Tripods...

[Aschu]

I am planning on purchasing my first dvx 100b and i want a tripod to go with it. Any suggestions would be nice. I am looking for something affordable hopefully under $400.. and even that is a bit high for me but if that's asking too much then I can deal with it.

 

[10s]

Manfrotto MDEVE units.

 

[naavt]

Manfrotto MDEVE units.

Sorry if I disagree with you but cheap Manfrotto tripods are simply rubbish!

My advise is: Don't skimp on a tripod! If well cared after, it will probably last 10 times more than your camera.

Do yourself a favor and add some dollars on your budget and buy the ONLY "cheap" tripod that really works!!! And that's Libec LS-38(2A).

Anyway, don't forget to try before you buy.

 

[gco]

A good place to start can be found at the top of the page:
Sticky: Official Tripod F.A.Q's

Beyond that, the Search tool is a fantastic resource and well worth your time.

 

[10s]

Sorry if I disagree with you but cheap Manfrotto tripods are simply rubbish!

My advise is: Don't skimp on a tripod! If well cared after, it will probably last 10 times more than your camera.

Do yourself a favor and add some dollars on your budget and buy the ONLY "cheap" tripod that really works!!! And that's Libec LS-38(2A).

Anyway, don't forget to try before you buy.

Sorry but I have one and they work great. Experience trumps foolish assumptions! Nice try.

 

[Huy Vu]

Sorry but I have one and they work great. Experience trumps foolish assumptions! Nice try.

It depends on what you use it for. I've played around with the 501, the 501HDV and the 503 and I find that none of them are very good. It might be adequate for a small camera for very basic movement, but comparatively these just aren't very good tripod head and it shows when you try to do more complex movement. That's not to say that all Bogens are bad. I myself use the 516 head and it's as good as the Libec LS38 if not better for around the same price.

When it comes to buying a tripod, I would say that if you can afford it, future proof yourself as much as possible. It doesn't have to be a $1500 Sachtler, but you shouldn't have to rush out and buy a new one once you start putting accessories on the cam either.

 

[10s]

What I suggested above (MDEVE) are the sticks alone, not the head. The sticks work great for light weight cameras on the go. If you haven't yet used a leveling ball, you're simply missing out! It's a mini bowl unit on sticks you can gun & run on. A level shot can be set in a few seconds versus a few minutes of adjusting legs.

Since fluid heads were brought up: Actually these low end Bogen heads you mention work just fine, unfortunately it's cool for some beginners to say they're crap. Of course these heads are not the best, duh!, but they also don't cost an arm & a leg.

Do they hold the camera steady? yes.
Can one perform smooth pans & tilts? yes (with some practice)
Will they hold up to typical wear & tear useage? yes!
Are there better heads out there? yes.
Do these better heads cost much more? yes, often a lot more!
Do the better heads give a lot better performance? A little bit more, not much.
Would a beginner need the best fluid head available? only if he drives the best car and wears the best clothes and uses the best camera ... in that case he will use an O'Conner head.

Once in a while I've even used a very low end Bogen head I bought 18 years ago because I can get smooth as butter pans without any problems. I had some people tell me it was crap until they used it, go figure! The results looks just like I'm using an ARRI geared head! Good Panning takes practice.

 

[ryvac]

It doesn't have to be a $1500 Sachtler

which one exactly is that one?
I'm looking for the next step up tripod from my 501 Bogen and that sounds like the one!

 

[Huy Vu]

Would a beginner need the best fluid head available? only if he drives the best car and wears the best clothes and uses the best camera ... in that case he will use an O'Conner head.

That's just not true! If you're on a wide shot and the move is simple then you can use pretty much any tripod head. I had a Velbon tripod that I bought for $70 that I thought was pretty smooth as far as panning and tilting goes. Then I started doing complex moves (i.e creeping pan at the telephoto end with smooth start and stop) and I just couldn't do it. At first I thought the same as you do: I just need more practice. Then I got to try some real fluid head and I realized that a good fluid head just plain works, practice or not. Skill does play a part but you shouldn't have to fight with the tripod to get it to do what you want.

Of course I wouldn't expect anyone starting out to shell out several thousands for O'Connor or Sachtler, but at the low-end range, you DO get a dramatic jump in quality for not that much more. One of the most commonly asked questions on this forum is "I have $200, what's a decent tripod that I should go for?" The answer is that there is none. It's not just me saying it, pretty much any pro will tell you the same thing. Like a microphone, a tripod is something that you should expect to last you a long time. Spending $400 on a cheap tripod and head might work for you now, but you'll quickly run up against its limitation and wished that you had just saved up a bit more. There are some very good values at the $600-700 range like the Libec as mentioned, and you can always get a good deal used. My 516 head does very well with just the bare camera and does equally well when I put a full rod-support rig and crane on it so as far as tripod purchase goes I'm set for a while; any upgrade will just be a luxury. I really can't say the same for any Bogen head from the 503 on down.

 

[Huy Vu]

which one exactly is that one?
I'm looking for the next step up tripod from my 501 Bogen and that sounds like the one!

I was referring to the DV6SB model, although a quick check shows that it's been discontinued. Not sure what they replaced it with.

 

[naavt]

Sorry but I have one and they work great. Experience trumps foolish assumptions! Nice try.

If my English does not mistake me you're the only one here who's making assumptions!
What I've said is based on experience alone (one of 21 years working in the TV and cinema industry). Fortunately for me, I'm a very happy owner of a good tripod but had the opportunity to try some cheaper Manfrotto alternatives to a good tripod. More about this bellow after your other quote...

(...)Since fluid heads were brought up: Actually these low end Bogen heads you mention work just fine, unfortunately it's cool for some beginners to say they're crap. Of course these heads are not the best, duh!, but they also don't cost an arm & a leg.

Do they hold the camera steady? yes.
Can one perform smooth pans & tilts? yes (with some practice)
Will they hold up to typical wear & tear useage? yes!
Are there better heads out there? yes.
Do these better heads cost much more? yes, often a lot more!
Do the better heads give a lot better performance? A little bit more, not much.
Would a beginner need the best fluid head available? only if he drives the best car and wears the best clothes and uses the best camera ... in that case he will use an O'Conner head.

Once in a while I've even used a very low end Bogen head I bought 18 years ago because I can get smooth as butter pans without any problems. I had some people tell me it was crap until they used it, go figure! The results looks just like I'm using an ARRI geared head! Good Panning takes practice.

Starting with your last sentence, it seems like a paradox to me when you say that "good panning takes practice" (which I can't agree most), when you previously stated that a beginner don't need the best fluid head available!

I can surely bet with you that a somewhat inexperienced user can make better pans "out of the box" with a better head than the contrary.

On the previous statements you have made, I agree with most but let me tell you that better heads gives a lot of improvement, not a "bit more, not much" as you said.

Of course that what is a "lot of improvement" or a "bit more, not much" will depend on the critical analysis that each one will apply when looking at the final footage. Perhaps I'm a bit more demanding than you, who knows?

And last but not least, I can only congratulate you if you can do pans with a low end Manfrotto like the pros do with an ArriMotion. That's got to be awesome!