Silver and Black Legs

bcheong

bcheong

Well-known member
Was just thinking why film legs always seem to be silver where video guys always have black legs. Black legs seem to make sense as they wouldn't reflect any glare back into your picture. Are there any benefits to silver legs?
 
Re: Silver and Black Legs

I assume you mean tripod legs (sticks)... I hope :)

the advantage of silver is usually stuff in the film world gets thrown into equipment trucks and beaten up pretty badly, and if its silver you dont scratch off the paint.. Thats why a 15 year old Set of legs will look almost as new as a 2 year old pair.
 
Re: Silver and Black Legs

Thanks Jarred. Ya after I posted and read back what I had written it did sound funny...lol..yes I did mean sticks. :D
 
Re: Silver and Black Legs

However, if your tripod is made of carbon fibre, then the legs will be black and scratches will not reveal another color underneath.
 
Re: Silver and Black Legs

[quote author=Terry_Lasater link=board=Links;num=1080406047;start=0#3 date=03/27/04 at 10:29:51]However, if your tripod is made of carbon fibre, then the legs will be black and scratches will not reveal another color underneath.[/quote]

True.. but you will never find them used in hollwyood because a scratch in carbon fibre can lead to a catastrophic failure, carbon fibre doesnt break, it explodes.
 
Re: Silver and Black Legs

one more detail.
Silver tripod legs can be easer to see in reflections (like glasses on actor).
So you need to hide them more.
 
Re: Silver and Black Legs

Jarred is exactly right about Carbon Fiber. It's extremely strong and Light Weight but when it fails it F A I L S with a purpose.
 
Re: Silver and Black Legs

<Anyone still using Wood? >

Not currently, but I've been thinking about getting some. Love that retro quality.
 
Re: Silver and Black Legs

I've NEVER heard of a carbon fibre tripod blowing up. However, I'm not suggesting some horror story doesn't exist.

I do a lot of multi-camera events with large production trucks that use big, heavy-duty, carbon fibre tripods w/150mm bowls supporting huge 70X Canon box lenses, cameras, VF, lens controls and more.

I can't speak for the smaller, cheaper carbon fibre sticks on the market, but the large Vintens I've used work great and are very rigid. And I've never heard one person ever warn of them being fragile or dangerous in any way.
 
Re: Silver and Black Legs

Anyone had any experience with the Bogen 525 sticks? (75mm bowl)
 
Re: Silver and Black Legs

I use them everyday.. and they are fantastic. I dont know about the bottom spreaders though, they are a little cheap (all plastic) but they seem to work ok.
 
Re: Silver and Black Legs

What do people think of the 350MV (Bogen 3190)? or even the baby version legs (350SHMV)?
 
Re: Silver and Black Legs

The 350MV is a nice set of sticks. I found the 351MV more to my liking, though--it's a lighter weight version, but still rock solid with the DVX. I also got the 350SPRB mid-level spreader and it's excellent--I hate ground level spreaders.

I've never heard of a catastrophic failure of carbon fiber legs either. I have a set of Gitzo CF legs and they've withstood a lot of hard use without a problem. Plenty of scratches too. Urban film myth maybe :-).
 
Re: Silver and Black Legs

I will speak highly for Vintens, expensive but wonderful instruments. 525 is sooo lightweight and sturdy, great deal for the money. You can also get a midlevel spreader for it too, called the 531SPR for $45.
 
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