hi everyone.
i know there's a billion of these threads (and i've read them all), so i'll try and be really specific.

i'm going to shoot a feature film later this year and it's time to get a tripod. i plan on building a homemade dolly and doing some dolly shots. the film will have indoor and outdoor shots. i won't be doing any weddings or interviews or "run and gun" type shooting as far as i know.

right now the camera is a GL1 with a WD58 wide angle adapter.
(the possiblity of upgrading to XL1 or DVX100 exists, but not a pressing issue)

so after reading all the threads i am about ready to go for the following setup:

bogen 503 head, 3502 levelling head, 3246 sticks.

this seems appropriate, but i thought i would ask here just in case it is overkill for my camera setup, or inappropriate in some way because of what i want to use it for.

my gut says it'll be a fine setup for the money, but i thought i would ask just in case. thanks everyone!

martino

For lockdown shots, what you've selected is just fine.

Here's the gotcha. Maybe. Depends on your shooting style and the genre of your movie. Camera moves should be a part of the film, not an artifact-generating event.

If you want:

- To smoothly pan and tilt to follow some slow and tender moment in the action without a perceptable start and stop and at the end of the movement
- the camera to stop without any rebound at all.
- to do some very fast camera moves and you don't want the legs winding up or the head restricting the motion.
- the tripod to perform as well at the end of the production as it did in the beginning, regardless of the environment in which you used it.

The Bogen may not deliver that performance.

Not to say that a lot of good work isn't done on top of a 503. But you just won't be able to do the controlled long and very smooth moves. So if you need them, consider another choice or rent .
when you do need it.

Look at this thread: http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthread.php?s=&threadid=26279

thanks, Mike. i appreciate the perspective.
i'll look into that option, but i can already hear my credit card moaning!!!
i might not be able to go that far, but i really do appreciate the idea of only buying something once.