Sachtler's new "Revolutionary" tripod

These secret product hype campaigns always make me think of the Segway and how it was supposed to revolutionize how people move about in big cities. ( I think the Boosted Board has more of a claim to that title than the Segway ever did )
 
They can't figure out it it is revolutionary or evolutionary. Within the distance of two sentences, they used both words.

"Two legendary brands. One revolutionary Technology. Experience the next evolution of tripod technology."
 
Ya, I got that email. Looks like Vitec is "getting together" two of their brands, Sachtler and Vinten, for a new tripod. The guy hyping it on the page is, iirc, a "news and documentary" guy. The video shows an ENGish camera in the background and I think some sort of DSLR in the foreground.

So they have Manfrotto at the lower-priced end of things, Sachtler ACE at the US$600-$800 end, and of course bigger tripods at higher prices.

So let's guess this new thing will be $1500 to $2000? Just a guess

So that's cool...might be a nice piece of kit. I guess people going to IBC in mid-Sept will be able to see the thing in person.
 
So, who else noticed that the cameras didn't match? The primary shot looks like ungraded log and the others were graded or shot rec709. Why do the video's from companies that make equipment for the video/production industry SUCK so bad?
 
I got invited to the event. Can't make it, as I'm shooting in France. But it has me intrigued; I've long thought, a decent tripod is so expensive there must be an alternate way to design one that is more cost effective and is designed with today's shooting demands in mind.

DPStewart said:
This new tripod of theirs is revolutionary in that it has four legs.
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That's been done before. Kind-of. On 'The Office' the DP used a converted stool, with caster wheels so he could slide around the set.
 
Liam Hall said:
I got invited to the event. Can't make it, as I'm shooting in France.
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You'd think owning four Vinten heads, a set of Vinten legs and three sets of Sachtler speed lock legs would net you an invitation, but noooo...

Maybe it's the accent. 'Southern' doesn't really appear to be "in", right now.
 
Or you bought your stuff before the Vitec Borg and they figure you won't assimilate?

Or their new thing is aimed downmarket from you and they figure you won't want it?

Or maybe Sachtler is scared of kudzu?
 
I think the market needs a small, lightweight, but high quality tripod head. Something that bigger budget travel shoots would want, where they can afford the price tag, but still want to keep their gear small and light weight.

Right now the Really Right Stuff FH-350 head is the only high quality fluid head that is flat base and relatively small and lightweight. At 4.3 lbs it's lighter than a lot of other heads of its class, but still not as small and light as some may want. Lighter than that and you're looking at a Manfrotto 500 or 701 (I prefer the older 701 over their 500 replacement), which are mediocre heads, but just 2 lbs. So, if they can come up with a head the size and weight of the 701, with say a 10 lb or higher capacity, I think they'd hit a niche market that's not covered well.


Aside from that, is it really not possible to make a high end fluid head that also has a built-in motorized control as an option? All of the motion control heads I see are not capable of doing smooth manual moves.
 
+1

I've asked a few manufacturers about building a compact professional tripod for travel, &/or use with smaller cameras, but so far no love. Be willing to drop a few thousand on a quality solution.
 
+1

I have a couple of Frotto heads and they make me feel ill. even the knobs are all on the wrong side.

I struggle to leave home without my Arrow 25 but hate lugging it about.

Oddly one smooth but low mass head is the Manfrotto 136.. google that one (!) maybe they need to actually trawl their back catalogue.

THe RRS head sits on the 'want' radar.
 
Eric Coughlin said:
I think the market needs a small, lightweight, but high quality tripod head. So, if they can come up with a head the size and weight of the 701, with say a 10 lb or higher capacity, I think they'd hit a niche market that's not covered well.
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I bought it, it fulfills your criteria nicely. Miller AIR is $643.95, weighs 3.1 lbs and features a capacity of 11lbs. It's Miller so it's actually quality, I got some great moves with it on my current documentary while abroad. Not perfect, probably not as good as the RRS HF-350, but at $650.00, it blows any Sachtler ACE or Manfrotto into the weeds. Not the be all, end all but a pretty great little travel head, I have enjoyed using it. Only two counterbalance settings, not continuously variable but that's okay, it is smoother than anything else even near it's weight and budget and 3lbs works pretty well for travel.

Miller AIR.jpg
 
Dan, I don't believe the Miller Air can be separated from the ball, correct? I find flat base heads way better, plus they can be melded with a bowl base for the best of both worlds. I use a tripod head on a monopod and slider a lot, and a flat base makes it way more ergonomic and usable for those setups. The Really Right Stuff has a great quick release flat base system, which is the other appeal to it other than it's somewhat light weight and likely quality smoothness.
 
TheDingo said:
What are the two counter-balance settings ? I can't find any details of what the actual counter-balance weights are for this head.
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Counter balance settings are surely a myth or at least a myth when presented as a single figure. For example '5kg'

The force presented by a camera is a function of both its mass and the distance of that mass from the fulcrum.

Counterbalace setting should be not listed or listed as 5kg at 15cm which could be translated to be 5X100/15 Kg/M

S
 
morgan_moore said:
Counter balance settings are surely a myth or at least a myth when presented as a single figure. For example '5kg'

The force presented by a camera is a function of both its mass and the distance of that mass from the fulcrum.

Counterbalace setting should be not listed or listed as 5kg at 15cm which could be translated to be 5X100/15 Kg/M

S
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My understanding is that counterbalance specs usually do represent a standardized positioning of the center of gravity, at least for Sachtler I think it's usually listed for the COG centered at 55cm above the plate.
 
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