FAQ Video kit we'd like invented or current workarounds/alternatives

Josh Bass said:
My personal tripod isn't getting upgraded any time soon (Sachtler DV4 from more than 10 years ago)
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Well that's your problem right there. Get a professional tripod and life will be so much better for you. There are always some good deals out there on used O'Connors or better Sachtlers than what you have now. But even if you spring for something brand new like what I use, an O'Connor 1030D with carbon legs, it works out to only about $75/mo. when you amortize it for 15 years (even though it will last longer than that). Now shouldn't $75 per month for such an important tool be within any professional's budget?

I also have a Sachlter Caddy that I use for my B-cameras and when I want something smaller or lighter for travel. It's not as nice as the O'Connor but it gets the job done and I'm certainly not "fighting" as you are with your tripod. I bought the Caddy on eBay in 2001 for $4K and it's as good today as it was then. If my math is right, that is about $33/mo. -- but that doesn't even take into consideration that I could probably sell it today for almost what i bought it for. I also have a FSB-6, but now you're getting down into the tripods that are only meant for DSLRs and small cameras like an FS5 with the stock lens.

Cameras come and go, but a tripod should last you 15-20 years and is not something to skimp on. A DV4? Come on, get serious about your work! :-)
 
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That's all nice in theory but not worth it right now. DV4 works fine and I'd eventually like to upgrade to something like a FSB6. No big boys for me unless they're forced on me.
 
I have a Miller Air on carbon legs for super lightweight setups and a Miller Compass 25 for heavy ones.

Both great and neither are extortionately priced.


The DV4's stated max load of 4.9KG doesn't give you much wiggle room with a camera and decent lens.
 
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Josh Bass said:
That's all nice in theory but not worth it right now. DV4 works fine and I'd eventually like to upgrade to something like a FSB6. No big boys for me unless they're forced on me.
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Well that's not what you said before . . .

Josh Bass said:
Ooooh I know one. . .a button on the tripod pan arm that would lock/unlock the head tilt/pan. Or some way to instantly lock/unlock. I'm thinking of situations where you're static for a long time and then have to adjust. Keeping the cam in place just by holding it stead is exhausting for any extended length of time, but at the same time having your hands at your sides with the cam locked down and then having to quickly fumble with pan/tilt locks to adjust if someone moves can cause shake.
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Make up your mind. It sure doesn't sound like the DV4 "works fine". I think you're back pedaling now because you don't want to actually open your wallet to solve the problems you've already admitted you're experiencing. In my opinion, you're being short sighted. A pro needs to spend money on professional gear. Period.
 
Ben Scott said:
The DV4's stated max load of 4.9KG doesn't give you much wiggle room with a camera and decent lens.
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Not only that, but "max load" is only one thing to consider out of many factors that define how well a tripod system works. There are other things to consider such as smoothness of panning and tilting, the ability to counterbalance the load for any configuration or weight (some heads only allow a couple of presets), smoothness of the unlock/lock, forward-to-rear balancing on the head, convenience of the quick release plate, rigidity of the legs, convenience of raising/lowering the legs, placement of the spreader, 75mm or 100mm bowl, lighted bubble, length of pan handle, etc. Buying a tripod system based on the load rating alone is like choosing a car just by the MPG rating. There are many other things to consider and usually a test drive of some sort is recquired to get the feel of how it "feels" in the real world.
 
Well yes, but it's a key signifier as to whether a specific setup is going to be appropriate on a specific tripod, ahead of other considerations.
 
Ben Scott said:
Well yes, but it's a key signifier as to whether a specific setup is going to be appropriate on a specific tripod, ahead of other considerations.
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Sure, but you usually need to cut the manufacture's published number in half to find the real max. load limit if you expect smooth performance. It seems some manufacture's numbers really indicate how much weight the system will take before it collapses to the ground in a pile of rubble -- rather than a limit for performance. :-)
 
+1 on the O'Connor 1030. I got mine used in 2002 and it remains flawless, never once requiring service and always delivering the perfect performance that I am used to with their larger heads (I also own a 20 yr old 2575 and a 40 yr old 100). Tilts from 90 degrees straight up or down, and when properly adjusted (something a lot of people forget to do), requires no force to hold position anywhere in its range, all the way down to 0 lbs of load (performs the same with an iPhone or a 30 lb camera). That's the gold standard and I've yet to find another small head that works as well.

Echoing Doug's sentiment and adding to it, as I have written myself many times on message boards: you will own the right head for decades, through many generations of cameras. And the performance will be visible in every single move you make with it. It's a necessity, not a luxury.

Finally--if you haven't spent time on a head like a 1030, you may not even know what you are missing. I am by nature not a brand loyalist but there are a few that I embrace (and have endorsed) and O'Connor is one such brand. I actually think their older heads are better, before the Vitec buyout, so worth poking around for a good used one.
 
A note on max. payload ratings for tripod heads. No manufacturer will have any idea as to the size and shape of your camera. You could have a long thin rig with a big matte box on one end and a fat battery on the other, or you could have a small cube like a RED or Alexa Mini that weighs a bunch but is a compact footprint.

Try holding a big book. First with your elbow against your side and the book in your palm, right next to your shoulder. Then extend your arm fully, straight out from the shoulder. That same book now feels a LOT heavier when it is cantilevered far away from the center of gravity.

Tripod head weight limits are based on a small brick of weight placed directly on top of the tripod head. When you extend that weight out on a long camera rig, the relative strain on the head is far greater, especially as you tilt up or down. So you should always get a head rated for much higher than the weight of camera you actually tend to place on it.

There's no such thing as a tripod head that's too big, unless you're the assistant who has to carry it.
 
My deal is I own the dv4 but often use bigger tripods clients own (and right now am using other people's gear more often than my own.) For me not having to shell out more money, the dv4 is absolutely fine. pans/tilts very smooth-- I wish it had counterbalance but it is what it is. Used it for years and am used to fighting it when necessary and locking off when possible. If I did upgrade I would still go small as I'm most likely to be working alone and have no urge to carry around a massive tripod system. I'm sure the O'connors are very nice, but not feasible for me right now. I was mostly idly complaining here. Next time I use one of the bif tripods I will mess with the counter balance and see if I can get to act like it's supposed to.
 
deltoidjohn said:
Two things I'd really like to see:



- Wireless headphones with a paired dongle that plugs into a 3.5mm jack. (Why are cameras the only thing in 2016 that doesn't have wireless bluetooth audio?
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shoehat said:
This x 1000
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jasonbrooks said:
I was looking around for this for quite a while, being sick of having to remove and wrap/cable-manage the 'phones every time I put the camera down. Unfortunately I don't think this is coming anytime soon, for one main reason: Bluetooth latency (lag). It would be a complete headfu(k to hear realtime sound leaking over monitored-audio that was even 50ms 'late' as a result of the B/T.
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When I had my Amira, I tried the Bluetooth audio exactly once.

Delay was very distracting. It wasn't much, but enough to realize you'd only use it when there was no other option.
 
Surely bluetooth by its nature and latency is not the right system for wireless audio monitoring?

Good old fashioned RF should do a job shouldn't it?
 
I'd love a professional tripod system designed for lightweight cameras that could be packed into carry-on luggage. I'd be willing to drop two or three thousand dollars on a properely designed solution.
 
CharlesPapert said:
+1 on the O'Connor 1030.
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+2 On the O'Connor 1030, or in my case the 1030HDS. Everyone has their preference on feel, but after owning Sachtler, Miller, Daiwa, Manfrotto, Vinten and Ronford heads over the decades I find the O'Connor 1030HDS a great small head and the only keeper. Everything has changed, including lighting, except my fluid head/sticks combo (Ronford 2 stage LW alum legs). I did add Manfrotto 536 4 section carbon legs for convenience recently- good for some shoots and faster for me to deploy over Miller Solo sticks.
 
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