How to Choose, Setup, Balance and Operate a Pro Video Tripod

I've been using an older Manfrotto/Bogen tripod, until I can find a deal on something better, and a technique I've been using to get smoother pans is, after weighing down the legs by hanging my backpack under the head, I'll take just a regular rubber band and lightly stretch it out between my hands, then place the stretched middle part of it against the pan handle, and pull the rubber band in the direction I want the handle to move. The "give" that the elastic has acts as a buffer for the starting-and-stopping jerkiness my arm muscles sometimes have when I'm overthinking a camera move. As long as I let the handle lag behind my hands, to maintain some range of tension, I've found it rounds out the accels and decels better than directly touching the handle, at the cost of some precision in framing where the pan stops.
 
NorBro said:
So much work...do you film in a cyc or have your own personal similar setup?
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It's just a white background in my garage. Not every good, really. it used to be good enough but I really need to up my game next time I do a new video series. There's amateurs on YouTube with better looking setups than mine.
 
Doug Jensen said:
It's just a white background in my garage. Not every good, really. it used to be good enough but I really need to up my game next time I do a new video series. There's amateurs on YouTube with better looking setups than mine.
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Some of those YouTubers and others have the nicest backgrounds that I've ever seen while randomly scrolling.

The gamers do creative stuff with geometric panels/pieces from all those Chinese sites and lots of RGB lighting, etc.

Looks so techy and very clean.
 
I'm pretty sure this is the most comprehensive video regarding tripod selection/operation on the internet.

Tremendous work!

Makes me want to finally ditch my old Vinten Vision 3's (with full complement of counterbalance springs).
 
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