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The internet is great for learning about all kinds of camera gear, but tripod legs seems to be one of the more difficult topics to find a lot of information about. Tripod legs are very important.
It seems like such a simple topic, until you realize there are three conflicting forces. Price, weight, and adaptability. One of those, "you can have two" situations, and then have to make an exception on the third.
There are "off brands", that are coming in with extremely competitive price to performance, but lack in name recognition or build quality.
When I went into buying legs, I thought I could find a good set of 100mm bowl legs for around USD$1700, but this is not the case. Once you add the spreader and spike covers, that price goes into the mid $2000's. That is just the legs. no head.
Without getting to much into it, here are my experiences with tripods I have tried out recently:
Ronford and Baker:
Cheaper than Sachtler, but will last two lifetimes, and has rock solid stability. Parts are not blown up in price, and more affordable than Vitec or Miller. Rubber padded feet are 50% the price of sachtler feet. A classic design that has been used for a while, and interchangeable bit between tripod sizes. You can adapt your system to your new needs without having to buy a whole new system. The only draw back is weight, which isn't really a bad thing, as they are so solid.
Occonor/Sachtler:
These hi end Vitec brands, are pretty much the same. Ridiculous price to performance. Very expensive. The sachtler 100 ENG CF2 can cost over $2000 and has a tiny bit bit of flex with higher drag heads. But the Oconnor 30L and the Sachtler ENG HD are very solid. The lower latch bumps into the rubber feet and makes is awkward to unlatch at times.
The Speed Lock is fun to use, but I don't always like when the leg stages get out of sync. I bit of flex, but solid for most shooting.
Miller:
Costs as much as Sachtler for the most part. similar quality and stability. The sprinter seemed more stable than the comparable sachtler speed lock I tried. But that was splitting hairs.
Miller solo. A very adaptable set of legs. but too much flex for some situations. good for run n gun though. No spreader makes these highly adaptable. Also, having 3 stages, they can shrink down pretty small.
Cartoni: Due to less popularity, these are cheap on the second hand market. They don't look as 'legit' as Sachtler to Miller, but you can buy a high weight class for the same money. That means you can get more stability for less money. The no frills look could look cool, but somehow just doesn't feel high end in person.
E-image: crap
Benro: crap
Manfrotto: crap, but cheap enough and generally not the worst.
Sirui: better rigidity than manfrotto, made with solid feeling parts, but the legs were difficult and awkward to extend or retract.
Cam gear: Sachtler older model design. Actually good. Only thing is build quality looks cheap up close, but usability is on par with Sachtler. It looks like a Sachtler, but with cheaper plastics and 50% the price. but legs extend and retract smoothly and torsional rigidity is good.
In a film Ronford is my absolute favorite. Nothing feels more reliable and solid. They have some light duty legs that I have not tried yet.
At the end of the day, I freelance, and end up in all kinds of situations, sometimes one man banding, and having a lightweight all in one setup is what I needed. I ended up with Oconnor 30L with mid level spreader. Not everyone needs the amount of rigidity, and lighter or more adaptable legs are out there. I think highly of Sachtler Speed lock and Miller sprinter ii, and there are times when the Miller Solos would be my first choice (they go up to 72 inches for interesting shots.) If budget is more important, Cartoni and Camgear make good stuff, with Cartoni feeling of higher quality components.
Basically all light weight legs will have some flex, but they will also be cheaper and lighter. Seeking out the 'best' legs can be quite the obsession and generally just lead to the most expensive ones, as it did for me. but even the most expensive ones will have issues.
It seems like such a simple topic, until you realize there are three conflicting forces. Price, weight, and adaptability. One of those, "you can have two" situations, and then have to make an exception on the third.
There are "off brands", that are coming in with extremely competitive price to performance, but lack in name recognition or build quality.
When I went into buying legs, I thought I could find a good set of 100mm bowl legs for around USD$1700, but this is not the case. Once you add the spreader and spike covers, that price goes into the mid $2000's. That is just the legs. no head.
Without getting to much into it, here are my experiences with tripods I have tried out recently:
Ronford and Baker:
Cheaper than Sachtler, but will last two lifetimes, and has rock solid stability. Parts are not blown up in price, and more affordable than Vitec or Miller. Rubber padded feet are 50% the price of sachtler feet. A classic design that has been used for a while, and interchangeable bit between tripod sizes. You can adapt your system to your new needs without having to buy a whole new system. The only draw back is weight, which isn't really a bad thing, as they are so solid.
Occonor/Sachtler:
These hi end Vitec brands, are pretty much the same. Ridiculous price to performance. Very expensive. The sachtler 100 ENG CF2 can cost over $2000 and has a tiny bit bit of flex with higher drag heads. But the Oconnor 30L and the Sachtler ENG HD are very solid. The lower latch bumps into the rubber feet and makes is awkward to unlatch at times.
The Speed Lock is fun to use, but I don't always like when the leg stages get out of sync. I bit of flex, but solid for most shooting.
Miller:
Costs as much as Sachtler for the most part. similar quality and stability. The sprinter seemed more stable than the comparable sachtler speed lock I tried. But that was splitting hairs.
Miller solo. A very adaptable set of legs. but too much flex for some situations. good for run n gun though. No spreader makes these highly adaptable. Also, having 3 stages, they can shrink down pretty small.
Cartoni: Due to less popularity, these are cheap on the second hand market. They don't look as 'legit' as Sachtler to Miller, but you can buy a high weight class for the same money. That means you can get more stability for less money. The no frills look could look cool, but somehow just doesn't feel high end in person.
E-image: crap
Benro: crap
Manfrotto: crap, but cheap enough and generally not the worst.
Sirui: better rigidity than manfrotto, made with solid feeling parts, but the legs were difficult and awkward to extend or retract.
Cam gear: Sachtler older model design. Actually good. Only thing is build quality looks cheap up close, but usability is on par with Sachtler. It looks like a Sachtler, but with cheaper plastics and 50% the price. but legs extend and retract smoothly and torsional rigidity is good.
In a film Ronford is my absolute favorite. Nothing feels more reliable and solid. They have some light duty legs that I have not tried yet.
At the end of the day, I freelance, and end up in all kinds of situations, sometimes one man banding, and having a lightweight all in one setup is what I needed. I ended up with Oconnor 30L with mid level spreader. Not everyone needs the amount of rigidity, and lighter or more adaptable legs are out there. I think highly of Sachtler Speed lock and Miller sprinter ii, and there are times when the Miller Solos would be my first choice (they go up to 72 inches for interesting shots.) If budget is more important, Cartoni and Camgear make good stuff, with Cartoni feeling of higher quality components.
Basically all light weight legs will have some flex, but they will also be cheaper and lighter. Seeking out the 'best' legs can be quite the obsession and generally just lead to the most expensive ones, as it did for me. but even the most expensive ones will have issues.
