Best sub 1500$ tripod for hvx 200

robot909

robot909

Well-known member
My trustworhy Bogen is not really ready to handle the weight of the hvx200. Can anyone recommend any good tripods for about 1500$ or less? Or recommend any places in the San Francisco area that have good tripods on the showroom floor, so I can try them out...
thanks!
 
The Sachtlers are great but to get one with the features that are equal to the Cartoni, you are way over $2,000.00. Is the Sachtler better (the upper ones like the DV-6 and DV-8?), Yes. Is the almost 75% more expensive cost worth it? For me, it is looking like no. The Sachtlers that are in the same price range of the Cartoni Focus are definitely not as good as the Cartoni, do not have the same amount of features and cannot hold as much weight. All of the low end Sachtlers have the 75mm bowl versus the 100mm on the Cartoni as well. 100mm is better for matching up with pro camera support gear like jibs, high hats, etc.

If you can afford a DV-6 with the 100mm head or a DV-8, I think it is, yes, they are probably the best you can buy for a camera system in the weight range of the HVX.

The Cartoni, however, is a much better value.

Dan
 
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Thanks for the input. What features make the tripod "better"? What should I look for when selecting a tripod. Is it a matter of specs or how the tripod performs for the user in the real world. What breeds of tripods are there? I'm sure there are specific types for different applications. Throw some good info at me. I want to learn and make a wise decision. - thanks!
 
robot909 said:
Thanks for the input. What features make the tripod "better"? What should I look for when selecting a tripod. Is it a matter of specs or how the tripod performs for the user in the real world. What breeds of tripods are there? I'm sure there are specific types for different applications. Throw some good info at me. I want to learn and make a wise decision. - thanks!
Click to expand...

The main features to look for:

DRAG AND CONSTRUCTION

How well the fluid drag system works and how well the head is made affects how smooth your camera movements will be. If there is "stiction" or some other anomaly, you will get a bump when you first start your movement. If the drag is not consistent it will be harder to get a consistent speed during the movement. A true fluid drag system has a very thin layer of fluid between the parts of the head that move and don't move. It's not hard to make a head like that, but what is hard (and expensive) is to make the fluid drag adjustable over a wide range from very light to very heavy. The expense is in the very tight tolerance construction and the fact that the different ways to do this are patented. Some cheap heads are true fluid heads but only at one setting and the drag adjustment they give you is actually a "friction boost" (one such head is the Miller DS-10).

The best way to test a head is to just put a camera on it and see how smooth you can make your movements. Try it at wide angle and at medium telephoto. It will be harder and harder to make smooth movements at more telephoto focal lengths.

STIFFNESS

If the tripod legs are not stiff, you might get "springback" during a pan.

COUNTERBALANCE

Any camera other than very light cameras need to be counterbalanced on a tripod head. This counterbalance counters the force of gravity when tilt your camera up or down. The counterbalance is usually a spring inside the head. An expensive head will have a wider range of weights that it can counterbalance. Also, the weight specified that it can counterbalance is for a certain height that the camera center of gravity is located. If this height changes, the amount of weight it can balance changes.

LEVELING

Video and cine heads need to be leveled otherwise when you pan, the level goes out of whack. The most common leveling method is a bowl leveler at the bottom of the head. Bowl sizes for ENG is 100mm, for EFP and cine, usually 150mm. Some budget heads have 75mm bowls but you can always get an adapter to fit a 75mm bowl onto a 100mm or 150mm bow. Nice heads also have an illuminated bubble level for use in low-light conditions.
 
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puredrifting said:
Is the Sachtler better (the upper ones like the DV-6 and DV-8?), Yes. Is the almost 75% more expensive cost worth it? For me, it is looking like no. The Sachtlers that are in the same price range of the Cartoni Focus are definitely not as good as the Cartoni, do not have the same amount of features and cannot hold as much weight.
Click to expand...

The Sachtler DV6 and DV8 have been upgraded with Speebalance so the DV6 now supports the exact same range as the Cartoni (and they actually have a balance chart--I haven't been able to find one for the Cartoni).

I've looked at both heads at trade shows and I think both are good. I wish I had a camera with me to test them out. I haven't bought one yet but I'm leaning towards the DV6 because of the way they have their drag adjustment. The 75mm bowl isn't a big deal because I can always get adapters to 100mm or 150mm. You can also get a basic DV6 package for $1700 so it's not that much more. A 2-stage CF tripod package with Speedlock (very cool!) is around $2000.

Again, they're both nice heads. I just like the drag dial on the Sachtler because I can get to different settings faster (you just click from one setting to the next) and you can completely disengage the fluid modules.
 
Hi TNLE:

Thanks for this Sachtler update. These factors do make the Sachtler more appealing than it was, but I still believe that the $1,700.00 DV6 packages are single stage legs, aren't they? http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/con...s&Q=&sku=383260&is=REG&addedTroughType=search
So you can get the Focus with the two stage legs in aluminum and bag for $1,499.00 versus over $2,000.00 for the DV-6 with the two stage aluminum legs or is that just for carbon?

Tough choices. I could use the extra $500.00 for the HD monitor I am ordering but I do LOVE Sachtler, I used to own a Video 20 head with my Betacam and it was one of the best pieces of gear that I have ever owned.

Guess I am still on the fence between the two. The good news is that either is a great piece of gear so it's a win-win regardless of which I buy.

Best,

Dan
 
puredrifting said:
I still believe that the $1,700.00 DV6 packages are single stage legs, aren't they? So you can get the Focus with the two stage legs in aluminum and bag for $1,499.00 versus over $2,000.00 for the DV-6 with the two stage aluminum legs or is that just for carbon?
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Hey Dan,

Yeah, $1700 for single stage, $1880 for 2-stage aluminum and $2050 for the 2-stage CF but it's a Speedlock tripod. With Speedlock you just unlock one red lever on each leg, pull the tripod up and all the legs extend at once--pretty slick! I've also read one or two posts here where people were not that happy with the stock Cartoni legs.

Either way, I wouldn't buy from B&H. Custom Supply Inc. (http://www.mediasupplystore.com/) has way better prices, like 10-15% less! I ended up buying a DV-6SB/2-stage CF package from them today. I'll let you know how it turns out.

Anyhow, I think you should get the tripod that you want. $500 isn't that much when you consider all the other junk you will eventually get for your camera. The nice thing about a tripod is that a good one will probably outlast every other piece of gear you will ever have.
 
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