Andrew Fowler
October 14th, 2003, 08:44 PM
I’m an amateur videographer with a Canon Elura2 and a cheap, lightweight pan-head tripod. I’ve done a couple of instructional/promotional videos for the web and have also helped with a wedding. I'd like to invest in a better camera (probably a GL-2) and a better tripod/head. I don’t do anything adventurous like wildlife videography, so carbon fiber is not a requirement.
I’ve read all of the tripod posts here and have learned a great deal. While a Miller or Sachtler sounds nice, my plan is to spend from $200-400 for a tripod/head/leveler/bag, depending on what I learn about them. My reasoning is that I’d like to get my feet wet before exploring the pricier stuff. Besides, I can’t even find a Gitzo to look at, much less a Miller or Sachtler - the shops here only have the low-end Bogens. Also, I might find that a $200-400 system meets my needs.
I do have some questions (and some observations) that haven’t been addressed at length here:
1. First, about leg-locking mechanisms. I like the idea of Bogen’s levers, but the action is so stiff that they seem hard on the hands, and noisy. However, I discovered that the action can be softened with the provided wrench. Anyway, are people with experience generally satisfied with the Bogen lever mechanisms?
2. I read on a photography forum that Gitzo legs are much fussier. One poster even referred to them as “mystifying.” Can anyone explain why this might be? My impression is that it has something to do with the order in which the leg sections are extended, but I’m not sure. I'm just curious in case I see a set of Gitzo legs for sale on eBay.
3. It appears that I could buy a Libec TH-M20 system for less than $200. Unlike the Bogens/Gitzos, this system has the articulated video-style legs with a mid-level spreader. It strikes me that this design might be more stable but less versatile than the Bogens, and that I might not need the extra stability with a GL-2 anyway. With a modestly loaded GL-2, would this style of tripod offer me any real advantages over a Bogen? Enough to forego a better head?
4. I notice that video tripods with levelers don't use columns, and therefore any fine-tuning of height would have to be done with the legs. On the other hand, Bogen offers a combination column-leveler (both separately and as part of the 750 series), which would make height adjustments as well as leveling easy. Would this be a particularly useful feature? Do experienced videographers find fine height adjustments to be much of an issue?
5. I’ve tentatively narrowed my choices to:
- Libec TH-M20 ($190)
- Bogen 700RC2/756B kit ($285)
- Bogen 3130/755B kit ($312)
- Bogen 501/755B kit ($376)
- Gitzo 2380 head on Bogen 755B legs ($392 plus bag)
Any input would be appreciated. Thanks in advance to all concerned.
I’ve read all of the tripod posts here and have learned a great deal. While a Miller or Sachtler sounds nice, my plan is to spend from $200-400 for a tripod/head/leveler/bag, depending on what I learn about them. My reasoning is that I’d like to get my feet wet before exploring the pricier stuff. Besides, I can’t even find a Gitzo to look at, much less a Miller or Sachtler - the shops here only have the low-end Bogens. Also, I might find that a $200-400 system meets my needs.
I do have some questions (and some observations) that haven’t been addressed at length here:
1. First, about leg-locking mechanisms. I like the idea of Bogen’s levers, but the action is so stiff that they seem hard on the hands, and noisy. However, I discovered that the action can be softened with the provided wrench. Anyway, are people with experience generally satisfied with the Bogen lever mechanisms?
2. I read on a photography forum that Gitzo legs are much fussier. One poster even referred to them as “mystifying.” Can anyone explain why this might be? My impression is that it has something to do with the order in which the leg sections are extended, but I’m not sure. I'm just curious in case I see a set of Gitzo legs for sale on eBay.
3. It appears that I could buy a Libec TH-M20 system for less than $200. Unlike the Bogens/Gitzos, this system has the articulated video-style legs with a mid-level spreader. It strikes me that this design might be more stable but less versatile than the Bogens, and that I might not need the extra stability with a GL-2 anyway. With a modestly loaded GL-2, would this style of tripod offer me any real advantages over a Bogen? Enough to forego a better head?
4. I notice that video tripods with levelers don't use columns, and therefore any fine-tuning of height would have to be done with the legs. On the other hand, Bogen offers a combination column-leveler (both separately and as part of the 750 series), which would make height adjustments as well as leveling easy. Would this be a particularly useful feature? Do experienced videographers find fine height adjustments to be much of an issue?
5. I’ve tentatively narrowed my choices to:
- Libec TH-M20 ($190)
- Bogen 700RC2/756B kit ($285)
- Bogen 3130/755B kit ($312)
- Bogen 501/755B kit ($376)
- Gitzo 2380 head on Bogen 755B legs ($392 plus bag)
Any input would be appreciated. Thanks in advance to all concerned.