Wow thats quite a risk to operate the 12 feetwith a 13.5 Ib rated tripod isnt it? I have a Vinten Pro6DC and I think it cannot even support the 8 feet.. have u actually tried the setup b4? I'm really interested to know.. otherwise I need a lot more time to save up for another tripod ;(

I was thinking of getting the kessler 8 foot and using this tripod


http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/5524-REG/Bogen_Manfrotto_3246_3046_Tripod_Legs_Black_.html


with probably a 501hdv head. Wonder if anyone has any experience with that setup?

sounds a little on the under side.. I think something that can handle 50 Ib would be better. Check out the kessler review on DVX forums.. soemone mentioned that a total setup for an 8 ft is 50Ib including the counterweights so it would be better to get something stronger I guess..

When I talked to Eric at Kessler, he said they were working on a real heavy duty tripod that had a collection of feet options that would make McGiver envious.. He said it would also run on tracks, and all kinds of different feet and easily support just about any crane option you could think of.. He was talking about $400+ for the basic tripod and $600+ with all options.

I'm just going to run my crane with an old manfroto I have until they start selling this thing and then buy one.. a 12 ft Crane with a 12 lb camera and a turret takes about 50 lbs of counterweight, so if its a really solid tripod, its alot cheaper than fixing a camera that drops from 20ft up.. not to mention the liability of whoever it hits...

Hey guys, have you ever thought of using a "Ultimate" brand speaker stand (or other brand) for your Jib? thats what I did, works like a charm and I never worry about the weight handling capabilities. between weight of camera, weight of jib (I have a ProJib 9.0) and the counterweights (22lbs for my set up), there is some serious weight there that pushes the limits on all but very pricey tripods. and one of the small speaker stands cost under a hundred bucks, and can handle pretty much all the weight you can throw at it. all you need is a 10" pipe of diameter that barely fits inside the stands tube and a pipe flange (about $7 at home depot) and some bolts to secure the gimble to the flange, this works like a charm. yes its another stand you have to carry , but your (nice, expensive) camera tripod will appreciate not being abused by the jib and all the weight. plus it leaves your tripod available for quick scene change without tearing down the crane.

Another option to consider is a used Samson Quickset tripod. These are available from time to time on EBay at a fraction of their retail price. I have one that came with a dolly wheel set and it easily handles my eight foot Kessler. The head is not a fluid head but that doesn't seem necessary given the mass and physics of the crane. I paid $100 for the legs, head and dolly but I have seen them go for much less.

Any experience with these? how smooth is the tilting on the kessler? am I better off getting a remote pan and tilt and going with the camcrane 200
? is it sturdy? are tools needed to put the camcrane together? and how long does it take to put together on average?

I am looking for a crane in the 5-8 foot range so both are good for that, if anyone has any other suggestions let me know.

Hey Chris,

I have a Glidecam Camcrane 200 I bought years ago, used a few times and has been sitting in the basement ever since. If you're interested in a good deal, I'd be happy to part with it. We're both in NYC. Contact me off the forum if you're interested. Email and phone are both on my website (www.aftongrant.com).

Best,
Afton Grant

I have the Kessler. I would say its a great crane with more flexibility compared to the Glidecam. I have the 8Ft which does experience some flexing but it can be controlled. If u like to improve they do have an option to add a support ribs.

Operation is pretty smooth. Setup is fast with 2 man. setting up alone takes me close to 15min on a comfortable pace but it is one tiring job esp on a hot day!

U can see my thread below with some footage. I will make more next mth.
http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthread.php?t=107010

Hey guys, have you ever thought of using a "Ultimate" brand speaker stand (or other brand) for your Jib? thats what I did, works like a charm and I never worry about the weight handling capabilities. between weight of camera, weight of jib (I have a ProJib 9.0) and the counterweights (22lbs for my set up), there is some serious weight there that pushes the limits on all but very pricey tripods. and one of the small speaker stands cost under a hundred bucks, and can handle pretty much all the weight you can throw at it. all you need is a 10" pipe of diameter that barely fits inside the stands tube and a pipe flange (about $7 at home depot) and some bolts to secure the gimble to the flange, this works like a charm. yes its another stand you have to carry , but your (nice, expensive) camera tripod will appreciate not being abused by the jib and all the weight. plus it leaves your tripod available for quick scene change without tearing down the crane.

Just bought a speaker stand with leveling leg which will support 150lbs. I will give it a try. I think it will work, thanks for the idea.....

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/186272-REG/Ultimate_Support_13642_TS_99BL_Aluminum_Speaker.html

I found a 3061 tripod on ebay for $200. The 528xb is the 3061's replacement. The 3061 will support up to 66lbs. I also found them new from $270 which is much cheaper than the $650 price tag of the 528xb.

Combined with the Kessler hercules head it should work well. I will post pictures when I get the tripod.

Here is the solution I found. I use a JBL branded speaker stand with a pipe flange and a couple of adapters to go into the speaker stand this seems to work pretty good, and smooth. the speaker stand could be had for about 75 bucks or so.

I keep a 2 liter bottle and adjust the water to match trim for whatever cable is attached to the jib. just in case some one was wondering what the bag was all about.

We have recently purchased the 8 ft. version, and from the first day we used it, it made a big difference in the way our videos looked. It's pretty easy to use and assemble. Just keep a few smaller extra weights handy so you can make balance adjustments when you tilt your camera up or down (forward and back) due to the slight balance changes. ;-)

I just bought the 8' Kessler Crane and used it for the first time last Thursday. Pretty dramatic results considering it's the first time I've ever used a crane. I certainly need a better tripod, or at least something better than the 501 head I used. I really had to crank down the locks on the head, so much that I was afraid I'd strip them.

I also determined that I'm probably going to use it exclusively with my GL2. My XL2 seemed much too heavy, especially with the tripod and head I was using.

I just bought the 8' Kessler Crane and used it for the first time last Thursday. Pretty dramatic results considering it's the first time I've ever used a crane. I certainly need a better tripod, or at least something better than the 501 head I used. I really had to crank down the locks on the head, so much that I was afraid I'd strip them.

I also determined that I'm probably going to use it exclusively with my GL2. My XL2 seemed much too heavy, especially with the tripod and head I was using.


I bought the 8' Kessler Crane as well. I am using it to film at the historic sites I work at. It has done so well, I called Eric and bought the 12' extension. I am using a Bogen 3061 tripod on a 3067 dolly with either a Bogen 3066 or 116 head with my Sony VX2100 on a Bescor MP-101 motorized head. No problems at all.

I spoke with Eric a couple weeks ago and order the 8' with the hercules head and a varizoom monitor. Everything works great so far from what I've tested. The only complaint is the Varizoom monitor but that's because I'm comparing it to my EX1 LCD. Everything works great and I couldn't be happier.

Ok, so this is my first shot with the crane. But so far it's working great.

http://homepage.mac.com/justin.carlson/~~temp/test_property.mov

http://homepage.mac.com/justin.carlson/~~temp/beach.mov

Another option to consider is a used Samson Quickset tripod. These are available from time to time on EBay at a fraction of their retail price. I have one that came with a dolly wheel set and it easily handles my eight foot Kessler. The head is not a fluid head but that doesn't seem necessary given the mass and physics of the crane. I paid $100 for the legs, head and dolly but I have seen them go for much less.

Thanks for the suggestion. I was completely unprepared when I received my Kessler earlier this month. My Bogen tripod and 501 head was not sufficient at all, especially when I tried to used my XL2 on the crane. I checked eBay and was able to get a Quickset tripod for $75 that is more than adequate for my crane with the XL2 and a full set of weights.

As any one used a cable drive system? how does it compare to a motor head.
I am looking for a big jib. I was thinking The Jimmy Jib lite cable drive, But I am not to sure about the cable drive thing.

Kessler is comeimg out with a 16ft crane and their own motor head! This might be the ultimate sulution for all of us.

Does any body know how they messure the Jimmy Jib and the kessler crane? Is the kessler only 2ft shorter than the Jimmy Jib, or is 16ft the entire length?

so what is the latest new on the 16ft kessler crane?
Pair that up with their new motor head and we've got something to compete with jimmy jib here.

Just a quick note to mention how great I think the Kessler Crane is -- got mine this Monday and I'm really impressed with the quality. Just assembled it today. Eric Kessler is great to deal with and actually called me to make sure everything was fine!
Check it out -- a great product!

anyone have experience flying a crane to a somewhat remote location? I'm headed to Costa Rica next Saturday and looking to get the crane there too. Right now we're looking at a good packing job and paying the extra fee ala surf boards.

What experiences have you had?

Hi Scott - Not a remote location but we have transported our 8ft Kessler crane from the USA to the UK in the packing it originally came in (cardboard box with "Please Handle With Care" stickers on it) without any problems, although we did make sure all the thumb screw fittings were put into a small bag that one of the crew put in his pocket. We will be travelling to Europe shortly and we now have a heavy duty exhibition stand bag we put it in (with a bit of bubble wrap to aid padding) this is checked into the oversize area where golf bags etc are taken - we intend to pick up weights (or improvise) for it on location much the same we do with our ladder dolly where we can break down the dolly to fit into a tiny bag and pick up 2x4 wood beams or ladders at the location. We have also used FedEx to move equipment with no issues.

Regards: Stu
www.studioscotland.com

Hi guys...

Sorry to add to the already huge list of Kessler topics but I need a bit of advice.

I'm thinking about getting hold of the 8' crane, but will my 515 tripod be ok with it? I've got a 516 head on it, and my camera is an XL2 with the redrock m2 lens adaptor.

Obviously it's going to exceed the tripods load capacity, but will it be ok if its spread over the crane and balanced either end (ie so all the weight isn't directly on the tripod head)?

Or do I need to get some new legs?

I had a shot with a brevis on an FX1 with the 8Ft crane. I am using it with the Manfrotto 516 fluid head. Not too bad but I would advise to keep it to 8Ft and below. 12 Ft would be kinda stressful I think!

I keep a 2 liter bottle and adjust the water to match trim for whatever cable is attached to the jib. just in case some one was wondering what the bag was all about.

That's a clever idea. One less weight to have to carry around all the time.

I suspect it might be problematic if the water sloshes around when you move the crane, but that would probably only be an issue if the crane wasn't sufficiently rigid.

nice idea with the water bottles! I think if they are filled to the max n well secured it should be fine.

Thanks for the reply Sean.

I will limit myself to the 8 ft :) That's all the amount of air I want anyway...a few establishing shots and some rising and lowering shots elsewhere.

What sticks were you using? I have the 515mvb manfrotto legs...do you think they'd be ok? When all three stages are locked together it's pretty damn sturdy, and with the 8 foot crane I wouldnt really need to open any of them up.

They're a lot cheaper than the competition. Why?

Because we believe in providing our customers a quality product at a reasonable price. :-)

I think "less expensive" is a much more accurate descriptor than "cheaper."