Sachtler Ace L - Lime Green "Freddie Wong Signature Edition"

I am a lecturer now and my school owns 16 units of ACE-L CF mid-spreader tripods.

Pros: Light system, smooth head, durable bag.
Cons: No snap and go, not very stable, mid-spreader doesn't lock well, tripod screw easily lost, longer time to set up spreader due to the screw-lock system.

We used to use Vinten Pro6. I know they are Manfrotto rebadged, but honestly I prefer those any time. Snap and go, quick locking legs, just a little heavier but more stable... Heads are just as smooth...

ACE are sadly budget versions of FSB with many trade-offs. I used to own a FSB8 which is totally on another level so I guess you pay for what you get.
 
tengo said:
Cons: No snap and go, not very stable, mid-spreader doesn't lock well, tripod screw easily lost, longer time to set up spreader due to the screw-lock system.
Click to expand...

What do you mean "Snap and go"? Is that the leg locks?

If you still had the Vinten Pro6, you could put the Ace heads on those Pozi-Loc legs as they're both 75mm bowl tripods. I agree that I don't really like Sachtler's 75mm bowl tripod leg offerings, they're well made, but not robust. Further, they don't go high enough.

How are you losing screws? Are you taking the cameras on & off the plates for each use? If you could switch to a Kessler Kwik plate on top of the Sachlters & any other tripod you have, then you could keep plates on the cameras 100% of the time & move them to any tripod you hvae.
 
"Snap and go" refers to the base plate release. In higher end systems, you can press the release catch and the camera + base plate can just be lifted off instantly. ACE uses a sliding base plate and so it takes more time to get the camera out of the tripod. It seems to me as a marketing gimmick by Sachtler: Pay more for a higher end model and you get the snap and go feature.

My students (beginners) sometimes lose the screw at the base plate when they unscrew too much. Yes, rookie mistakes but there are base plates which are more cleverly built where the screw will not come off no matter what due to the idiot-proof design. I remember it is impossible to lose the screw from the Vinten Pro6 base plate.

We are a school so the cameras and tripods are on a loan basis to students. Plates will therefore not be on the cameras 100% of the time.
 
I don't think the lack of "Snap and Go" on the Ace line is a "marketing gimmick," but more making the option that most people buy.

The sliding plates seems to be the preferred option for most users. It's what is on all of Vinten and Manfrotto heads. And for the Sachtler FSB series that has both the sliding plate and the Snap and Go plates, I think the sliding plate versions is the better seller. Looking on ebay for every FSB#T (snap & go) head I see, I've probably seen 7 or 8 FSB# (sliding plate) heads.

I honestly like the VCT-14, V-lock, Betacam, etc. system the best. To me it is the quickest and most secure way to get a camera on or off the head.

As for losing the screws, are you using the VHS pin? Many of the sliding plates are set for 3/8" screws, which means that your 1/4" screw will slip right out, but if you're using the metal VHS pin / anti-rotation pin, then it keeps the screw from getting lost.

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/prod...r_SKO11E0255_SKO11E0255_1_4_20_Screw_for.html
 
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