What tripod is everyone using with their HVX200

tnle2 said:
I went against the crowd and got an OConnor Ultimate DV (this head is no longer in production though). For now I'm putting it on an old set of aluminum Gitzo G340 legs that I had for my still photo cameras. I just took out the center plate and installed a G1424 100mm bowl adapter. The counterbalance can be wound from zero all the way up to 18 lbs (@ 6") and 24 lbs (@ 4") so it can handle an HVX just fine.

This head is mighty sweet, but it's also mighty huge and mighty heavy compared to a Focus or a Sachtler DV-6SB. It's sort of narrow, but it's very wide and very tall. But this thing is SOLID! It looks like platform for a guided missile launcher or something.

Using an electronic scale, the head with pan bar, 100 bowl and tiedown weighs 8 lbs, 4 oz. All together with the tripod, it weighs 14 lbs, 12 oz. Definitely NOT a lightweight setup.

Colorado Video, how much does the Focus weigh by itself with just the pan bar and bowl tie down?
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Focus weight by itself with just the pan bar and bowl tie down = 6lb 1oz

That OConner looks rock solid - more so than the focus. One initial objection I have on the Focus is that the pan & tilt lock levers are *very* small & flimsy. They would be hard to find if your hand wasn't on them. And I think that the tilt lock on my heads gets the most use of any part except the pan bar of course, so I wondered why they skimped there?

Weight was a primary factor in my decision - I'll be taking this into the field (mountains) - so I liked the weight of the Focus.


Cartoni comes in at an ~$800 price point, how about the O'Conner?



have
 
oconner heads are sweet... the 1030hd is the lowest model they make currently and that head, without legs, is gonna cost you about $560. oops forgot a zero. $5600.
 
that's the model i was thinking of.... the 1030 - i used to shoot on one of those in the 90s.... very nice, especially for a 20lb betacam... well, ya get what ya pay for and as long as that little tilt lock stays in one piece, the cartoni should ve a value leader!

jarred - do you have an opinion on the cartoni tilt lock lever? in the open poisition, mine's a bit loose. locked is tight, but the lever is soooo small!

i wondered if anyone has tried to beef theirs up?
 
Colorado Video said:
Cartoni comes in at an ~$800 price point, how about the O'Conner?
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About $2500 just for the head when they were still around. So it's not really fair to compare it to the Focus. Like Jarred said, the only way to get into a brand new OConnor now is the $5,600 1030HD. But the 1030HD is probably too big for an HVX, Z1 or HD100.

I had to search high and low for this head. I even called up shops in Canada but the last production run ended last year and most of them are all gone.

CO Video: I also didn't like the ergonomics of the knobs on the Focus. The tilt drag knob is especially weird.
 
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I don't have an HVX user...but I have opinions anyway.

My current setup is about 6.5# with camera, matte box, filter. I'm using the Bogen 542 ART carbon legs with their 503 head.

The 503 is nice and cheap, but I wouldn't use it at 8-10#, which is what an HVX could be with accessories. From the comments here, I'm going (to try) to check out the Cartoni focus head.

On the legs, a mid-level spreader was high on my list, because of potential floor issues. With the 542 I've found that having a knob to adjust the tilt of the legs is very useful. With shortening the legs it lets me have a very small footprint. That lets me position the camera in places I couldn't otherwise.

With DVRack and remote focus, iris, and zoom controls I don't really have to be behind the camera to set it up. I believe the knob is also called a squid and would be an important feature to me.
 
DavidNJ said:
I don't have an HVX user...but I have opinions anyway.

My current setup is about 6.5# with camera, matte box, filter. I'm using the Bogen 542 ART carbon legs with their 503 head.

The 503 is nice and cheap, but I wouldn't use it at 8-10#, which is what an HVX could be with accessories. From the comments here, I'm going (to try) to check out the Cartoni focus head.

On the legs, a mid-level spreader was high on my list, because of potential floor issues. With the 542 I've found that having a knob to adjust the tilt of the legs is very useful. With shortening the legs it lets me have a very small footprint. That lets me position the camera in places I couldn't otherwise.

With DVRack and remote focus, iris, and zoom controls I don't really have to be behind the camera to set it up. I believe the knob is also called a squid and would be an important feature to me.
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so is the 6.5# you mention the weight of the bogen head and legs???

what's the approx. cost of your bogen setup?
 
tnle2 said:
The Laser has numbered dials for the tilt drag, pan drag and counterbalance. The knobs are also more ergonomic IMO. Probably the biggest difference is that the highest drag setting on the Laser seems to be is a bit more than the Focus and the whole thing feels a little more solid than the Focus. It's hard to explain, but you can't go by specs alone--you have to try out these heads with a camera on them to see.
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Thanks. I used the Laser for a whiel and find that the Focus doesn't feel that much different so was curious why it's so damn cheap in comparison since, at least by the Cartoni spec sheets, they are identical. I actually prefer a few things of the Focus such as how the camera plate just locks in instead of having that easily lost screw to tighten it. I agree though that the Laser felt a bit more solid though I can't really say why either. As for the drag, I wish I still had access to a Laser so I could compare these things.
 
I guess I am the dissenter?

I guess I am the dissenter?

Hi all:

Yesterday I rented a jib arm for a tabletop shoot. Before we picked up the jib, the rental house called and said that they were out of the usual Sachtler tripod and Video 20 head that they supply us with when we rent this jib. They asked if they could send a Cartoni Focus. Being curious since there seem to be so many HVX-200/Cartoni Focus users, I said sure.

To make a long story short, you guys really like this thing? The drag setting controls seemed backwards, stiff and we never did get the tilt drag smooth, it still clicked on the end of the tilt down no matter what we did. The pan drag control had to be rotated almost endlessly to get any kind of adjustment. The rubber knobs on both controls were falling off. The tilt lock had a crack in it and was ready to snap off. The pan bar was small diameter and flexed at full extension. The legs were terrible, one of the feet had alreay been stripped off so it was just sitting on the bottom the leg but would fall off whenever we moved the tripod. The way the head retains the tripod mounting plate was odd, it seems if you ever accidentally hit the release lever that sticks out so far, your camera would take a tumble.

The illuminated bubble level was sweet. That was about the only thing I liked about the Focus. Granted, this was a rental unit and we all know that rental gear gets thrashed but come on, this thing was pretty pathetic. Why would I want to buy something that cannot take any punishment? ALL of the Sachtler gear I have ever rented and owned, no matter how thrashed seems to still function perfectly.

I guess this just goes to show, rent, rent, rent before you buy. If I had bought this tripod, I would have been extremely disappointed. No offense to any of you who own it, I know Barry and Jarred love their Focus but I must be thick because I just don't get it. This unit, to me, just seems a tiny step above the Bogen 501. I guess I will have to pony up the big bucks to get another Sachtler. Just as a heads-up to those of you considering the Focus, rent or borrow one before writing the check, you must try this unit out for your self to see if it will meet your needs. I can tell you it does not meet mine.

Best,

Dan
 
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Thanks for the warning because I already had the Focus Cartoni on my list. Now hearing your experiences I think I will spend some more money and switch back to a Sachtler which was on my list on the first place. Wonder what Barry and Jarred think about your experiences???
 
Dan, you're not the only one. Another person in the Cartoni review thread didn't like the Focus. I've also written about some of my own gripes since I first tried out a pre-production unit at Ste-Man over a year ago. But it's not really fair to compare the Focus to the Sachtler Video 20, which is a $6000 head. The Focus head alone can be bought for around $680 to $800 so you have to accept it for what it is--a sub $1000 head. Unlike electronics, a fluid head is a mechanical device and it really does cost a lot more to make it stronger, smoother or more precise.

IMHO, the Sachtler DV series heads aren't all that awesome either. To me, there is definitely a difference between the DV series and the Video and Panorama series. Also keep in mind if one of your Sachtler modules crap out it could cost as much as $1200 just to service it.

The only thing I strongly disagree about the Focus is the one poster in this thread that that said the Focus was the only way to go under $5000. There are a lot of other good choices out there if your budget was up to $5K. The Focus is a decent head for what it cost but it's not the end all be all of fluid heads.

Also, no matter what head you have, it still takes practice and skill to execute a smooth camera move. Maybe I just suck, but even on my OConnor I have to do some serious practicing.
 
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RandyRosenthal said:
We have had the Vinten Vision 3 Head and carbon fiber sticks for about 5 years now and loved it. We had heavier cameras on it before and now that we use the HVX we just needed to swap the balance spring in the head for like $20.
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Did you buy the Vision 3 without the spring suports or with the spring suports.

Thanks, Jimmy
 
A bogen 3036 big heavy tripod. Got it used for 500 bucks and it stands up to abuse. I'd like to have a more cinema style, but this set-up works very well.
 
I'm trying to decide which set of sticks is going to be the most versitile.

Miller's DV Solo CF vs. Sachtler's Speed Lock 75 CF

There seems to be advantages to both but I don't know what the final deciding factor should be. I love the concept of the speed lock on the Sachtler for really fast setups. The Miller might be a little more flexible for odd setups though. Also, will the Miller collapse at any point without a spreader on it if someone were to back into it?

Insight anyone?
 
i just got a dynatran 9903 system for $400 off e-bay and all i can say is wow...i had no idea a good tripod would make my footage that much better. its like i bought a different camera. anyone looking for a bargain pro tripod check these out, they retail for 1100-1300 but are going for much cheaper on e-bay, straight from amvona ( the manufacturer ). the reviews ive reag is that these are on par with much more expensive tripods.
 
jake stutheit said:
i just got a dynatran 9903 system for $400 off e-bay and all i can say is wow...i had no idea a good tripod would make my footage that much better. its like i bought a different camera. anyone looking for a bargain pro tripod check these out, they retail for 1100-1300 but are going for much cheaper on e-bay, straight from amvona ( the manufacturer ). the reviews ive reag is that these are on par with much more expensive tripods.
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The Dynatran 9903 is what it is--a $400 tripod. It is in no way on par with a $4K Sachtler 18 or a Vinten 10 or 12 no matter what review says. They may name drop equipment like Ikegamis, BVV-5's, Arriflexes, etc. but they don't fool me. The Dynatran doesn't even have the features those heads have. There is no way to change the drag, the counterbalance is only on or off and the bubble isn't even illuminated. Me thinks some of those reviews are from shills.
 
To throw a spanner in the works, I use the full miller kit - a DS10 head, and Solo CF legs. It works great for me. The head is OK - very tough and durable, even if the fluid movement is a bit basic.

That said, I find it much nicer than the 501/503 heads which I have used in the past. But I should make it clear - the Bogen / Manfrotto heads are great for the price.

I probably don't need to mention how good the miller solo legs - suffice to say I'm in agreement with everyone else here - and I love the 'woosh' sound they make when you open the locks...

I would have liked to get the cartoni head, but saw the whole package (DS10/SOLO) on eBay for £350 ($700). As a note, if you are in Australia, or planning to go there, the Miller tripods are really really cheap down under.
 
I have the 6 series of that tripod and I love it! The head is smooth and the 1 stage leg release make for quick setup. Also, you can't really appreciate carbon fiber construction unless you have humped old, huge, heavy, wooden film tripods through the desert...which I have...I love carbon fiber!

James
 
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