Trusmt vs Tilta?

A

Adamsenoj

Well-known member
I was basically set in buying a Trusmt NF1 after seeing Erik Naso's review. But now I'm reading they are still too stiff with cine lenses, which I use a lot and that the Tilta is much softer and better for that.
Anybody here has tried both and can give an opinion?
Another one I was looking at is the Lanparte A/B hard stops follow focus. Those 3 seems to be around the same price range.

Any opinions greatly welcome.
 
never used the trusmt. but the tilta is about as smooth and free as ive used shy of zacuto, shoot35 or arri
 
IMO, Tilta and LanParte are better than the TrusmT; mostly because their designs are based on in-house builds from the bottom up whilst there is quite a lot of controversy surrounding exactly how much the TrusmT equipment has been *ahem* "borrowed".
I also have complete trust in the engineers for both of them, although I have much more personal experience dealing with the LanParte guys myself.

Tilta is nice (if you can get hold of the dealer; their communication is spotty at best) although I do prefer the LanParte unit because of the wheel and the damping is just right for my Canon lenses.

LanParte are also bringing out some adapters including a reverse gear and a swinging arm (for Cine lenses) which is really going to bridge the gap in terms of functionality.
I've already got a sample of the swinging arm here with me and final CAD photos of the reverse gear so it won't be too long before I get a final prototype on hand.

If any of those functions are important or useful for you then it's the LanParte hands down.
 
Are any of these opinions based on cine lenses use or still lenses? Still lenses are a totally different animal as the damping is almost not existent.
I'm only interested in experiences while using cine lenses please.
 
I just got a trusMT to use with my cine lenses. Haven't had the chance to use in on an extensive shoot yet. But everything has been nice and smooth with it so far. Beats the RR I was using, and has the ability to work on the dumb or smart side of the camera and not get in the way of my mattebox.
 
The reason I think LanParte is more versatile for the Cine lenses is because of this:

oziRigProFFArm1.jpg

oziRigProFFArm2.jpg

oziRigProFFArm3.jpg


For an extra $124 you can pick up that adapter.
It attaches to the front of the gearbox (either side) and extends the reach by a good amount.
I think it's a better solution because Cine lenses have a lot of variety when it comes to sizing and you might not have the reach without the arm.
It takes about 10 seconds to put on or off in-case you don't need it for a particular lens combo.
 
josh-ozirigpro said:
The reason I think LanParte is more versatile for the Cine lenses is because of this:

oziRigProFFArm1.jpg

oziRigProFFArm2.jpg

oziRigProFFArm3.jpg


For an extra $124 you can pick up that adapter.
It attaches to the front of the gearbox (either side) and extends the reach by a good amount.
I think it's a better solution because Cine lenses have a lot of variety when it comes to sizing and you might not have the reach without the arm.
It takes about 10 seconds to put on or off in-case you don't need it for a particular lens combo.
Click to expand...

Actually, one of the bid advantages of cine lenses is exactly that they are all the same gear size and front size. At least within the same set and brand. Between the Lanparte and the Tilta the Tilta seems to be a better option IMO.
 
You're right; I should have explained that better, haha.
When you're using a mix of zoom lenses and cinema lenses, you obviously have to deal with the large amount of variety and that's why something like this comes in handy.
And if you're using pure cinema lenses then the gear helps by allowing you to mount the FF in several different places without any issue.
Want to mount it from the top handle? No problem.
Swap around left/right? Easy.

The bottom line is; both units are solid and have practically zero backlash.
The difference comes down to pricing and support; are you able to get hold of the guys at Tilta (traditionally this has been an issue), complete the transaction (no online stores: only e-mail) and then continue to get support afterwards?
Whilst I have confidence that Tilta are there to deliver, in my experience their response times are hit and miss and the entire process is the complete opposite of user-friendly.

Compare that to the LanParte unit where you can contact any of their dealers directly via their web-stores or eBay (or have them discussing the merits of each unit including pictures and upcoming accessories on a forum post :P), send an email (or chat on Skype) to Jerry and Maple (Sales staff at LanParte) and receive a response almost instantly, and even get their engineers to custom build parts for you (as in the case of the new reverse gear coming, I had requested that they create this for the Nikon guys).

It all comes down to how much that after-market support is worth to you.
 
Weird. I sent 2 emails to Lanparte on 14 and 16 Aug to enquire about their products but they did not bother to respond to my emails at all. Not sure about their customer service.
 
dbmedia said:
Weird. I sent 2 emails to Lanparte on 14 and 16 Aug to enquire about their products but they did not bother to respond to my emails at all. Not sure about their customer service.
Click to expand...

LanParte are first and foremost a manufacturer; which is why they have dealers who handle the majority of their support.
As said previously, they do have Jerry and Maple, who are extremely capable support staff, but you have to understand that the majority of their work involves dealing with their (increasingly) large wholesale network.
Unfortunately it looks like they may have missed your e-mail; what did you want to know?

Please don't misread my intentions; I don't really care about OP's decision either way, but I felt it was pertinent to share that my experiences as both a customer and dealer for LanParte have been nothing but excellent without the warranty and support hassles that you usually get from sub-par Chinese companies.
 
I can attest to Lanparte gear quality, as well as Tilta (although I haven't used their FF). These two manufacturers are on a whole different level than TrusMT. I own the Lanparte shoulder rig and would have purchased their FF had I not received a used TrusMT NF1 FF for dirt cheap. I bought it for less than half price from a guy on these forums - and apart from a sticky spot (which is why it was so cheap), it is silky smooth. It is also hefty and well-built, although I wouldn't say that the plastic gears will stand to tons of abuse. TrusMT does the job, but if I ever go with a new FF I would go for either Lanparte or Tilta. Zacuto/Arri FF are just way too overpriced for me.

So IMO, just pay once for that Tilta/Lanparte FF and be done with it.
 
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