Don't shoot me for asking this..............

[Jay Rodriguez]

Bought a crane but can't find the right info regarding a decent tripod and head to support the weight.

Yes I searched.

So, what should I buy to support the weight? I read something along the line that the heavy weight of a crane can destroy a tripod head.

I don't have a "good" tripod let alone a head yet.

[Barry_Green]

Ideally you shouldn't be putting the crane on a tripod head anyway. Most cheap cranes I've used are designed to mount to a 3/8" bolt right on the legs, or on a half-bowl. Normally you'd take the head off the tripod and put the crane straight on the tripod legs, then mount the head on the front of the crane to sit the camera on.

[insanityfw]

My Cobra 2 crane mounts on the tripod and it's been an issue. The crane is great, but it destroyed my Provista head...the tripod is fine, but twice it's stripped out the friction screws. I have yet to use it with my 503, but unless i'm doing something wrong the Cobra is meant to mount this way, which is why you can tilt it from the tripod head.

I have no experience with other cranes, however.

[Barry_Green]

That seems just so... not right. The EZ/FX, the GlideCam CamCrane, basically all of them that I know of mount to the legs and not to the head. I would expect that any of these cranes (plus camera weight) would exceed the weight limit of most heads.

[mikkowilson]

It's almost as if we need our own "not newbie" section for asking all these questions isn't it?

I've done both.

I sometimes mount my homebuilt jib (that only holds piddly little cameras) on a tripod head that's designed for broadcast cameras - but I mount it at a 90* angle, so that the jib won't tilt the head.
- That also allows for oen other trick, I can actually unlock the tilt and use it to 'roll' (Dutch tilt) the whole jib from side to side. If I have the amera mounted at 90* on the end (non moving camera mount) This will actually allow me to tilt the camera.
It's a little unconventional, but it's worked for some good shots in a pinch.

- Mikko

[MattinSTL]

To me it sounds totally insane to mount that much extra weight and leverage onto a tripod head... the point of a fluid head is smooth, frictionless control of a specific weight. That sounds incredibly bizarre to me to even think of trying this. Even with a totally balanced crane you still have a lot of torque at the fulcrum (tripod head). It isn't just you starting and stopping the crane... the tendency to move is also in the friction plates of the tripod head and you've got a massive (albeit well balanced) advantage of leverage compared to the 18" long handle that you normally use.

Barry is right. Mount the crane to the legs after removing the head... I'd modify the crane to fit the top plate or bowl before I'd toast another head.

[mikkowilson]

Yeah, let me add on to what I said with:

By all means, don't put it on the head unless you HAVE to.

I was very carefull with this light camera and a super oversized head to not damage it. And even then it's a bad idea.

- Mikko

[Jay Rodriguez]

So, for $400-500 what kind of tripod am I looking at?

[Terry_Lasater]

So, for $400-500 what kind of tripod am I looking at?

Coffee, What's with the big secret? You still haven't bothered to disclose what "crane" you purchased. Why don't you tell us so we know what equipment we're talking about here?

[Terry_Lasater]

I believe Barry and I own the same jib - the EZFX jib. Here are the support options they offer for their jibs.