tripod for hpx500

B

barel33

Member
Hello, I know that this issue has been rased more than once, but still no
deffenite answers, so...
I need a tripod for hpx that will serve me well in ENG and travelling.
It needs to be light and fast to setup.
I am considering a sachtler dv 10 head with cf speedlock legs, but maybe
there is a better option. What about 75mm systems, or maybe 1 stage legs?
The camera with all the accesories doesn't wait more than 10 kg, most of the time it will go without a mattebox - so even less. Please share your thoughts.
 
I would not consider anything less than a Sachtler 15 series head & legs. As soon as you get an Anton Bauer 100 or 140 brick battery and wide lens (I have the Fujinon HA 16x6.3) on the 500, it gets real heavy real fast. Then if you put an external LCD monitor on top, you are really going to be pushing the envelop.

I have a Sachtler 15SB head with CF legs, and sometimes it's just barely keeping everything in one place-- especially on extreme tilt/up or down, the ball head will sometimes slip. If I had to buy it over again, I might even go for a Sachtler 18.
 
The ideal tripod might be the Video15SB, or 18SB when loaded...on SpeedlockHD sticks, if you have the budget.

Fast setup calls for the speedlock legs, for ENG the DV10/12SB should be more than enough. If on the other hand you are adding large mattebox, big lens, monitor and so on i would step up a notch to 15 or 18.
 
We use a Vinten Pro 8 its the lightest support i would ever want to use with it, we've been all over the country with it, light quick and perfect balance.
 
I've got the Vinten Pro 10...love it. MUCH better than anything from Manfrotto. The 10 is sturdy enough for the camera and some add ons. I put the camera, on-board monitor, matte box, FF, extra power all on the Pro 10, and it handles it all with no issue.
 
I mostly shoot ENG and EFP, so I travel around all the time. I've got a Vinten Vision 10. Handles the HPX500 with Fujinon wideangle (heavy piece of glass) and Red Bricks (also heavy batteries) very well. And I've got plenty of 'room' left for additional stuff.
 
I'm on the Sachtler 18 and while our HPX500 is nearly bare (battery + wireless receiver) most days, I did have it fully loaded on a few occasions. Never a problem. Super stable platform. The 18 series does get heavy though. Even for CF.
 
Thank you all for your input.

PhantomVideo said:
We use a Vinten Pro 8 its the lightest support i would ever want to use with it, we've been all over the country with it, light quick and perfect balance.
Click to expand...

Have you used that setup with wide angle lens?

I recon most of the time the camera will be setup with a big battery, 6.7 lens and wireless. Maybe a light mattebox/sunshade.
 
I've had a full brevis and Matt box out front, and it was ugly, I've had the Panny BT 80 on top and it was cool, I'll be attaching the Durus FF and Titan Mattbox to the front later this year and i know it'll be sweet, how much heavyer is your intented wide to the 7.6x17 Fujinon ?
 
I use a Miller DV25 2 stage... it's been around the world a few times, light enough, quick enough and strong enough when I add a full prompter or add my exfx mini jib... good stix for the money. What ever make you buy, get the most you can... you won't regret buying too strong or sturdy, but you will regret if you buy too light.
 
the real question you need to ask what's hte best tripod for you budget

so what is your budget?

for example, carbon fiber is always best, but often out of people's budget range.

I'd say 100mm bowl is the minimum size you want to consider for any broadcast camera.

The heavier the tripod the better, smoother and cleaner all moves will be. But if you will be carrying it a lot, say walking through the desert, then weight becomes an issue.

I have two tripods I use for my HPX500, one is a Cartoni Laser which is light and I use when I have to carry a lot; and the other is a Vinten Vision 20 is real heavy but fantastic for professional results and I use it for film sets and music videos and commercials.

Also should consider sticks, some are better for rough terrain, such as mid-level spreaders. Some are better for industrial use such as bottom spreaders because then tend to open wider for lower lots. I have both as well as babies and hi hats, and choose depending on the situation.
 
This is not a question of budget, it is a question of performance. I need a proffesional tripod
that will not fight me and I need it to be as light as possible. Although the 18sb is great I think
as a system it is too heavy for this camera in an ENG setup. I work alone and have to carry everything myself. The problem is, that I can't try different systems as the choice is narrow here in Israel, we have a lot of 18s and 15 and 20 and other heavier EFP systems, but less of lighter ones and the dealers don't have those on stands to play with, you basicaly have to make an order from catalog.
 
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