Tripod for crane

C

Casey Bohrnell

Member
So I have recently build a 8 foot crane. It is about 40 pounds with the camera on it. My bogen tripod is only rated up to 26 pounds so I was looking for a new tripod to fix this to, but I am not going to pay 400+ for a tripod that doesn't need to do anything special except hold 40+ pounds. So I was looking a like surveyer and speaker tripods and they are much cheaper <100 and I think that would work. The only thing is lots of these tripods dont even have a max weight rating so I dont know which one to get.
So has anyone out there taken that route and been successful? other wize I will just build my own.

here is some stuff I found

http://item.express.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ExpressItem&item=7400898438&FROM_MERCHANDISING=1
says rated for 100Lbs but it looks kind of dinky

http://item.express.ebay.com/Indust...iesQQadnZOutdoorQ20EquipmentQQcmdZExpressItem
 
I have a vinten 3495c HDT tripod. It supports over 300 lbs and is made from titanium.

It looks like this:

hdtmain.jpg


But it costs about 4000$
 
This is beyond what you want to spend, but a proper purpose-built or modified pedestal for a jib is essential - especially if you're already at 40 lbs (that's heavy for a 1/3" camera). This is for two reasons:

Overall operability of the system
Safety of the talent, crew and bystanders

A proper pedestal will feature the ability to level the column. My pedestal accomplishes this through three turnbuckles, which, when rotated in our out, "tip" the column in our out in controlled increments.

Leveling your center column is the only way to maintain a proper horizon. A plumb column will always assure a level camera (as long as the rest of the jib is structurally true).

pedestal.gif



If your jib is longer than 10' (roughly 6' / 4' camera side to operator side), you'll need a wider base for stability. That floor jack pictured above is much too narrow to support even a well-balanced jib once it is in motion.

A good rule is that the base should be an absolute minimum of 1/3 the diameter of the total balanced arm length.

Naturally, if you have a 20' jib mounted at six points with grade 8 hardware to a steel platform on the back of a 6-ton truck, this doesn't apply. For these purposes, we're talking about portable solutions.

e
 
Could you post a lik for that pedestal and any pricing information please.
Thanks
Brian
overlandfilms said:
This is beyond what you want to spend, but a proper purpose-built or modified pedestal for a jib is essential - especially if you're already at 40 lbs (that's heavy for a 1/3" camera). This is for two reasons:

Overall operability of the system
Safety of the talent, crew and bystanders

A proper pedestal will feature the ability to level the column. My pedestal accomplishes this through three turnbuckles, which, when rotated in our out, "tip" the column in our out in controlled increments.

Leveling your center column is the only way to maintain a proper horizon. A plumb column will always assure a level camera (as long as the rest of the jib is structurally true).

pedestal.gif



If your jib is longer than 10' (roughly 6' / 4' camera side to operator side), you'll need a wider base for stability. That floor jack pictured above is much too narrow to support even a well-balanced jib once it is in motion.

A good rule is that the base should be an absolute minimum of 1/3 the diameter of the total balanced arm length.

Naturally, if you have a 20' jib mounted at six points with grade 8 hardware to a steel platform on the back of a 6-ton truck, this doesn't apply. For these purposes, we're talking about portable solutions.

e
Click to expand...
 
It's hard to say too much good about EZFX - it's a jib that delivers functionality and performance closer to what I've come to expect from CamMate and Jimmy Jib products.

The VariZoom MC200 head has proven itself through a season of XDCam (18lbs.) work for TLC and performs just as well with our HVX and Z1U platforms.

EZFX and VariZoom both have taken the time to answer questions and actively gather feedback for the next generation of product.

e
 
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