I just received my Vinten Vision 100 fluid head and Fibertec stick with mid level spreader.

Hard to discribe how nice this system feels and adjust with out saying WOW. The legs are quick and easy while being very stiff.

The head is Smoooooth with nice adjustment and great balance with 18lbs on top.

The mid level spreader is very well thought out with a build in safety feature incase you try and fold up while locked.

For more details on the sticks read Chris Soucy review in Articles on this site. Chris pushed me this way and it seems like the right move, thanks Chris!

Glad you like the combination.

If you don't mind me asking, what was the wallet damage for the whole setup?

Did you pop for the entire extravaganza including the case? From B&H?

When you've had some time to play, fire us a piccie of your entire rig in action, must be one impressive set of kit.

I'll be intereseted to see how long it is before you do the "the leg lock is open but I'll open it some more - kerrunch. Oh sh*t!" thing that I did.

Enjoy!


CS

Did you look at the Gearnex gearhead before popping for that fluid head?

No a gear head would not suit my needs. This rig is light and can be carries for hours which I do often.

Chris,
Well first off Abel Cine Tech was my source since I could talk with someone (Charles) he found a floor demo head and there were only a few set of sticks left since they are discontinued. No bag I will go for a PortaBrace next week.

$6K and it is worth every penny. I paid $4.9K for a Miller 55 with my Red One and there is NO comparison, as you well know.

Just finished taking some pictures of the new Convergent Design Nano rig on the back of the camera. Flip the camera 80 degrees and this rig just makes me smile. Going to the rock cliffs and being in big breeze following the hawks will be a dream. Snapped this quick shot for you. More will come from the field.

Don't look forward to snapping the leg lock but nice to know they have parts in NJ.

That sure is a rig and a half.

Definately better when you converse with a human who actually knows what they're talking about, I agree.

Don't worry about those leg locks, you'll only ever do it the once 'cos it sounds so excruciatingly expensive, then you summon up the courage and push it back down again to the same awfull sound and away you go.

Keep us posted with your thoughts as you put them through their paces.


CS

Thanks Chris,

I don't know how one can work in the field with a full size HD camera with anything less. Smooth is so important and for me weight is second.

Will let you know how it performs in the field. Thanks again for directing me!

Chris any thoughts on a good case? I lean toward PortaBrace due to the excellent quality. But better to ask prior to spending the money

I think a soft one since it is easy to pull the tripod while in the back of the car. Also some pockets for baseplate etc..

I've been using fibertec legs since they came out and love them. I was saddened to hear of them being discontinued, but apparently it was costing Vinten too much to get the legs produced at a consistent quality level. It's a shame because the radical design makes them so stiff compared to conventional tubular legs and the design of the lower leg and inset spikes means that any tendency for the legs to twist is minimized.

Thought I saw Fibertech on some shots with you shooting your 700. What do you use for a bag to carry the tripod Alister?

With only a few sets left I think of buying a second set of sticks.

I have Vinten soft bag and a hard tripod tube that I've had for years and I don't know who made that, it doesn't have a name on it anywhere.

Thanks Alister

I've got the "proper" Vinten semi rigid bag (it's written up in my review) which works great and will work even better with your larger head, not sure who makes it.

Upside, it sticks to the rear cargo compartment floor of my station wagon like glue and is left unzipped for the easiest extract and re - load.

Downside, it is bloody heavy in it's own right, fully loaded it weighs a ton.

Bags of pockets etc and as expensive as it is heavy.

Not even sure whether they can still be had, maybe Peter Harman will know, pretty sure he'll be reading this thread.

(Peter is the Product Manager for Vinten UK).


CS

Thanks Chris I will look into it. Will most likely buy a soft bag for work on site and a hard case for shipping since the tripod will not fit in my Storm cases but the head will.

Five stills from my shoot last night. The color in the last one is accurate since it was at the golden moment while the camera was doing a time laps. Conditions 10 deg F with wind chill -5 deg F.

I did some shots of wintering ducks at full zoom and the fine tune adjustment along with balance was excellent. I could do very very slow pan and keep the ducks in the frame. Very pleased.

that's a nice looking set up!

That last shot is simply beautifull, Paul.

For anyone who hasn't read my review of those sticks, check out that last photo, it shows quite clearly the massive width of those leg rails, which is why they are so incredibly rigid.

I think Vinten discontinuing them when they did, just as HD was taking off, was one of the worst decisions they ever made.

To my mind, they aren't just good for HD shooting, they should be compulsory!

I'll keep nagging them, they may be back yet.


CS

Thanks Chris glad you like the stills. The sunset was stunning with the red/orange popping.

I heard Vinten lost their supplier/builder for the carbon parts. That should not be too hard to replace with all the carbon knowledge in Europe. If anyone buying sticks has any engineering knowledge they will buy I-Beams over tube every time. On top of that the Vision 100 head is a perfect match.

Either way I am glad I have this setup and would not want to trade it for anything. Now it is time for the kit to earn its way.

Chris,

Thank you for the write up (http://www.dvinfo.net/articles/camsupport/fibertec1.php) on the Vinten tripod leg system.

If I were in the market to buy a new tripod I would definately put this one in the top three.

I would classify these legs as primarily designed for ENG/EFP use, hence the weight, hence the quick release/clamp down connectors and the short spikes. Regardless, like most here, the kind of shooting I do is a mix of outdoor, event and studio work where the work calls for different kinds of tripods all the time. The decision when buying is a tough one as you have to play off flexibility in leg setup with rigidity.

When I made my decision I went for a combination of lightness of rig, setup time, flexibility of leg position and rigidity. I ended up purchasing the Miller DV Solo 2 carbon fibre legs (along with a Miller head). It ends up having top marks in most of the qualities except for fast and consistent setup time which is almost an overriding quality in my books for a set of tripod legs. ENG style legs like the Vinten you have give you that lightning fast & consistent setup time.

If I were to buy again (and I will of course) I will go for the ENG style legs like the Vinten but I don't think I would use them for outdoor work particularly if I was hiking in. To each there own however.

Andrew glad Chris write up helped it sure opened my eyes.

I agree with some of your comments. They are ENG/EFP legs but I do use them often in the studio. And agree we must stay flexible.

I also have the Miller DV Solo carbon legs and use a Miller DV20 on the legs for my EX1.

For hiking in with my 350 I would never take the Miller legs only the Fiber Tech legs. They are easy to carry upside down with the strap or hooked to my LowePro large backpack. I have hiked in for a few hours with this setup and it is great. For shorter hikes up to about 1 hr in I use the tripod with the shoulder strap and my Porta Brace Carry-On bag for camera with shoulder strap. I think you would be amazed how light these legs are and how easy they are to carry.

But you are right to each his own and that's what makes this forum so great.

Thanks for the comments.