Sachtler announces Flowtech 100
- Thread starter Bern Caughey
- Start date
Doug Jensen
Carbonite Member
I've been shooting with a demo for awhile and it is great to have the 100mm version now for my heavier rigs. I've had the 75mm for about a year and a half. For those of us who are fanboys of the old O'Connor 35L legs (discontinued 10 years ago), this is the next best thing you can buy and it comes very close to the same ability to deploy quickly. Compared to my 35L the Flowtech 100mm wins for better rigidity and more compfortable to carry over the shoulder. Not to mention the bonus of being able to drop down to baby leg height in a few seconds. Very nice.
nutmegger
Well-known member
Newshooter.com has posted a detailed review of the Flowtech 100.
https://www.newsshooter.com/2018/09/11/sachtler-flowtech-100-review/
Enjoy.
https://www.newsshooter.com/2018/09/11/sachtler-flowtech-100-review/
Enjoy.
Run&Gun
Veteran
Received mine today. Quick first impressions:
Very light, but seems well built. If you're used to the way a traditional tripod looks with it's open and airy design with multiple tubes per stage, it seems sort of "cartoonish" in appearance with the huge top stage legs that look like big 'ole slabs of carbon fiber. Not saying thats bad, just a much different look. I like the mid-level spreader. It's definitely quicker and easier to operate and take off vs. the mid-level spreaders on my Speed Locks. The magnets that hold the legs together during transport are very strong. Almost too strong. You have to give the legs a good strong pull to open them up. You won't have to worry about them coming apart/open when carrying them around, that's for sure. They come with a new tie-down handle, because the legs collapse into a smaller circumference than other Sachtlers, so they include a low profile tie-down. Fortunately for me, since I use Vinten heads, their tie-downs are fairly low-profile anyway(almost the same size as the one included), because Vinten tie-down studs use a very weird/unique threading pattern that no other tripod manufacturer does, so I would have been screwed(literally) if my tie-down handle didn't fit between the legs when collapsed for transport. They also come with a rigid transport handle, but it does stick out a lot. I'm still trying to decide if I will use it or not. The leg release handles seem to be spring loaded so when you disengage them they pop up with a little bit of force, which is probably to make sure that they open fully. Once or twice when I opened them very slowly and one didn't get to the top(100% open) the leg would not slide down/open. But once I opened it just that tiny little bit more, no problem. If you remove the mid-level spreader, the leg lock mechanism does take a minute to get used to, but one you mess with it a few times, you get the hang of it and it makes sense. If you shoot a lot of things like live shots, press conferences and the like, I'd probably just leave the mid-level spreader on, since you can adjust it quicker if you need to "skinny" up on a press conference riser or get a little more height. Just running around shooting b-roll, especially if you want to utilize one of the best design features of being able to get down to almost hi-hat level, then pull of the spreader and just use the built-in leg locks.
Still trying to decide if I want to take it on my shoot tomorrow or if I want to play with it in a more controlled environment here at the house for another day before I put it to work.
Very light, but seems well built. If you're used to the way a traditional tripod looks with it's open and airy design with multiple tubes per stage, it seems sort of "cartoonish" in appearance with the huge top stage legs that look like big 'ole slabs of carbon fiber. Not saying thats bad, just a much different look. I like the mid-level spreader. It's definitely quicker and easier to operate and take off vs. the mid-level spreaders on my Speed Locks. The magnets that hold the legs together during transport are very strong. Almost too strong. You have to give the legs a good strong pull to open them up. You won't have to worry about them coming apart/open when carrying them around, that's for sure. They come with a new tie-down handle, because the legs collapse into a smaller circumference than other Sachtlers, so they include a low profile tie-down. Fortunately for me, since I use Vinten heads, their tie-downs are fairly low-profile anyway(almost the same size as the one included), because Vinten tie-down studs use a very weird/unique threading pattern that no other tripod manufacturer does, so I would have been screwed(literally) if my tie-down handle didn't fit between the legs when collapsed for transport. They also come with a rigid transport handle, but it does stick out a lot. I'm still trying to decide if I will use it or not. The leg release handles seem to be spring loaded so when you disengage them they pop up with a little bit of force, which is probably to make sure that they open fully. Once or twice when I opened them very slowly and one didn't get to the top(100% open) the leg would not slide down/open. But once I opened it just that tiny little bit more, no problem. If you remove the mid-level spreader, the leg lock mechanism does take a minute to get used to, but one you mess with it a few times, you get the hang of it and it makes sense. If you shoot a lot of things like live shots, press conferences and the like, I'd probably just leave the mid-level spreader on, since you can adjust it quicker if you need to "skinny" up on a press conference riser or get a little more height. Just running around shooting b-roll, especially if you want to utilize one of the best design features of being able to get down to almost hi-hat level, then pull of the spreader and just use the built-in leg locks.
Still trying to decide if I want to take it on my shoot tomorrow or if I want to play with it in a more controlled environment here at the house for another day before I put it to work.
Eric Coughlin
Veteran
I have the OConnor 35L legs with an OConnor 1030D head. The quick deploy is nice but the feet often stick when coming out so you have to shake it a bit to get it to work well. I also have the Sachtler Flowtech 75mm legs (with a Really Right Stuff FH-350 head) and like Doug I prefer the Flowtech design over the OConnor 35L. I will say after working with these quick deploy designs it's always hard to go back to the old way of doing things. I love my Flowtech legs and am happy to see the 100mm version available. I was expecting something in the $2000-$2500 range, so $3300 is a bit steeper than I would have hoped for, but I'll likely buy them anyway.
Run&Gun
Veteran
Talk to your dealer or call around. The mark-up is either absolutely ridiculous or they made nothing on my set. They weren't as low as $2500, but I'll put it to you this way, it would have cost me more for a comparable set of Speed Locks(100mm, mid-spreader & feet).
Some people have expressed concerns about the new design of the feet, but so far, I actually like them better than the ones on my other sets of Speed Locks. I've always felt like there was a lot of "play" in the feet on the Speed Locks, but the new design feels more solid with no movement once you put the tripod down on the ground. I think you'll also really like the spreader with the 100 much better than the one for the 75. I've actually seen a lot of people asking if they can use the new spreader with the 75. I also did decide to remove the carry handle. It was more in the way than helpful for me, especially since I like to lift my legs up from underneath where the tie-down is.
puredrifting
Major Contributor
I have yet to try the 100mm version but lived with the 75mm version for a month or so of shoots when I wrote my review and they are very impressive. These will be my next set of legs.
rob norton
Veteran
What's the difference between 75/100mm spreaders?
Run&Gun
Veteran
The arms are the same as the bottom most stage/legs(CF), push-button actuation to extend/re-tract the length of the arms(indexed arms, too), as opposed to twist knobs(One of the things I hate about the spreaders on my Speed Locks, too.) Simple, easy to use center dial to adjust arm angle.
75 Spreader
100 Spreader
rob norton
Veteran
Good to know, thanks.
I guess if you're using a 75mm set up, hopefully the camera package is light enough so you can get away with no spreader at all.
Run&Gun
Veteran
Both sets(75 & 100) should be able to support their spec'd payloads without the spreaders. 44lbs(20kg) for the 75mm and 66lbs(30kg) for the 100mm. Although kind of obvious, it did say in the manual to not extended the legs when using the tripod with the legs in the widest position(with no spreader, like in my first pics). I did throw my VariCam(~25lbs-30lbs plus 7lbs for the head) on it(100mm) without the spreader and in the lowest position and it was fine.
Bern Caughey
Veteran
Have used a client’s Flowtech 75 legs a handful of times, & while I still think their great, my one complaint is the locking mechanism is a bit loud, at least compared to SpeedLock legs.
Run&Gun
Veteran
Yes. They're spring loaded(or at least feel that way) and when released, "pop" open with some force and noise. So if you need to be quiet, you definetly have to keep a hand on the latches and open them in a more controlled manner. And overall, because of their design(big, hollow carbon fiber chambers), they are louder when being moved around than most traditional tripods(i.e: you're dragging it across the floor and it's hopping). Matt, over at NewsShooter, brought up the fact of them being loud(er) in his in-depth review, as well.
I've been using the 75's for a while now for both video and stills. I really like the fast setup but I do worry a bit about how they will stand up to rough handling and intensive use so I use them sparingly and only when I need to work very quickly. My 'workhorse' sticks are the Gitzo 5 series Systematic CF 6x and they feel a lot more durable but I think the 75's are slightly more rigid and resistant to spring back when panning on a fluid head.