Cobra Crane I+ or Cobra Crane II+ ?

kecorcoran

kecorcoran

Well-known member
Hello,
I've read the various threads on cranes, and am interested in in the Cobra Crane.

I've seen the question asked but never answered -- should I be looking at the Cobra Crane I+ or the Cobra Crane II+? In the threads I've read, I've seen some conflicitng info.

For example, disjecta writes:
I recommend the cobra crane II from Promax.
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while cinebuddy writes:
Stay away from the cobra crane II.  Too damn big
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and magicdavek writes:
The cobra crane II seems like it would be for a full size cam. Wouldn't the cobra crane I be appropriate for the DVX?
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but nobody ever answers.

My thought is that the DVX is within the weight limits of the Cobra Crane I+, so I should just go with that since it would be less bulk to transport.

But if somebody has any other advice as to why I might want to get the heavier Cobra Crane II+, I'd be curious to hear.

Disjecta, if you are reading, I'd be especially interested in hearing your thoughts. I know you've got the II, and I'm curious why you chose it and if you thought it was worth the extra bulk, seeing as you had to lug it around through all those beautiful landscapes you shoot.

Thanks in advance for your help.
 
Re: Cobra Crane I+ or Cobra Crane II+ ?

The Cobra Crane I is probably fine. I bought the II model before I had the DVX. I used a DSR-250 (Sony) ENG cam at that time so it may be overkill...

Talk to the guys at Promax or look at the specs for the model...
 
Re: Cobra Crane I+ or Cobra Crane II+ ?

How smooth is it? I used a crane once that cost abou 3 grand and it was amazing....does it balance well? Any shakiness?
 
Re: Cobra Crane I+ or Cobra Crane II+ ?

I have the Cobra Crane 1 Backpacker (it breaks down smaller), with the 3 foot extension (that's the 1+)

I have used a much older but much larger (200 pound) crane that a production company let me borrow, and I love my cobra crane!

It's very easy to balance, portable, sets up and breaks down easy, and the shots look really smooth attached to a fluid head. I actually went out and bought a Bogen Manfrotto set up for the crane though.
 
Re: Cobra Crane I+ or Cobra Crane II+ ?

well i have the skycrane jr. and it seems to be perfectly suited for the dvx-100

it works well with either a bare bones dvx-100 or my current fully loaded dvx with the chrosziel matte box and pana anamorphic lens + shotgun mic!

matthew
 
Re: Cobra Crane I+ or Cobra Crane II+ ?

[quote author=Phil link=board=Links;num=1099604159;start=0#3 date=11/04/04 at 20:47:54]I have the Cobra Crane 1 Backpacker (it breaks down smaller), with the 3 foot extension (that's the 1+) [/quote]
Phil,
Does the Backpacker seem solid enough? I had thought about going that route but I had thought that maybe the smaller pieces coupled with the extension arm would make for more assembly points, and that the assembled crane might be more rickety.
 
Re: Cobra Crane I+ or Cobra Crane II+ ?

all i gotta say is dvmoves.com -- check out the dvcrane --

i love this guy -- works great for me... easier to set up than the cobra, and competitively priced --

cheers :D
 
Re: Cobra Crane I+ or Cobra Crane II+ ?

I am seriously looking at this crane and wondering if anyone here has experience with it.
This is what they list (poor grammar and all) as advantages over the cable/pulley sytem.

DVC200 MiniDV Camera Crane
-It does not use a pulley system. The prevents cable slippage when using a heavier camera. Pullies are great from smaller cameras, but when using a camera such as the XL1s you can't afford a jerky tilt.
-With this camera crane, users can choose to tilt the camera independently while tilting the crane body so there is no need for an expensive motorized panhead, or by using the auto tilt feature, keep the camera fixed at the same angle while tilting the crane body. Most cranes force you to keep the camera level while booming. That won't allow you to keep focused on a subject and can severely limits your shots.
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The main disadvantage I see is that camera tilt is limited to 90 degrees at a time in 45 degree steps.
It does not come with a tripod base, mounts to your own tripod.
Check it out here ...
http://www.bargain-camera.com/productionequipment/cranes2.html
 
Re: Cobra Crane I+ or Cobra Crane II+ ?

[quote author=Kevin_Corcoran link=board=Links;num=1099604159;start=0#5 date=11/05/04 at 17:56:50]
Phil,
Does the Backpacker seem solid enough? I had thought about going that route but I had thought that maybe the smaller pieces coupled with the extension arm would make for more assembly points, and that the assembled crane might be more rickety.[/quote]
Hey Kevin, Well, I've used it a bunch of times now and it's been great. I think a more expensive crane would be stronger and better...but that's true with every accessory for our camera...

I bought this for the price and recommendations from people I know here like Boo, he knows a lot so I listened to him, and it worked out!
 
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