Manfrotto 501 vs other tripods?

T

Tass

Active member
Hi!

So I just had a small gig and used my HPX171 with a crappy velbon "fluid head" tripod. Need I say that it was a disaster when you zoomed in at max and even looked at the camera, shaky as hell!

So I started looking at other options, boy are they quite some, and oh booy it's expensive! I found the Manfrotto 501 hdv head, it's really popular but some say it's not good. I belive it's good for the money, and that it gives great value as many people say.. But I also found this on ebay: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Fancier-FC-...&otn=5&po=LVI&ps=63&clkid=3220095164269526246


Never heard of it, barely anything about it on the net. It's probably some china tripod. But it looks really similiar to much more expensive tripods. Because of me being a salesman and dealing with chinese factoires I know that many times they start producing their own versions of a famous products. At the same time they also produce the famous one next to the "no name brand". Something tells me that this could be the case with this sucker ..


Anyone that has any experience with these tripods, or something similiar at the same pricerange? Can I get some other more "known" and better tripod for the same money?

One last question, when I was fully zoomed in, it got all shaky as soon as I layed my hand on the tripod handle to move in any direction. Is this due to the crappy tripod or is it user error? Should I use OIS in camera to hide some of the vibrations? (i know that you shouldn't use OIS otherwise on tripod, but in this case maybe?).
 
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After owning many Manfrotto tripods and heads, I have to say I am not a fan of their heads.

With a real fluid head, your camera should float and be able to stop at any position you point it at. My next tripod will likely be a Libec RS250M, which has had very good reviews. It's not cheap, but then it's not pricey either.

Libec RS-250 Tripod kit from B&H
 
TheDingo said:
After owning many Manfrotto tripods and heads, I have to say I am not a fan of their heads.

With a real fluid head, your camera should float and be able to stop at any position you point it at. My next tripod will likely be a Libec RS250M, which has had very good reviews. It's not cheap, but then it's not pricey either.

Libec RS-250 Tripod kit from B&H
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Thanks for the tip!

That tripod looks really nice! But it's a bit out of reach for me right now money wise... Now when you say it, all the "fluid head" tripods that I've tested actually dosen't stop at any postion without fiddling and tightening the screw on the side... That's pretty much false advertising!

Any more opinions, please?
 
I think these low cost "fluid" heads feature smooth-ish panning, but they do not have proper counter-balancing, so they will not hold their position unless you lock them down, which defeats the whole reason for using a proper fluid-head in the first place.
 
Tass said:
Never heard of it, barely anything about it on the net. It's probably some china tripod. But it looks really similiar to much more expensive tripods. Because of me being a salesman and dealing with chinese factoires I know that many times they start producing their own versions of a famous products. At the same time they also produce the famous one next to the "no name brand". Something tells me that this could be the case with this sucker ..
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If you had a china tripod made of china, there must be something really wrong... Well, seriously, there is nothing wrong with "made in China" as such. Many quality products (like my 7 SanDisk cards, nearly 90GB total) are made in China and are far more reliable than many of those made elsewhere. My photo tripod is made in China, but is as solid as comparable Gitzo models, except that it does not come with a lifetime warranty.


Tass said:
One last question, when I was fully zoomed in, it got all shaky as soon as I layed my hand on the tripod handle to move in any direction. Is this due to the crappy tripod or is it user error? Should I use OIS in camera to hide some of the vibrations? (i know that you shouldn't use OIS otherwise on tripod, but in this case maybe?).
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This is not unusual with a long focal length. A set of crappy or lightweight legs can contribute a lot to that. If you can't overcome the vibration yourself, what's wrong to turn to your camera to help you stop it?
 
Tass said:
... Now when you say it, all the "fluid head" tripods that I've tested actually dosen't stop at any postion without fiddling and tightening the screw on the side... That's pretty much false advertising!

Any more opinions, please?
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No idea what you did... Why don't you ask a salesperson to show you how to use them?

Within their design limitations, Manfrotto 701, 501, 503, 504, etc., if used properly, can all tilt/pan and hold still for an indefinite amount of time, until it's moved with a certain amount of force (note: your hand can move it, but your shaky tripod legs can shift it too!).

I personally believe your 501 is one of the perfect fits for your camera (until someday later you start to load too much on it). It may or may not be as super smooth in tilting/panning and/or durable in field use, as a high-end fluid head. But in reality, the actual difference in footage should be very limited.

When the day comes that the difference between 501 and an expensive head does start to matter to you, either you'll already have the money to buy a high-end system, or you'll know more than enough to work with your existing system to get the best out of it (so you don't have to ditch your 501).

In my opinions, if used properly, all Manfrotto fluid heads are decent. Which one to buy/own/use is more or less just a matter of your needs and personal preference.
 
That's a lot of great info!

I think that most tripods are better than a velbon, it should be the last choice. Libec are known for good quality tripods and are really popular, just as the manfrotto tripods are... So it makes it hard to choose what to buy. Libec looks like more robust and somewhat more "pro" than the 501.

Is the Libec tripod a overall better choice than the 501?
 
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Admir said:
Is the Libec tripod a overall better choice than the 501?
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I my opinion yes. If you've ever seen a Manfrotto 501 taken apart ( it's pretty easy ) you will see that it's just two metal plates with a bit of grease between them and a large spring to adjust the amount of pressure on the plates. For a cheap head it's fine, but you should want something better.

BTW, the Manfrotto 501 is just the head, which still requires legs to go with it. The Libec LS38 model is a complete head + tripod.
 
Big thanks to all of you! I went with a Libec H38 head with the T72 legs. A lot of people seems to like this setup. It definitly harder to find som bad comments about this tripod, the manfrotto 501 has some really mixed opinions out there.

Hopefully this tripod will last for ages. It can takes loads and loads of weight compared to other tripods in the same priceclass. I got a bargained one from Ebay for 300 pounds, not to expensive!
 
I have used many of the Bogen 501, 503, 504's. I personally have never cared for the 501 (original or hd or hdv). I found the 503 an improvement. I just upgraded to a Sachtler fsb6 which is so much nicer - but 2-3x the price. No matter what you go with, spend time testing it out and practicing BEFORE your next shoot. You can get decent results with the Bogens. But you need to make sure things are cleaned and tightened properly and that you have it balanced for the weight of your camera. Rule of thumb - don't use the ois on sticks. Good luck. If you're interested in buying a used 503 in great shape, shoot me a PM.
 
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