for use with a gl2 what would you guys recommend: bogen 503 or cartoni apdv. i know cartoni isn't widely distributed but here in los angeles i could pick one up for $500. for $400 i could pick up the 503/3221 combo.

so far i've tried the libec m20. nice for the price but there is some problems in the tilt/pan combo movement. suited for industrial/hobby use.

the 501 let me down. the movement requires a very heavy hand for thhe gl2 and it wasn't as smooth as what i expected.

is the 503 movement as stifff? would it be overkill with the gl2. has anyone tried the 755mDeVe legs/ball head combo.

mb4

I'm using a 503 with my GL2 and it's great. If I could improve on it, the quick release isn't as easy as some to mount back on the head. Otherwise it works great. I also mount my wireless receiver and XLR adapter on the camera and still have no problems with balance.

I’m not wild about the 3221 legs, they are better suited to still photography than video. They suffer from a lack of torsional stiffness at times (during pans). This produces a whiplash effect during some pans. The 503 head shoud be fine for your present camera.

Having used the 3221 legs with a gL1 I have to second Jeff's suggestion. The 501 head I had worked pretty good with it. But the legs I had to open up wider so they were sturdier. Though that doesn't work great either because you find yourself avoiding the legs more than usual.

When you spread the legs wider, the camera doesn't set-up to eye level. That means either a very sore back at the end of the day or extending the center column. If you extend the center column, the camera is not very stable. It's best to get legs designed for video.