Equipment Buying Questions: Tripod + Boom

[justincass]

Hi everybody. My friend and I have owned a Panasonic Pro 100A for a year and a half now, and unfortunately it hasn't seen much use. I'm hoping that getting some prerequisite equipment purchases out of the way will help get things started.

I've looked through a couple tripod suggestion threads, and the range of prices and suggestions is a little overwhelming. Our first tripod, which came with the camera, broke rather quickly and somehow a leg vanished, so I'm placing a high premium on durability and medium/low price: $100-$300, inc. shipping. It doesn't have to be exquisite, I just want something to get the job done for at least a year while we gain more experience and figure out what we'll need in the future. We don't have a lot of experience working with heads, so we're also looking for something that'll come in one piece, unless there's anything better available.

I read a recommendation for this piece[ http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=Search&A=details&Q=&sku=349250&is=REG&addedTroughType=search ] so I'm looking at this eBay page [ http://search.ebay.com/search/search.dll?from=R40&satitle=davis+tripod ], though I'm unsure how anything here would get along with my camera. If anyone has any advice on low-end tripods, including these, it'd be much appreciated.

Also, we need a boom pole for an Audio Technica AT835B. On the one hand, I don't want to use a broom handle, but on the other hand, I don't want to drop $100 for a stick. Can anyone advise us on low budget booms? Thanks.

 

[saturnin]

broom handle ..home depo man... same thing..

 

[Rush]

Hi Justin, if you want durability for about $300, go for the Bogen. Here is a link: [FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Bogen 3221WN Tripod Legs with 3433 Pro Video Head and Softcase [/FONT]

As far as a boompole, what you are paying for is a durable lightweight pole that telescopes and has the right connections. A decent one can be had for $90: [FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Gitzo G-556 Weekend 3-Section Aluminum Boompole[/FONT]

If you really don't want to spend the money on that, get a bulb-changing extension pole or a painter's extension pole from lowe's. Make sure it's black to avoid reflecting the lights in the set. You will probably have to gaffer tape the mic to it, since it will not have the correct 1/4-20 screw mount. Avoid the broom, since it just doesn't have the reach you'll need to stay out of a wide shot.