I'd love a panther but want to pay for a sachtler 6..thoughts?

Don Schechter

Don Schechter

Active member
The subject line says it all. I don't want to spend 4500+ for a system now since the plunge to the HPX and other equipment is draining. Abelcine said Focus AL 2 is good enoguh, B&H pushed the Sachtler dv6.

Anyone have any advice/reviews/suggestions?

Thanks!
 
Scrape together all the money you can to buy the best tripod you can. You will have the tripod far longer than the camera. Just got off a shoot with a pod I know is at least 15 years old. Haven't shot with 15 year old camera in a long time. Not video anyway.

Also try them out if you can. All tripods are not created equal. Even from the same company and same model.

Personal preference is also a big issue Sachtler guys shoot Sachtler.
My2 cents
 
In tripod, Id always look for a quality second hand first off. The more expensive tend to be better cared for and have much more longevity.
 
I just dropped a pretty big amount on a used sachtler video 25 - used in good condition - I love that tripod - but it is a pretty penny
 
Return it.

Return it.

Don Schechter said:
I got a sachler dv6...i must be crazy, right? Max load is 20lbs which should be plenty....
Click to expand...


Rating at 20lbs is way too light, espcecially after mbox, filters and monitor. If the rating is 20 don't go over 15 (in fact go less) is my advice. Cartoni Focus is not built for commercial use or a camera that big. DV6 is good for an HVX but just too lightweight for an HPX. Also the pan/tilt fluid motion I find suspect. Even though it's a fluid head it feels like it's resistance levels is done by friction.

Used Sachtlers are a good deal. Look for a Panorama. Much smoother than a DV 6. It's really a toy.

I think the best quality for the money are the Miller Arrow series. I bought an Arrow 25 and it smokes anything Sachlter has for the the price. I'd put it's motion/build in the Video 20 range. It can handle up to 30lbs. I didn't want to spend more than 3g for a head and at 2500 it beat out Sachtler 8 and 12, Cartoni Gamma and Panther in terms of smooth fluid motion and resistance curves. No backlash - so long lens work is a dream. Excellent fore and aft plate adjustment. Using it with Miller VJ Carbon legs. Bought mine from ENG Gadgets. Good people.

Casey at B & H video department at NYC turned me on to it. Told him how much I wanted to spend and we lined up all the Vintens, Cartoni's and Sachtlers in that range. Next to the Arrow, there was no comparison.

I started with much heavier film cameras so I've been accustomed to true smooth fluid movement of O'Connor 2575 and Sachtler 9x9's. But for smaller cameras and lighter weights, I always felt no one could really duplicate that high end motion I became used to at a reasonable price. I feel Miller really stepped up the game with the Arrows.

Get rid of that DV 6. It's not the Sachtler quality they built their name on. In fact it's made in Costa Rica by Vitec (makers of Bogen, Vinten and Gitzo crap).

My two cents

Tim Naylor - DP
www.timnaylor.com
 
The build quality on Vinten is excellent. I find the movement the best of friction heads, but still a friction head. It is not a true fluiid module head - hence it lacks that secure and smooth movement you get with a real fluid head. They are popular in the ENG world where the build and weight are critical, however, you'll rarely see one in drama or commercials. I've used them countless times for ENG work.

But I find its friciton based movement doesn't lend itself as well to intricate and ultra precise moves needed in fiction. I'm sure I'll get beat up on this but that's how I find the Vision Series (Tested the entire range up to 10). They're like better built Manfrottos, essentially. Also, adjusting the resistance is not as progressive as the numbers would lead you to believe. It's like tightening down a screw, especially on the tilt. At the high end you really have to start cranking down hard to get noticeable differences. That's what happens when the resistance is created by two greased plates pressing up against each other.

In short, I find them overrated and over priced (Vision Series). On the good side, they'll probably last a long time.

Another head to consider in the sub 2k is the Libec H70. Underrated and at a decent price. This too uses fluid modules for resistance and not plate and plate friction and it shows. Incredibly smooth and blows away just about any head in its price range. Don't know why no one on this site considers Libec. They're clearly better than sachtler in the below 2k range.
 
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