FS7: tripod advice

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Publimix

Veteran
For a nature film project I will have to use the sigma 150-500 mm lens.

Is the Sachtler Ace tripod good enough for using this lens? I like the tripod, light and smooth, but I don't have experience with other tripods. Renting a heavier tripod is possible, but I have to carry all the gear (no cars allowed there).

Any tips for stable shots or making the Sachtler more stable? (Filming in dunes and wetlands).

Thanks
 
Publimix said:
Is the Sachtler Ace tripod good enough for using this lens?
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Nope. Get something bigger and heavier. IMO you need a tripod with at least a 100mm bowl for that focal length. You also need a decent baseplate with rails and lens support. You might want to invest in a hide or some sort of windbreak too. Balance is the key, so you really need to add weight to the back of the camera. I have the XDCA extension unit and V-mounts which helps a lot.
 
Thanks, was afraid of that. Will have to rent a heavy one.

Also visit the local army dump for cheap camouflage jacket and a small tent. Luckily no predators here, only danger in these dunes comes from old people on fast electric bikes.
 
You may have solved your problem, but for what it's worth, I got better results from my Sachtler Ace by replacing the legs with a set of Manfrotto 535 carbon fiber sticks (approx. $650). This combination is sturdier, and also goes higher and lower.
 
Since you already have the Ace, this is an easy question to answer. Go out and try it, and see what you think. What do you want to optimize: stability or low weight? Carrying a heavy tripod out in nature can really sap your energy. I’m guessing that low weight will win out over a slight increase in stability.
 
Go for stability. Low weight means nothing if you have shake in your footage. I did a 4km hike last year with an F55 and an O'conor 1030DS. I had my lens in a packback, (Canon 30-300), tripod over one shoulder, and f55 in the other hand. I had another photographer with me who would help carry the tripod every once in a while, but I did most of the packing myself. I had a smaller tripod but I'm glad i went with the bigger one. You won't be able to keep the shots steady enough with a light set of sticks. If the wind starts buffeting against your lens, you'll see it in the footage. Especially at 500mm. At the focal length, you don't even move your feet around as it can upset the tripod on softer ground.
 
You can also consider a hi hat if you have something solid to put it on. Aslo keep in mind 500mm using a smart adapter turns into 750mm. 2x crop/window mode you are looking at 1,500mm equivelent. You'll want something pretty solid if you are ever going to be using it like that and intend on breathing, let alone panning the camera.
 
I consider sandbags to pull the tripod down, sand enough in these dunes.

But a heavy tripod might be a better solution. Any thoughts about a good one?
 
I don't know about where you are, but in the UK pretty much every rental house carries Sachtler Video 18 or Video 20 heads with carbon fibre legs as standard for use in broadcast. On the whole they have mid-level spreaders (a very good thing on uneven ground) and these days the 'speed lock' option, which means that both sections of each leg are locked and unlocked by one latch (much easier than stooping down to the lower lock ;-) ). Some places favour Vinten sticks; I used a Vinten Vision 10 for years with my Digibeta kit. Lightweight (for a decent tripod) and smooth, but I am very happy with the Sachtler that replaced it.

This level of Sachtler sticks is scary expensive to buy new in comparison to something like an Ace, but lightyears better for smooth and solid operating. Just keep the plastic indoor feet safe if you take them off to use the spikes outdoors - a set of three little red-plastic-and-rubber things is getting on for two hundred quid!

Ben
 
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A ready to shoot FS7 with this Sigma lens weighs about 15 lbs, so you want a video head that can handle at least 15-20lbs of weight which is way beyond what the ACE tripod can handle.

I would start with something like the Libec RH45D fluid head ( about $770 US ) and some sturdy legs to go with it like the Miller Solo DV tripod ( starts at $540 US ), or something higher end if you've got the budget.
 
Liam Hall said:
No, it doesn't. It's still a 500mm.
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Since i'm being called out I'll be more precise. A 500mm with a smart adapter has the FOV equivelent of a 725mm lens on a full frame camera which is what the image circle of that lens is designed for. But i believe you already knew what I meant considering the rest of my original post.
 
Without wanting to be difficult a lot of people get confused by crop factors and the like because a lot of people infer that the focal length of a lens changes depending on what camera you have sticking off the back of it.

Yes it's an issue of semantics but one I think is worth making very clear..
 
I can buy an old manfrotto tripod with 116mk2 head. Since it is so old I cannot find info about it. Anyone knows this tripod? Is it heavy enough?
 
Publimix said:
I can buy an old manfrotto tripod with 116mk2 head
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The head might be strong enough (when everything is locked in place) but it has no counter-balance so any kind of movement is not going to be good. This looks more like a still-photo head than a head designed for video work.
 
Ben Scott said:
Yes it's an issue of semantics but one I think is worth making very clear..
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It's fine, I don't mind being corrected or someone adding something of value to make my statement more precise. What bothered me about the response was that it was equally if not more unclear for the sake of this conversation. In practical terms, you can't just say a 500mm lens is a 500mm lens no matter what camera body you put it on. With regards to camera stability a 500mm lens is a lot different on a full frame sensor than it is on a cropped sensor (and if you're cropping in post or in camera, 4k v.s. HD will also effect this).

In general people understand this which is why we talk about 35mm (full frame) equivalents so that there is some standardization. Honestly if Liam had just written "equivalent" it would have made the point perfectly clear.

I don't want to take this thread off on a tangent so that's all I'll say on the matter.
 
+1

To me it seems only aspect that is always the same = Focal length

But then the battle will continue to use millimeters (used in civilized countries) or inches :-)
 
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