Need help buying a Tripod

J

janekim143

Member
I need 2 buy a tripod, what features should i be looking 4?

also, what is the price range for a decent, but not a budget killer tripod?

if you can, let me know what model you use...thanks :)
 
professional tripods start around 1200 for the lowest priced 100mm ball, which gets you a real professional quality product. My favorite is the Cartoni Focus

below that range all you'll get are 75mm balls, and though some of them are very good, starting in the 500 range, they are very limited in load rating.
 
janekim-

You are going to be steered towards the Bogen 501 or 503 head. And why not, it's a great little gig. I think this is probably the bare minimum you should spend. You could probably pick up one of these heads and a decent set of legs for about $300.00 dollars. You do not want to get a lesser tripod or you risk getting some really lousy pans.

Rick
 
Here are a few suggestions under $1,000.00

Bogen 351MVB2/503
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/con...808&is=REG&addedTroughType=categoryNavigation

Bogen 755B/503
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/con...845&is=REG&addedTroughType=categoryNavigation

Bogen 3182/503
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/con...855&is=REG&addedTroughType=categoryNavigation

Bogen 755MF3/503 (The one I just purchased)
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/con...549&is=REG&addedTroughType=categoryNavigation

Bogen 525MVB/503
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/con...984&is=REG&addedTroughType=categoryNavigation

Miller DS-5
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/con...035&is=REG&addedTroughType=categoryNavigation

Miller DS-10
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/con...036&is=REG&addedTroughType=categoryNavigation




You can also check with Rush at EVS to get competitive pricing and or discount for DVX members
 
Well you want the sticks (tripod) and the head (head).

For most users you are going to want a fluid pan head. This is going to give you smooth stops and starts. It is also going to allow you to just get repeatable pans throughout the range.

Regarding the sticks, this is a personal preference. Personally I have the 3046 sticks from Bogen. I like them, it's a nice two stage tripod with a center colum. It will go all the way to about 6'6". The problem with these sticks is the load capacity. They are tough, but still, there are better legs you can buy.

Ultimately it depends what you are doing. I also have a Viventar (sp?) tripod. I think it was designed for cameras or something, complete POS, but just to have something stable on for non panning shots, it does the job, compresses really small and has a bubble level which is nice.

Look around, what is your budget? For most DVX owners the min. would be the 501 head and 3046 sticks. EVS has a nice package. The step up is the 503 head and 3046 sticks (that's what I have). It's nice and about $500 out the door new.
 
Well that is an open question. I got that cheap tripod I can sell you for $75. You can go to Best Buy and get a cheap tripod for $25. It will hold the DVX. If you're not moving the camera and just need to hold it stationary, don't invest money. If you are looking to pan and have something stable enough to trust your $3500 camera on, then you are going to have to spend money.
 
Righto Yankee, because when you think about, even a Superclamp on a chair can be a "tripod" if there is no movement.
 
I have the 503 head (about $300) and the 745MF legs (which can be had for around $300) and they work great. I do a lot of sitdown interviews and location interviews so the lightweight of carbon fiber helps. I'm happy to have invested in these sticks and the setup is very fast and easy.

The lesson I have learned is that the tripod is the body, the camera is the mind and you need a good mind-body relationship. I think of the tripod as part of the camera. A good tripod, more than anything, will save you so much frustration, time, and energy -- as well as will make you look more professional to people you interview.
 
One more thing, get the padded bag either separately or as part of the kit. Makes transporting the tripod much easier because you can just sling it over your back. It pinched a bit financially to buy it, but I'm glad I did.
 
and of course there are a lot of other threads with some great info on this subject, here's my post from a different thread when I was buying my first tripod:

http://www.dvxuser.com/V3/showthread.php?t=25424

"After reading all of the feedback about the eroticism of fluid head tilts and panning, mid vs ground spreaders, 100mm vs 75 mm ("The 100mm bowl is the way to go Because it is very difficult to find jibs or hi-hats that go with the 75mm bowl"), 2-stage vs 1-stage, etc, I then weighed all that info against my budget and went with a Miller 832 (a 75mm DS 10 based kit), $1394"

...bought it from EVS

...and I love it!
 
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