Do you have a Kessler Crane?

Rick Meyer

Rick Meyer

Veteran
I am about to get a Kessler Crane but have recently developed some concerns.

Does this crane only rest directly on the tripod Head? If so, how much wear and tear does it cause on the head? I have a Libec H35 head/T 57 legs...I was just wondering if this would be able to handle the wear and tear of the Kessler without too much stress? I called Libec and of course they want me to upgrade to an $1100 pair of tripod legs. I called Kessler and they said my setup would be perfect. Who to believe?

Please, if you have the Kessler (because I am pretty much sold on it..besides, I've already asked Santa for one) I would love some feedback!

Greatly appreciated!

Rick
 
all this talk of jib arms is driving me ins-CRANE!


sorry. that might be the least funny pun i have ever come up with...

drrrrr....where's my coffee?
 
come on...there has GOT to be some Kessler Crane owners out there with some feedback...

Please?....Anybody?...
 
I don't think you have much to worry about. You should be just fine with the kessler and a decent tripod. I've had one for about a month and it works fine with my cheapo tripod. I am getting a new set of sticks and head to use solely with the crane, only because my current tripod is a piece of crap. It was falling apart even before I mounted the crane to it.
I don't know what your head is rated for, but just move the crane slowly at first and test for any stress points.
worst comes to worse, get a cheap workhorse tripod from ebay and use your nice one for regular camera use.
 
Yeah, that's what I plan to do after I get the Crane. But, I am not 100% sure what specs I'll need for the crane. It seems that tripods/heads that have high weight thresholds are WAY expensive.
 
that was my same worry, but according to eric from kessler, the weight rating is not how much weight can go on the head, but how much weight it can hold in a forward dump without releasing from the quick release plate (?) He just wrote a good response in the crane/jib poll post. From personal experience, it seems fine with a head rated for about 14 pounds.
 
By the way, to get my DVX balanced perfectly, I had to use over 15 lbs of counterweights! I didn't think it would require that much. I'd recommend getting a 10lb weight instead of all 5lbs. So that means that you've got approx. 40-43 lbs total between the cam, crane, and counterweights. the only tripod heads rated for this much weight are waaaay out of my price range.
 
Damon_C said:
...So that means that you've got approx. 40-43 lbs total between the cam, crane, and counterweights. the only tripod heads rated for this much weight are waaaay out of my price range.
Click to expand...

Exactly! There seems to be some confusing info all over the place regarding tripod/heads and their respective weight thresholds. It's a simple concept but for some reason is a little muddy for me. I spoke to Eric on the phone and he did explain the 'forward dump' feature that only a beefy head can withstand. Thank God he essentially wrote our conversation down in that thread. Now I can read it a few times to better understand it.

I don't want to worry about the crane EVER slipping off the tripod. For obvious reasons. But, I also do not want to limit the crane's possibilities. So, I guess I am in the market now for a sturdy solution. However, I already have two decent tripods for each of my cameras. Now, I have to find a third that is dedicated to the crane. How to find a real sturdy one that will safely give me the full movement of the Kessler without breaking the bank is tricky. I am going to have to LIVE on EBAY for a while I am afraid.

What would really help is for the Kessler Crane owners to chime in and share their crane/tripod legs/tripod head experiences. I already know I want a Kessler. I am sold on the danged product. I just want to solve the tripod problem before she gets here.

Kessler Crane/adequate tripod legs/head owners???

Thanks in advance guys!
Rick
 
please keep us up to date with your tripod/legs/head search rick.

and i also can't wait to get a post-christmas kessler crane review from you!
 
I definitely will. If I don't get one under the tree, I will get one very soon after. But, If I DO get one from Santa, I will probably have it up and running about 20 minutes after I open it. So, I'll let you all know.
 
I should have my new tripod pretty soon here, for use with the Kessler, and I'll report back on this thread to let you know how it holds up.
I got this setup on ebay: BOGEN 3050 TRIPOD W/ 3063 FLUID HEAD

Someone else on DVX User said they used this set up for their crane because it was rock solid. The 3050 is no longer made, so it makes for cheap pickins on ebay. We managed to get this setup for 70 bucks plus 30 shipping.
I'll be really happy if it works well for the crane.

If you get a Kessler though, you're in for a big treat no matter what. Especially if it'll be your first crane. Fair warning though, one of the first things you'll want is an extra fluid head to mount in the camera basket. This way you can use the handle on this fluid head to guide the camera around as if it's floating in space. It makes for much better shots. It's kind of a manual alternative to the $2000 motorized pan/tilt heads.
 
Hey, thanks for the BOGEN model numbers. I was scratching my head yesterday wondering what I should be looking at in terms of model numbers. And if it DOES work, I guarantee you, I will spend A LOT of time on EBAY to follow in your footsteps! 70 bucks! That's awesome!

I do have two tripods. I also have a Bogen 701rc head. It's not that big but it should be sufficient enough to sit in the bucket. I am real excited about that. Ideally, I would get a dedicated beefy tripod/head for the crane with an additional head for the bucket so I wouldn't have to pull my stuff apart everytime I wanted to use it. But, I'm just thankful now I HAVE two good tripods. So, I'm not complainin'...

Rick
PS Please do report back on the setup when you get her...
 
Ok, so I finally got the tripod from ebay after much waiting. It is built like a tank, and will support the Kessler crane with no problem. Total cost- $125
the model numbers are: Bogen 3050 sticks W/ 3063 head
It is heavy duty, and weighs a lot, and feels like it could support more than what I'm putting on it. So I would say go for one of these if you can find them.
 
Thanks for the heads up. I did in fact get a KESSLER CRANE K8 for Christmas. I love it, sort of. I mean, she is beautiful and I think she'll do nicely. However, the platform bolts do not fit the quick release plates on either tripod that I have. Have you had this problem?

Thanks for the input.
Rick
 
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