Alternative to high priced tripods?

And then try something made by oconnor.....

I have had some tripods/heads for the better part of 20 years try that with your favorite cheap tripod.

If you buy the right one it will last you a long time, if you buy a cheap one wou'll get to buy more than a few other cheap ones over the years
 
VenezuelanD,

I could not agree with you more. So far, you have offered the most clearly though out response to this whole topic. But more importantly, thank you for bringing this wildly OT thread back to where it began by adding your $.02 about the Amvona tripods.

Taking what you said one step farther [and still waaay OT:)]: there is no doubt that the digital revolution has blurred the lines between consumer and professional... at least in regard to the cameras themselves. This is a good thing. However, we 'prosumers' have been a little spoiled by this. The transition to near-professional acquisition has been so swift that we expect other parts of the industry to react just as quickly. Unfortunately this is just not the case.

Economics has been pointed out as the cause of high prices in the arena of professional equipment. Although without quoting any specific statistics, I think it is safe to say that due to the prosumer camera explosion, there is surely a higher demand now for professional support equipment than there was 10 years ago. Will this demand ultimately result in lower cost alternatives for camera support, lighting and grip, etc.? It should. But whether or not it does, the important thing to remember is that we are not there yet. Like it or not, right now, you do get what you pay for. As a 'prosumer' myself, I can only hope that this becomes less true as the added demand for these products continues to grow. Until then...

Lastly (bringing this thread back on-topic again)... mainstreetprod, can you tell me exactly which tripod you got? I'm on the Amvona.com website and their 'complete systems' are vastly different then the heads and tripods they sell separately. Thanks!

Eric
 
I just purchased the tripod that has been discussed here, the Amnova (Dynatran AT-9903) and readily echo the comments about the misgivings that have been expressed about the system. It replaced a simple 20 year old Bogen with worn-out legs.

First the good...

The legs are sturdy and easily set up. There is a world of difference between simply letting the legs fall to the ground rather than having to adjust the legs from the top and guess where they are supposed to fall.

Now the unforgivable...

The matching head is quite possibly the worst piece of c*^$ I have ever owned. Almost zero adjustability in pan and tilt. Did I say adjustability? I should have said moveability! Pans stick, tilts are at best so-so and forget about doing any sort of combination move. It's just too heavy in pre-set. I'm honestly worried about losing work after having tried this system on 3 consecutive shoots.

Now the unexplainable...

The real problem with this setup for users of light-weight cameras is the 100mm bowl. There is no reason for such a heavy device where the average price for a matching head of any quality is around $5000.

On the plus side, Amnova was more than gracious about taking it back along with a little bit of my complaining. Pro shooters these guys are not. But neither are they Brooklyn con artists.
 
I have the 9903 from amvona, and agree that the head leaves something to be desired. The sticks are great though. This tripod should not spark such a debate people. It is not going to compare to a real PRO tripod. It is aimed at the prosumer and definitely has its place for us who at the moment cant afford a $2000 tripod. It is a great alternative that is better than a cheapo tripod. If I was a producer on a set with investors , salaries, reputations at stake no way in hell would I allow this tripod on set, but it works well enough for my short films and videos. Anyway, I would still recommend this tripod to someone who needs a decent tripod but cant afford a $2000-$3000 tripod. Especially because the sticks really are awesome.
 
As I mentioned earlier, after using the Amvona for a couple of months now, I'm a lot less enchanted with it - but not as disgusted as Steve is. I agree totally on the lack of adjustability. I think part of the problem is that the head is designed for a Betacam or similar weight camera and I am using a lightweight HVX. I have gotten some smooth pans and tilts at times but it takes way too much work. I will probably invest in a Sachtler head that will fit these sticks. If you look at it as an investment in sticks rather than a head, it's a good deal for typical Ebay of $400. And if you happen to have a heavy camera the head may serve you quite well.
 
Hey mainstreetprod, I hope you weren't too offended by my comments earlier in this thread. I was a little harsh, but I hope you can see now that I was just trying to help people because I was calling Amvona on those misleading reviews. No hard feeling, alright? Good luck on your Sachtler purchase.

Too bad some people were calling me a douche bag though :huh:
 
I think alot of people forget that 50% of your cost comes from the last 10% of quality.

Heck, I played with a Sachtler last weekend, and while it cost 4 times what my Manfrotto 503 cost, it sure ain't 4 times the head! I'm satisfied with my current setup, which is probably 80-85% as good for about 1/4 the price...
 
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