Which Sachtler upgrade from a 503/351 kit?

C

christopherbdnk

Active member
I'm looking for advice on which tripod to buy, I've been playing around with 501/503 'fluids'/fluids, and I'm a bit worried about stability on pans/tilts. We're trying to keep our budget as low as possible, but what's the next step up? Is it a Sachtler? What sort of kit can we put together that will be better than the Bogan?

The budget is flexible, right now we're looking at spending $650 on the 503/351, but if we can spend double ($1300 or so), or around that, and get something much better, we're willing to.

Should we look outside of Sachtler?

thanks!
 
Also, this is going to be for narrative work, mostly indoors. Is the Vinten Vision 3 worth looking at? The Manfrotto 519?

This is for an HMC150, without rails or anything heavy just yet. A little room to grow wouldn't hurt, but the priority is definitely the immediate situation.
 
mcgeedigital said:
A good Sachtler is worth every penny IMO.

I have an DV8SB for my HVX and a 15SD for the HPX-500.

Love them.
Click to expand...

Thanks Matt! I've heard the same thing, time and time again. So, the DV8SB seems a bit much for me, what am I looking at for $1400-1600?

Also, what about the Libec LS-38? That seems a bit cheaper, but like a substantial upgrade to the 503 head. Any downsides? Portability isn't a huge concern.
 
Thanks, guys. So, it seems like I'm between the:

Miller DS-10 with carbon fibre solo legs ~$1250 (http://www.dvcreators.net/miller-tripods/)
Sachtler 0475 FSB-6 Carbon Fiber Tripod System ~$1650 (http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/498211-REG/Sachtler_0475_0475_FSB_6_Carbon_Fiber.html)

Is it possible to go cheaper on the FSB series? Like, the 4? I know that I won't have as much room to grow with camera weight, but I'm also starting pretty low (HMC150, no adapter). Also, is the FSB series comparable to the DV series? That is, the same reputable heads, but just a difference in how much weight they're holding?
 
If we're going to be running a little light with the camera, would the FSB-4 be a viable alternative? The difference between the two is around $650, which would go a long way with our sound or lighting budget. It seems like the only difference is supported weight, and we'd be fine with upgrading to the FSB-6 in the future if we needed the headroom.

I think it's much easier for us to stretch from $650 expected for the 503/351 to a $1000 upgrade, than to move from $650 to $1650.
 
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