Manfrotto tripods for dvx100b

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bididdy

Active member
Looking for a good tripod to shoot, in the 500-1000.00$ range (canadian!) for my dvx 100b.
these are my 2 choices:

vistek has the 525mvb/501 for 739.99
henrys had 525mvb/503 for 899.99

dvshop.ca has 351 legs for 309.99$, 525 legs for 519$ and i guess id get the 503 head for 339$



Just looking for something good to start off with really. what do u think is the best pkg?
 
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I got the 351/503 combo from abelcine for about $450 U.S. this Christmas with my DVXuser discount, I would seriously reccomend considering them.

supposedly the 503 is quite a bit better than the 501, or at least enough to justify paying the price difference.
 
anchoryanker said:
supposedly the 503 is quite a bit better than the 501, or at least enough to justify paying the price difference.
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I used the 501 on a shoot once and I wanted to kill myself.
 
HorseFilms said:
I used the 501 on a shoot once and I wanted to kill myself.
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I see the 501 referred to as a 'fluid head' but I also see people say it isn't a 'true' fluid head, and the 503 is. So what makes the 501 a 'fake' fluid head?

As for the 503, I love mine, at Z99 the tilts and pans are dead smooth, but when I combine the 2 I can see a little 'jutter' sometimes, not much, and I can work around it, but overall it is a much higher quality head/stick combo than I expected for the money.
 
great! thanks for the advice. i think ill do the 525/503 combo....now ill just shop around...thanks guys
 
anchoryanker said:
I see the 501 referred to as a 'fluid head' but I also see people say it isn't a 'true' fluid head, and the 503 is. So what makes the 501 a 'fake' fluid head?
Click to expand...

My main problem with the 501 doesn't have as much to do with the fluidity as it does the 501s lack of a counterbalance spring. The damn thing kept wanting to nose dive on me. Granted, I was using a heavier camera (JVC DV500) so that didn't help matters.
 
I have buy a 501 and I have return it for a 503.
The 503 is really better.
For the legs, I have a Manfrotto 028, nice and not to expensive.
 
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My main problem with the 501 doesn't have as much to do with the fluidity as it does the 501s lack of a counterbalance spring. The damn thing kept wanting to nose dive on me.
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yeah thats what my previous tripod would do when i got the dvx100b. i was planning to keep that tripod for awhile, even tho it was cheap, but it just couldnt handle the cam.

i can live with the 501 for now, and will upgrade sometime in the future.
 
HorseFilms said:
My main problem with the 501 doesn't have as much to do with the fluidity as it does the 501s lack of a counterbalance spring. The damn thing kept wanting to nose dive on me. Granted, I was using a heavier camera (JVC DV500) so that didn't help matters.
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Gotcha. I know what a sickening feeling it can be to absent-mindedly let go and have the camera slam down, and even if you don't do that the feeling of having to constantly fight the weight sucks enough as it is.
 
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I also have the 525 legs and 503 head. It's definitely a nice set up. The 516 is a little too heavy for the dvx100, and the 501, like you have said, is not a true fluid head and is no where hear as nice as the 503. It's a super nice set up. I keep mine in a nice heavy padded Kata bag.

-J
 
What are your future plans also? 35 mm adapter, mattebox, rods, etc etc. If so you may consider some more $ now and not worry about trading up later. 501 is a POS. Im using a 519 head now and its great.
 
501 and 503 are not fluid heads, they are teflon heads. Real fluids cost much much more....

But they are as good as money can get at those price points, good enough for us mere mortals with light ama-pro cameras like dvx100...

The difference is that 503 has counter balance springs, 501 does not.

Just got the 525/503 combo, good buy methinks.
 
Petrus said:
501 and 503 are not fluid heads, they are teflon heads. Real fluids cost much much more....

But they are as good as money can get at those price points, good enough for us mere mortals with light ama-pro cameras like dvx100...

The difference is that 503 has counter balance springs, 501 does not.

Just got the 525/503 combo, good buy methinks.
Click to expand...

My understanding was that the 503 was a fluid head?
 
I suspect it is no a fluid head:

- It looks EXACTLY like 501, same body.
- It weighs 100g more, the weight of the spring?
- on the Manfrotto web pages 501 is said to be non-fluid; teflon
- on the same pages there is no spesific description of the workings of the 503. They use the word "fluid" several times, but I understand as in "smooth".

All this makes me suspect it is just 501 with spring added.

Then again, I could be wrong...
 
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