photography forums on the Internet (225k members), and I probably should have just kept my mouth shut in this thread, but I know how this works, and don't expect anyone to credit me with anything just because I said it on some truck forum. Nor do I feel particularly compelled to defend what I said.

I will, however, stand by my assertion that it's difficult to capture a critically-sharp photograph using a tripod securely placed upon a spring-mounted platform. Of course, it can be done, but I can only think of a very small handful of reasons I'd even try if also presented with another, more stable, option. Which there almost always is.

When I take a decent pic of my new rig I'll be sure to post it here.

 

[e60ral]

b407driver seems more like a take pictures of calibration grids and argue on DxOMark kind of person

 

[b407driver]

b407driver seems more like a take pictures of calibration grids and argue on DxOMark kind of person

If that makes you feel good to think that, have at it. No concern of mine. lol

 

[yellowdog]

Not particularly, no. And, I don't do Instagram. Or Flicker. Or SnapChat...

I'm not on this forum to promote my photographic experience or work. I've previously had a very public presence on the Internet as a moderator of one of the largest photography forums on the Internet (225k members), and I probably should have just kept my mouth shut in this thread, but I know how this works, and don't expect anyone to credit me with anything just because I said it on some truck forum. Nor do I feel particularly compelled to defend what I said.

I will, however, stand by my assertion that it's difficult to capture a critically-sharp photograph using a tripod securely placed upon a spring-mounted platform. Of course, it can be done, but I can only think of a very small handful of reasons I'd even try if also presented with another, more stable, option. Which there almost always is.

When I take a decent pic of my new rig I'll be sure to post it here.

I for one am grateful for you sharing your thoughts in this thread. You provided a very helpful comment that only an experienced and master of the craft could or would. As I wrote in my previous reply, I would really like to see your work. If you are willing to share you can always PM me and I would be respectful not to re-post anywhere. I had the good fortune of meeting Tom Mangleson on my last visit to Jackson, WY while out shooting and he invited me back to see his gallery. His work was incredible, beautiful, powerful... I love seeing other photographer's work. Engineer1 pointed me to Jacob Blick's work on the forum.... I was blown away going through all his stuff.

If not, I respectfully understand. To be fair... one cannot ask what one will not give. My website is not up, but my IG is "dougstroudphotography". My work ranges from news and portraiture mainly with a desire to shoot more landscape and wildlife in the west. I am working my way to Utah/Wyoming area.