Hey all,

I'll be buying a GL2 in about a month and have been toiling over accessories for the past couple of weeks.

I've narrowed my tripod/head selection down to a few finalists and need a push in the right direction.

Jeff...Ken...I *promise* you I've read and searched as many threads as I could on this subject. Every time I think I've got the solution, I read something to throw me in another direction. : )

Finalists: The Bogen 3246/501 combo, the 3046/501 combo and the Libec M20.

The Bogens are more expensive, seem to be sturdy, have a good reputation on these boards and fit my budget (~$300). For the price difference, I don't see the difference between the 3246 legs and the 3046.

The Libec is also popular around here, but occasional talk of it "sticking" and not doing reasonably fluid pans makes me a bit uneasy. Plus, it's less expensive so could it really be better then the Bogens above?


I'm personally gearing myself towards one of the Bogen setups, but then there's another issue of "photo tripods vs. video tripods" and "center legs" and all kinds of other conversations. I'm thinking I'm just going to have to BUY one and try it and get a feel for it.

Anyone who can give me a final push in the right direction would be great. Thanks all.

Rob,

You might want to look at some of the other threads on the 501. I and several others who have one have noticed it sticking a little when panning. Up/down does not seem to be a problem.

Regards,

Mark

Mark,

I've read about the stiction with the 501's. Is this what you're referring to?

I think that I could swivel it a bit before the shot to make sure it's ready to flow (if that's possible). I just wanted to know if this was an adequate video solution for a GL2.

I don't need the most fluid head available (at the moment) but I do want a reliable, sturdy pair of legs and a decent head. I wish I had the ability to check these out locally but I can't seem to find anyone around who has them available.

Are the Bogens a step in the right direction?

Rob, I recently picked up the Libec used, from someone on this forum. I've never had the pleasure of working with higher end ($300+) Bogen tripods, but I can tell you that the Libec is a wonderful tripod that I'm very happy with for use with my DVX.

I bought it used and it has no sticking problems. Very controllable, smooth head. It's pretty solid, and doesn't feel flimsy at all. It's a great budget tripod that gives you the feel and functionality of a much more expensive tripod.

Imran,

We've got theme parks everywhere. Tons of tourists come to our city. But....none of the camera shops around here have these tripods! Have you found anywhere to buy quality tripods in the greater Orlando area?

Rob,

Yes, I think it is called striction. The little sticking during pan with the 501 doesn't bother me much as I break it loose before doing the pan. Kind of a dry run process beford committing to tape. I have never used any higher end head so I don't have a good comparison to go by. Also it is so much better than the old camera tripod I was using. Also I am using it with the canon GL1 and have no balance problems. The sliding mounting place on the head works well to get the camera perfectly balanced. The 503 is said to be much better and one day maybe I'll get to try one out. I hope this helps.

Good Luck

Mark

Rob, we have a real scarcity of any video accessory shops around here - it's very frustrating. I believe there are a couple of places closer to Kissimmee somewhere... I can't seem to recall their names. Maybe looking at greenroomorlando.com might be a start, in their 'Equipment' section.

I have two Libec 20's and they are very poor in Pan. In fact, if the pan is not locked down, they tend to rock.

Quick setup. If I know I'm going to lock the camera down, then they are fine. If I need camera moves, I use something else, almost anything else.