Stepping up to a decent tripod...

DammitJanet

DammitJanet

Well-known member
My group and I have had enough with our 20 dollar wal-mart tripod, and we'd like to step up to something more professional. Nothing out of this world expensive mind you, we're still am's. But nonetheless we've pooled some cash to step up to something better (maybe Manfrotto?), and I know I can count on you all to point us in the right direction. Thanks.
 
Here you go... quick and to the point...
It's an excellent support for the money. I love mine.

http://www.sachtler.com/prod.asp?li...35841485957715956535E5C5E62535F44545D577B5E50

I got mine from these guys... they'll drop ship anything anywhere...
lucky for me though... they're just down the street. They kinda don't toot their own horn... but they supply some really big names in broadcast production...

http://www.mediasupplystore.com/Products.htm

As you gain experience in production... you will learn how and why a good fluid head can be extremely important to your work. It allows steady and smooth
movement of your shots, especially when using longer focal lengths. There are different sizes for different cameras... if you have a smaller DV, something like the DVX100A... its great.

This doesn't sound like a commercial does it...??? sorry... it actually didn't start out that way...
 
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The bogen has a fluid-like head. It'll work well for pans & tilts. Other heads without fluid or viscous whatsits inside are going to yield shaky camera moves that you're not going to find suitable. The bogen is solid.
 
Anything Bogen/Manfrotto is highly quality gear. Just make sure the setup will go as low and as high as you need, and that it supports you camera with all accessories. If you plan on putting an indie crane/jib on it, factor that weight in, too.
 
Well, I can't imagine we'll be putting anything on the camera except maybe a homemade mattebox. Assuming of course I won't need rails.

Speaking of which, will I need to buy a plate as well, or does it come with the tripod?
 
They all come with plates. The Bogen isn't a true fluid head though. You'll need to be in range of somethign like the Cartoni Focus for that.
 
Cartoni focus is great - I would recommend stepping up from Bogen - they are really starter heads - ok for the price but once you play with a cartoni or sachtler you wont be able to go back.

Remember that the tripod will easily outlive your camera - dont buy cheap cause then you will buy twice
 
I got an old O'Connor model 30 fluid head with a tripod and ground spreader for something like $200 on ebay. It is old, but my understanding is that was an extremely common rental head for many years, and you still find places renting them. It is serious overkill for a DVX, but works very well.


http://www.flickr.com/photos/tigeba/130465306/


That is what it looks like. It is on the hi-hat, I don't have a photo of the tripod. Just a suggestion if you want to try to get something sub-1K that is quality :)
 
I actually really like the sound of the Bogen 503/351 combination, and it seems to be well-liked on these forums. Does that sound like a solid way to go?
 
In a word... no

You really should listen to what the guys are saying... unless money is the deciding factor... if that's the case then good luck...
 
I own and have owned lots of Bogen/Manfrotto tripods as well as two Sachtlers. I have rented and used all of the others, the Cartonis, Vinten, O'Conners, Miller, etc. Bogen is not a very good tripod. Personally, I am a Sachtler snob, they are by far the best tripod made regardless of cost.

You buy Bogen if you are cheap and it's all you can afford.

You buy Sachtler when you have the bucks and you want to be done with buying tripods for life. Just buy a good one, not the ultra low end ones like the DV-2 and 4.

Best,

Dan
 
Cartoni's are SO much nicer than Bogen. I know a lot of people love Bogen but they always feel cheap and jerky to me. I warn you though, the Cartoni's are much heavier and not the best for run and gun stuff (at least with the standard sticks).
 
Well, I'm happy for some of you who can afford a $2500 tripod setup. That's great, but I don't see us spending more than $600 to $700 for the legs and head total. So try to filter your suggestions accordingly. Thanks.
 
Hey guys I had the same question, I love when you find the perfect thread, exactly what I was looking for.... What do you think, is the DV-6sb worth the $1,000 difference from the DV-1? I am looking for a really nice tripod for some nice fluid motion but would definetly like to save a grand if I can.... What do you think, is the dv1 stripped of what makes the tripods special to begin with (except for the fluid head) or is it just a great value and the logical choice considering the difference in the price?...

Thanks,
Adam Aftab
 
look at my link 3 posts up. That Davis and Sanford. 199.95 and its really heavy duty and fluid head, nice quick release large plate...

minimum height 35" maximum height 68" Thats plenty. I dont know why people spend thousands of dollars. When you can get something just as good for 1/5th the price.

just my $0.02

EDIT ** oh and i just checked, price INCLUDES a case (i got one plate on the tripod and an extra in the case.)
 
Honestly, the only Sachtler I can afford is the DV-1. I'm curious to know what makes it so crappy compared to the more expensive models if Sachtler is so widely known for quality.

As for the Cartoni's, we can't afford one with a fluid head (the least expensive fluid system being the F101 Cartoni Focus for $1300)

Now what?
 
Reflex:

You wrote, "I dont know why people spend thousands of dollars. When you can get something just as good for 1/5th the price."

You can't be serious. While the Davis and Sanford is a fine tripod for $200.00, you have obviously not ever used a Sachtler, Vinten or OConnor tripod. They are VERY different than the Davis and Sanford you bought. It's naive to think that they are the same, that's like saying a $300.00 JVC consumer DV camcorder and the HVX-200 are the same because they are both digital and both camcorders.

A $200.00 tripod is not the same as a $2,000.00 tripod, if they were, companies like Sachtler, OConnor and Vinten would have gone out of business decades ago. The technology that they put into the construction of their heads and sticks is nothing short of amazing and the results speak for themselves. Can you do a smooth pan left and tilt down at a 45 degree angle while zoomed in 75% of the zoom range on your camera? I guarantee you would see bumps and jerks in the footage you would shoot with your Davis and Sanford while with a $2,000.00 to $3,000.00 tripod, you could do that same move smoothly, if you have the skills as an operator.

See, that's the thing, I have been shooting film and video for 28 years and even I cannot always get a smooth simultaneous tilt and pan, even with the $500.00 to $700.00 Bogens. In this rare case, it's not the operator, it's the gear, it's not capable of doing this sort of move smoothly because it is not as high a quality fluid head mechanism. The cheap stuff is not a precise instrument, it's a coarse, low-end piece of machinery. The high-end stuff is made to much more precise tolerances, which costs a lot more to engineer and produce.

If you mainly shoot interviews with a mostly locked off camera, I agree, buy a cheap tripod, that's why we have mostly Bogens at the production company I work at, we mostly shoot interviews. But when we go on a TV or film set and have to obtain smooth, jerk-free pans and tilts while tracking action, we use a Sachtler. When we use a jib arm to shoot tabletop, we rent a big old OConnor head because they give the results we need.

Unfortunately, you will go through many tripods in your career. You will soon outgrow your Davis and Sanford, then will probably step up to something slightly better for $500.00 or $600.00, then you will tire of that and will possibly then spend the big bucks to buy something quality. I know, I have done it, everyone I know in this business has done it. The thing is, when you do that, over the long run, you are compromising your end product (nothing looks more amateurish than clunky camera movement) and you are wasting a lot of time and money when if you would have purchased something professional to begin with, it will last you most of your career. Yes, something like a Sachtler is expensive but in the long run, it's not expensive because you can buy it, maintain it and it will give you great results today and tomorrow.

Tripods and grip and lighting are the rare tools in production where they actually devalue very slowly and do not change technology very quickly. If you spend $5,000.00 and buy a Sachtler Video 18 head and carbon fiber legs today, you will be using it well into the future when we are all shooting Ultra HiDef onto virtual holographic RAM storage with some unknown, not invented yet camcorder. A good tripod, light or C-stand will always be a good tripod, light or C-stand.

Just a bit of advice from someone who has gone through all of this and have seen countless hundreds of colleagues go through the same thing. Cheap=short term, replace, upgrade, replace. Expensive=hurts when you shell out the bucks but can last and give you great results for decades.

All the best,

Dan
 
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