Vinton Vision 10 or ...

[George Loch]

I am in the market for a good set of sticks for under $1k. I have come across used Vinten 10s and wondered how they rate compared to new sub-$1k tripods?

I am shooting with DSLRs and eventually the C200.

-gl

 

[keithlango]

The trick is finding an older grey Vinten Vision 10 in good shape. Many are listed as "working condition" but have problems with grit or broken locks or locks that won't grip or they'll be leaking. There is one seller on eBay that offers a 30 day return policy for their stock of older Vinten heads/sticks, and they seem to do a decent job of listing things properly.

However, if you find one in good shape they are orders of magnitude superior to anything new that sells for < $1k. The variable counter balance is excellent and the head easily holds the rated weight. No lash, no bounce back, pull of diagonal moves without fighting the thing. For smaller cams like the C200 you may be able to get by with an older Vision 8, though those can be harder to find. A Vision 11 will also do the job if you expect to go bigger or really build out the C200 with all the toys for a studio shoot, but the 11 will likely be a bit too beefy for DSLR work.