Best Trip-Pod for A1 $500 or less..

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bentramer81

Well-known member
I need something that pans smoothly, I'd like some feedback on what you guys suggest. Fluid Heads only for recommends please. Anyone know about the Libec LS-35? Looks to be way under 500, has a fluid head... basically the most bang for the buck. :2vrolijk_08: Also the heading is tri pod, not trip pod... sorry. :)
 
True fluid head will cost you $500 minimum. Check out the Bogen 503HDV to find a combination that fits your price range or you might be able to find an the older Bogen 503 (now discontinued) for cheaper.
 
My honest to goodness response is: don't bother. The adage of getting what you pay for applies tenfold to tripods.

If $500 is all you can scrounge up, shop for a good used one.
 
Mirezzi said:
My honest to goodness response is: don't bother. The adage of getting what you pay for applies tenfold to tripods.

If $500 is all you can scrounge up, shop for a good used one.
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Well, I can't quite agree with you there. A good tripod can easily cost two grand or more and I suspect quite a few people aren't quite ready to pony up that kind of cash after buying a camera. With that said there are lesser alternatives that will do the job, such as the Bogen 503 351MVB2K combo that's fairly popular.
 
Iv'e got a Bogen 501HDV on the 351 legs and , since the A1 is so light, it works pretty well. THe 503HDV is a bit better but, unless you need to add extra weight (shadow box, 35mm adapter, etc) will work very well.
 
Seriously get the LS38 - its better than a bogen. These tripods DO NOT offer alteration to the level of drag but its so well suited to what is typically needed and so MUCH smoother its the clear winner for me.
 
How do you guys feel about the LS-22 head on bogen legs... I need to use the bogen legs because they can reach much higher and this is important for what we are shooting.
 
It is o.k for it"s price. I used to use it for my DVX100, but the XHA1 is abit heavy on the front, and the counter balance for this tripod is not strong enough for the XHA1, even the counter balance for the 501HDV is not strong enough for the XHA1.

The plate is fix, even thought it has a quick relase. so you can't really slide front or back. No drag on both horizontal and vertical . But it is smooth enough anyway. Even the Libec LS38 has no drag.
 
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My question kind of got skipped over with a new question.... Here it is again, but added a bit more.

How do you guys feel about the LS-22 head on bogen legs... I need to use the bogen legs because they can reach much higher and this is important for what we are shooting. A newb question but why would a high dollar photo tripod (the legs) not work for with a fluid head for shooting video?
 
What's the difference between bogen 503 and 503HDV? Is this just an excuse to increase price by $100 or does the 503HDV model offer something better?
 
The reviewer of the libec LS38 is critical of legs wind-up.

The panning torque should be fairly low anyway, so why does it matter if the legs twist under heavier force? And even if it does wind-up, when you stop panning it would unwind while your hand is still holding the pan handle, so that shouldn't affect operation, right?

I'm sure there must be a good reason to be rigid against twisting, I just don't get it.
 
highdefvideo said:
What's the difference between bogen 503 and 503HDV? Is this just an excuse to increase price by $100 or does the 503HDV model offer something better?
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503HDV has counter balance that is selectable. 3 settings. Where as the counter balance on the old 503 is not.
 
The 503HDV is only fitted with a left hand rosette for the pan handle, right hand or twin handle operation is out.

If you've got a 503 with one handle and want a second one for more stability, control and much smoother pans, grab one right now as they're discontinued along with the 503.

Think I got the last one from Adorama.
 
bentramer81 said:
How do you guys feel about the LS-22 head on bogen legs...
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If you are going to use the camera with minimal additional weight its fine, youll get solid smooth operation from it. But as i previously stated the level of drag on these is non adjustable. But they are smooth, which to me is far more important.
 
I have bought the LS-38 myself few weeks ago, and it's really a great tripod. I would recommend it to anyone!

Bought it at B&H for $675, but sure worth the price.
 
I bought the LS-38 with mid-level spreaders. It's my first decent video tripod (before had a Bogen 501 on regular 3021 sticks), and I bought based upon the review linked above. I think it's probably pretty good value, but it's far from perfect.

My main problems with it are that the tilt lock is not progressive at all--once it's locked down, even with a pretty light turn to the lever, it won't come unlocked smoothly--it resists then snaps. It's kind of an on-off control. Kind of frustrating. I wonder if I got a badly made one, or if it needs lube or something.

But it is about 100 times smoother and steadier than the 501 I had. I can see that a Very Good Tripod is a Very Important Investment. Down the road a piece, that is. I'm starting to look at 'pods in the $1200 range for when this one gets relegated to backup status.
 
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