Tripod Leg suggestion

T

treynolds

Well-known member
[h=2]I know I know[/h]100 people have asked this 100 times
i have found a number of threads about this and none of them really answer my question.

I am looking for a set of sticks that i can use for live events. I need them to be solid at about 5'6"-6' minimum.
The other problem is my budget is rather limited for this, MAX i have like $150 for the legs.
I have a 701hdv kit with these legs and a leveling adapter
Its great for my d600, monitor, follow focus, the whole nine. I would like to eventually get a beefier head thats a true fluid head like the new MVH500 but firstly i need something taller.
I spend a lot of my shoots doing live events and graduations and such. I am often placed behind an audience in an auditorium and when i max out my sticks its way too wobbly to use.

I was thinking of looking at some of the surveyors/contractors tripods like these http://www.ebay.ca/sch/sis.html?_nk...ANSIT+&_itemId=180195789275#ebayphoto hosting
They seem to stand about 5" tall and then adding my head to that would get me up around 5'6". I don't mind having the multiple columns for the legs like this rather than having twist lock style, thinner lighter legs. I would rather have a heavy as hell stable tripod than something thin and light weight that will wobble on me.

I remember at NAB last year there were quite a few Asian tripod manufacturers that were selling full kits with fluid heads for like $250 but i don't remember any of their brand names.
 
You do realize that $150 is probably an unrealistically low budget for what you're trying to do, right?

That said, I'd say your best chance is to haunt eBay and Carigslist looking for a used, heavy-duty tripod like one of the old Quickset Samson or Hercules models. These are often found in older educational/industrial/cable TV studios and when one of those liquidates or upgrades, they can be found at very good prices. There will probably be some superficial wear and tear, but those things were built like tanks (and weigh like it, too), and last pretty much forever. They were also sometimes used to support portable microwave dishes and even telescopes in some cases, so there are a lot of them out in the wild.

- Greg
 
i know my price is low. this is great advice. I have no problem looking used, i just didn't know what to look for. I found a website a while back that was US school district liquidations, included some state universities. Lots of great stuff including some camera gear. now i know what to try and find.
 
If you need a tripod that works well up high - then all the photographic origin devices are hopeless because if you lock off the head, and attempt to move the pan handle, the legs twist - often VERY EASILY. I can't remember the model but Manfrotto made/make a decent tubular one with decent locks and it is stiff - BUT - has a flat top and wind up handle - so horizontal leveling is by leg adjustment. These often come up on ebay, but ideally, get a Vinten or Satchler - with two tubes to each leg. The carbon fibre ones go for silly money, but the aluminium versions are very good and sturdy and have bowls.

A cheap tripod is an embarrassment and potential camera destroyer!
 
Yeah, im not committed to Carbon Fiber for any reason other than its cool, haha. Aluminum will more likely be what i end up with.
 
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