Hi all! I am in the middle of choosing a support system setup that will let me interchange Canon 60D and 5D Mk III bodies into and out of tripods/monopods/future rigs for both photography and videography. I've settled on the Gitzo GT 3542LS for my sticks and GM3551 for the monopod, onto which a RRS BH-55 and MH-01 heads with RRS lever-release clamps will go (respectively) for primarily photography. The question I have relates to the fluid head I am currently planning on buying, as I am not experienced with higher end fluid heads from the likes of Sachtler, O'Connor, Vinten, etc.
Currently, I am planning on getting the RRS TA-3-LB-HK leveling base for my Gitzo sticks:
http://reallyrightstuff.com/ProductDesc.aspx?code=TA-3-LB-HK&type=4&eq=This
will give me leveling base functionality in combination with the BH-55 ballhead for photos, but it also includes a 75mm video bowl which I was planning on using a Sachtler Cine DSLR with. The problem is, the Sachtler head has a really long, proprietary plate that is not compatible with the Arca-Swiss L-plates that I am going to be using on the camera bodies, so to remedy this I was going to purchase a RRS B2 LR II to screw directly on to the top of the Sachtler head:
http://reallyrightstuff.com/ProductDesc.aspx?code=B2-LR-II&eq=I'm
I'm told by the folks at RRS that this will work and give the Sachtler head Arca-Swiss capability, but I am really not sure if it would be also nice to have some kind of sliding rail system, or at least something like the RRS 192 FAS package (http://reallyrightstuff.com/ProductDesc.aspx?code=192-FAS-Pkg) for balancing the load of my rig. On top of it, RRS is coming out with their own fluid head, the FH-55 which has native Arca-Swiss compatibility, but since it's not on the market yet I am worried to invest in untested hardware, and even if the Sachtler Cine DSLR has an unwieldy plate (what is the benefit of it being so long anyway?) incompatible with the rest of my gear, I am inclined not to jump on the FH-55 because it's so new.
Any advice from others who have graced Sachtler heads with Arca-Swiss compatibility would be most appreciated! Also, opinions on the RSS FH-55 fluid head?
Currently, I am planning on getting the RRS TA-3-LB-HK leveling base for my Gitzo sticks:
http://reallyrightstuff.com/ProductDesc.aspx?code=TA-3-LB-HK&type=4&eq=This
will give me leveling base functionality in combination with the BH-55 ballhead for photos, but it also includes a 75mm video bowl which I was planning on using a Sachtler Cine DSLR with. The problem is, the Sachtler head has a really long, proprietary plate that is not compatible with the Arca-Swiss L-plates that I am going to be using on the camera bodies, so to remedy this I was going to purchase a RRS B2 LR II to screw directly on to the top of the Sachtler head:
http://reallyrightstuff.com/ProductDesc.aspx?code=B2-LR-II&eq=I'm
I'm told by the folks at RRS that this will work and give the Sachtler head Arca-Swiss capability, but I am really not sure if it would be also nice to have some kind of sliding rail system, or at least something like the RRS 192 FAS package (http://reallyrightstuff.com/ProductDesc.aspx?code=192-FAS-Pkg) for balancing the load of my rig. On top of it, RRS is coming out with their own fluid head, the FH-55 which has native Arca-Swiss compatibility, but since it's not on the market yet I am worried to invest in untested hardware, and even if the Sachtler Cine DSLR has an unwieldy plate (what is the benefit of it being so long anyway?) incompatible with the rest of my gear, I am inclined not to jump on the FH-55 because it's so new.
Any advice from others who have graced Sachtler heads with Arca-Swiss compatibility would be most appreciated! Also, opinions on the RSS FH-55 fluid head?
