Which tripod?

M

Myriad

New member
Hi Everyone
After lurking around here for a while and seeing some impressive stuff, I finally bit the bullet and bought a HMC151. It truly is an impressive piece of kit for the price point.

But now I need a tripod. I've been looking at the Manfrotto 501HDV - 525PKIT - Video Tripod Kit. Has anyone had any experience of this piece of kit.

Would it support the camera and a 35mm lense adapter, or do i need to get something a little more heavy duty.

By the way thank you to everyone on the boards, seeing your stuff really inspires me to get out there an shoot stuff.
 
Ive got the 516 fluidhead and 525 legs, Real smooth but heavy to carry when you need to travel on footh. Probably overkill for the HMC 150 alone but good with an adaptor.
 
Just got my HMC151 today, and also got a Vinten Pro 6 tripod which is extremely smooth and sturdy. Fairly heavy, but it should be perfect for outdoor and uneven terrain
 
I think I'll be going for 503HDV head and some decent legs. B&H has some decent setups for around 450-500 dollars. From what I've read on these boards, stay away from the 501HDV.
 
The 501 gets more bad press than the 503. I just bought the 503 HDV with some sturdy legs, I'm happy with it. Sure, I'd love to buy a $2000 Vinten or Sachtler setup, but I just cannot afford nor justify it, regardless of how long it may last me. Most of the bad press on the 503 seems to be coming from those who do not own it. I feel its the best that I can afford right now, and it does a very good job for its price range, which is all I ask.
 
Check out the Miller Solo Dv legs. For $500 you can get aluminium or for $700 you can get carbon fiber. Each hold about 40lbs. After that you can look at heads. You can always upgrade either or. Libec LS-38 also has a pretty good setup for around $700 with legs and head. No drag adjustment (from what i've read). But its better to make the right purchase the first time then regretting it during the second.

Of course money will decide.
 
Nothing wrong with the 501hdv, it does what it needs to for the price. My school had couple of them for video projects, along with dvx100s. I'm thinking of getting one with some libec sticks, the T68 to be specific. Dirt cheap - Lightweight setup that should handle 10lbs just fine
 
Consider Libec LS-38. Best value for money. Real fluid head - in contrast to Manfrotto 501, 503, which use friction for controlling drag. Libec doesn't have adjustable drag/counterbalance, but balances very well, the legs don't twist and no bounce-back at all (unlike some more expensive tripods). The only thing to like about Manfrotto is its bag...
 
trez said:
The only thing to like about Manfrotto is its bag...
Click to expand...

They do have nice bags.

Id consider the libec as well. Used to have one myself and was always very easy to use and control. Now I have a vinten vision 11 (for HPX500).
 
eL ProduceR said:
Nothing wrong with the 501hdv,
Click to expand...

Exactly. You will always get Manfrotto/Bogen dissenters, just as you get dissenters of all the other larger companies (sometimes for good reasons, others not necessarily). You can always spend the $5000 for a nice Vinten which may be justified depending on the work you are doing, but most of us cannot do that. In the $500 range, you won't get much better than the 503 with a sturdy set of sticks.

For the price, the 501 and 503 work just fine. I know that people say that once you use a higher end tripod, you will see the difference, and I have. But again, you can only buy what you can afford, and if $500 is what you have to spend, I say the 503.

One thing should be said about Libec, I hear that their customer service is top notch. This cannot be discounted, and these are the type of companies that I prefer to do business with.

But I do need to pick up one of these Manfrotto bags.....
 
Are there any particular legs you recommend? Is there any reason you're not recommending any of the Manfrotto tripods?
 
DaFireMedic said:
snip

One thing should be said about Libec, I hear that their customer service is top notch. This cannot be discounted, and these are the type of companies that I prefer to do business with.

snip
Click to expand...

FYI: I have a TV production acquantance who has a busted Libec head and he told me Libec wouldn't service it. Granted, his Libec is a low end model but I still found it a bit surprising to see that they wouldn't service the head.

regards
JohnG
 
Myriad, someone has to break it to you gently, so here goes...

Newbie mistake #1. - Spend too much of your budget on camcorder with lots of flashy bells that your budget cannot really support and skimp on sub standard camera support.
Newbie mistake #2. - Spend too much of your budget on camcorder with lots of flashy bells that your budget cannot really support and skimp on proper grip and lighting gear.
Newbie mistake #3. - Spend too much of your budget on camcorder with lots of flashy bells that your budget cannot really supportand skimp on proper sound gear.

Not saying you did any of the above, but it sounds a bit like it based upon your situation. It's okay, we all have done it and I see hundreds of people do it every year. The marketing and hype is so persuasive and nobody tells you HOW to spend the money you have to make film/video on the most practical way.

Libec all of the way of you if are going cheap.

I own the 501 and I use the 503 every week (clients have a pile of them). Both are junk, I've shot with them for years. They are what they are, a $500.00 piece of non-precision gear, used when you need a precision piece of gear to perform smooth, seamless professional moves. It is physically impossible to make smooth simultaneous tilt/pans with any but the most expensive Bogen tripod heads, they have tons of stiction. I also own the Sachtler DV-6SB but still use the 501 when I fly because if the airlines lost my Sachtler, I would have to go postal.

If you can swing around U.S. $1,300.00, the Sachtler FSB-6 is pretty damned fine. Don't team your amazing new camcorder with a piece of junk tripod. With tripods, you get what you pay for.

Fact: You will make better looking and sounding video with an $800.00 Canon Vixia HF-11, a Sachtler tripod, a proper grip and lighting package and proper sound package than you will make with an HMC-151 and a junky tripod. And the two packages will cost the same. Film and video are not made with camcorders, they are made with production packages that include a camcorder AND all of the stuff needed for film/video making. Oh yeah, and it goes without saying, innate talent.

Dan
 
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how much does a typical setup weigh? Camcorder + rails + 35mm adapter + FF + Matte box and such??
 
I don't think that there is typical. Mine weighs between 16 and 18lbs depending on lens, number of filters in matte box, camera weight, etc.

Dan
 
the accessories alone would more than double the weight of the A1, ...depends though...carbon/alum/or steel rods, flip/no flip for adapter, etc...and don't bother with that stuff without a decent monitor, and if you plan on attaching it to your camera, blammo....the $500 tripods suddenly look like toys...the aforementioned HF11 will suddenly sound better and better....but i heard about your recent issue with your A1....have you bought a camera yet, or still deciding?


Chris
 
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