What tripod for T2i?

[Rylan Zolinski]

I have a T2i but will soon have the Halo rig for it. On top of that, I will have a 7" monitor and possibly the Rode NTG2 and Tascam recorder mounted (if possible). That would be my total load at once. Now, what tripod would probably be better suited for this out of these two?

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produ...o_501HDV_546B_501HDV_Head_w_546B_2_Stage.html

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produ...V_547BK_701HDV_547BK_Video_Tripod_System.html

Obviously the top one has a higher load capacity rate, but the price is $200 higher. Would it be better to pay the extra for the 501 or would the 701 be sufficient?

 

[ROCKMORE]

B&H has all the tripods set up to try if you are in the area, or your local dealer to see how they handle your max load.
If you plan the carry it around a lot than the 11.2 vs 6.9 pounds will be a big difference after a while. 4.3 extra pounds doesn't sound like a lot, but for example many people go with a Canon 70-200 f4L over a 70-200 f2.8L to save carrying an extra 1.5 pounds. I would try to go with a lighter package and put the $200 toward something else you need.

 

[Michael Carter]

I have the original 501 (pre "DV", some say it was smoother back then) and it's a freakin' workhorse. My rig with rails, FF, monitor etc is hefty - and I've put it on an 8' kessler crane, and stuck the whole mess on the 501. Yeah, you really have to torque the tilt lock tight when you do that, but for general use it's dynamite.

I've been using a Miller DV series head lately - just the head is like a grand - and yes, it's subtly smoother than the manfrotto - but not $600 smoother, not by a long shot.

A decent manfrotto setup will hold some good eBay value so if you go cheap, upgrading may not be that painful someday... but the pricier manfrotto legs could last you some time. Those are decently sturdy sticks.

 

[Samuel H]

I had my eyes on the 501HDV+546B set, but the price here in Europe is quite a bit steeper

one big advantage of this set over the cheaper one is that it uses a 75mm half bowl, which means you don't need to level your legs perfectly, just get it roughly close and then use the bowl for a fine adjustment; I hate having to play with the legs ad infinitum each time I move my current tripod

 

[ROCKMORE]

manfrotto legs could last you some time. Those are decently sturdy sticks.

I have an old set of manfrotto 3182 cine legs. I guess it's no longer made, but still on the job after 15 years with a Miller head. I also mount a 12 foot jib on it with a custom bearing that fits the top of the bowl. I used to mount an Arri 35mm on it with about 50 pounds of counter weight. Load tested to 100 pounds before I put my camera on it. Actually along with the 100 pounds I could easily climb on it and it would still hold the load.
Really tough long lasting gear. It looks a bit overkill with a canon DSLR on it, but smooth as silk and the clients like it.

I would say since Manfrotto legs are all pretty tough no matter what the size, I'd still get the smaller unit to start and go from there. They are still heavy and inferior to a used set of Sachtler carbon fiber legs. I have both and use the manfrotto mostly to abuse for things like heavy jib arms.
Save up for a Sachtler for your daily driver and you won't be disappointed even if you have to wait a year or 2 to get one. You will use it for many years and if you sell will get a great return.

for sale/
http://cgi.ebay.com/Sachtler-DV-4-II-Tripod-/330529940713?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4cf51ea4e9
sold/
http://cgi.ebay.com/SACHTLER-DV-4-I...949?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3a62dda0c5