Quick Tripod Question

E

EDIT-XTREEM

Well-known member
I was at my local video store today and I played with the Manfrotto 745+701. Though it is not a "true fluid" head, I really liked it with my DVX atop. Long term I think it would serve me well, but are there any downsides?

I plan on sticking with something "dvx sized" (using the dvx right now) with a battery, mic, and maybe eventually a light. Nothing fancy. It held the dvx well when I tested it today, but please tell me, why should I not buy it? The price is my max budget, and its sturdy enough I can film with it, but compact enough its not a pain to have.

What does everyone think?
 
I have no experience of that tripod system, but I would recommend that you dont skimp out on the tripod, get a decent one and spend some money on it. After all your camera sits on top of it and its whats responsible for giving smooth pans and tilts etc etc. I got a vinten Pro5 which was about £400, its very solid and well built, will last for years and its very smooth.
 
This is not going to be what you want to hear, but here it is. A tripod is something that you'll only buy once, and it'll either do the job or it won't. Pretty much every cheap tripod out there will hold your camera well. I used to have a cheap $70 tripod with my FX1 that I thought was very smooth for the price. Then after a few months I begin to noticed that the camera will sag forward (no counter balance spring) and it's impossible to do anything except simple pan on it. Try doing diagonal moves with the 701; you'll find that you can't. How about smooth start and stop? Probably won't be able to handle that either. All those camera moves that you have in your head is going to be badly limited by the range of your tripod.

That's why it's recommended that you save the money and buy it right the first time, because once you got a good tripod, you'll never need another one again. It's a $2600 camera you got, why put it on a $200 tripod?
 
Huy Vu said:
This is not going to be what you want to hear, but here it is. A tripod is something that you'll only buy once, and it'll either do the job or it won't. Pretty much every cheap tripod out there will hold your camera well. I used to have a cheap $70 tripod with my FX1 that I thought was very smooth for the price. Then after a few months I begin to noticed that the camera will sag forward (no counter balance spring) and it's impossible to do anything except simple pan on it. Try doing diagonal moves with the 701; you'll find that you can't. How about smooth start and stop? Probably won't be able to handle that either. All those camera moves that you have in your head is going to be badly limited by the range of your tripod.

That's why it's recommended that you save the money and buy it right the first time, because once you got a good tripod, you'll never need another one again. It's a $2600 camera you got, why put it on a $200 tripod?
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True, any positive feedback on the Manfrotto 745+701?
 
Not a big Manfrotto fan. Their build quality (except the baseplates) is crap.

If you're just using it as a hobby and don't need super smooth or rock steady moves it may do. For value, check out Libec. Even though their low end tripods may not have as many levels of drag, they're true fluid heads and far smoother than anything Manfrotto offers. With a camera as light as an HVX you may not need multiple level of drag - just something that's ultra smooth for the weight. B & H has Libec and a great return policy.

I ended up shelling out 2500 for a Miller Arrow 25 and never looked back. Truly an amazing head that competes with heads at twice the price. If you're looking for pro use this is a bargain for price/performance.
 
I have always felt that my tripod and head combination is the most important piece of equipment I own. A great (or good) tripod can make any camera look good - in terms of smooth movement and positive starts and stops. I completely agree with Tim and Huy Vu in purchasing a good tripod from the start.

If you were really sold on the Manfrotto, I would recommend to see if you could rent one for a few shoots to see if it meets your demands. It could be a cheap way to discover that this tripod is either made for you, or that you need to move on.

Michael
 
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