Cartoni Focus or Vinten Vision Blue?

Grug

Grug

Veteran
Hi guys,

I'm trying to decide on a tripod purchase for a DSLR kitted out with rails, FF, external recorder etc. and was wondering if anyone could share their thoughts on how the Cartoni focus and Vinten Vision Blue compare?

I have a little over $1000 to spend.

I've heard rave reviews for the Vinten, but am a but concerned that I'll start pushing the head's weight limit with the camera fully kitted out. The Cartoni can handle double the weight, but how does it compare performance-wise?

I've seen a couple of the Cartoni heads for sale used, so that seems like a viable option too.

Any thoughts, suggestions or alternatives would be much appreciated.

I'm also getting a slider and small jib, so something that could handle the extra weight without requiring a second tripod/head would be preferable. If need be I might expand my tripod budget to accodomate the other support gear with the single tripod/head combo.

Cheers
 
You may want to consider steering clear of the Focus. It got rave reviews when it first came out for some reason but I was not thrilled with the one I had. I liked the aluminum legs a lot but the head seemed less than pro quality. I got a miller DS20 for the same money and wow what a world of difference. There is very noticeable difference in fluid motion between the two. Don't have any first hand experience with Vinten but have never heard any negatives either.
 
I have the Vinten, which I generally keep attached to a set of Miller Solo DV carbon fiber sticks. This is my "lightweight/ENG" tripod; I also have a somewhat heavier Sachtler that I use for more static setups.

The build quality and smoothness of the Vinten are first rate. It feels and moves every bit as well as the Sachtler (although a little different -- like driving two different makes of cars, more or less). I like it a lot with a light camera rig.

The limitation, as the OP seems to be aware, is that the Vinten's variable counterbalance mechanism is designed in such a way that as you tighten it down to balance a heavier camera, the tilt range of the head is reduced, so pointing up or down at more than a modest angle becomes impossible. This effect doesn't kick in badly until you get pretty well up toward the head's specified maximum capacity, but I'd say anything up around ten pounds or more would be pushing it if you want the counterbalance to work properly. The camera I most often use on it is about eight pounds, and that works fine, but I have to be careful how much extra "stuff" I add to the rig beyond that.

So, thumbs way up on the Vision Blue if you are using it with a light camera setup. Caution if you intend to go beyond 8-10 pounds. It does what I needed it for and I appreciate the portability and modest price; the moves I can get with it are excellent and it has a high quality feel, fit and finish that impresses both me and my clients.

No experience with the Cartoni so I can't speak to that one.

- Greg
 
On a mild tangent, how much can I expect these tripods to keep their resale value? The vision blue looks like the absolute perfect tripod for me right now... but in 3-5 years when I need to upgrade to a heavier camera, is it basically going to be worthless, and are there other tripods that might hold their resale value better?
 
My experience is that tripods, as a class, depreciate much less quickly than equipment with active electronics like cameras and sound recorders. The widely recognized high end makes -- Sachtler, Vinten, Miller, O'Connor, maybe a few others -- hold their value best of all, and because those companies actively service and stock spare parts for their older models, they can have a useful lifespan measured in decades.

I really don't buy with resale value in mind when I shop for equipment; if I can get something back for an item when I'm done with it, I consider that sort of found money, an unexpected bonus. But of all the equipment used in filmmaking, name brand tripods are probably one of the better investments (along with some lenses and lighting gear).

- Greg
 
gco said:
You may want to consider steering clear of the Focus. It got rave reviews when it first came out for some reason but I was not thrilled with the one I had. I liked the aluminum legs a lot but the head seemed less than pro quality. I got a miller DS20 for the same money and wow what a world of difference. There is very noticeable difference in fluid motion between the two. Don't have any first hand experience with Vinten but have never heard any negatives either.
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I've read some quite mixed reviews too, some rave reviews and some that say it's terrific for its price-point but has some design flaws. So I'm a little in two minds about it. Certainly it's support range 1-10kg is precisely what I'm looking for.

I've also found a good deal on a lightly used Cartoni Focus, so that's really stacking things up in its favour.

And thanks for your thoughts on the Vinten Greg. I decided the Vision Blue is probably going to offer too little support range (at 5kg max) for my shooting. So now I'm looking at things like used Vision 5 LFs, and the new Miller Compass 12 and 15 heads (which all offer a similar payload range). Can anyone comment on any of those options (or similar ones)?

I've decided to push my tripod budget up to around $1500 to ensure that I can get a kit without any real compromises (I know I'd kick myself if I didn't). I'm pretty keen on the Miller Solo legs at the moment too.
 
I have a Cartoni Focus on Miller Solo sticks and have been extremely pleased with it. I'd be curious to know what mixed reviews have said were its design flaws. If there's something even better out there I'd love to know what I'm missing.
 
Lee Saxon said:
I have a Cartoni Focus on Miller Solo sticks and have been extremely pleased with it. I'd be curious to know what mixed reviews have said were its design flaws. If there's something even better out there I'd love to know what I'm missing.
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The mixed reviews were around 5 years ago when I bought my focus. Other than the flimsy little stick on pushbutton that controls the level light, mine has been rock solid and butter smooth.
 
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