I've been looking around, people are spending $800+ on head and tripod, I think I'm using a $20 tripod right now and it's pretty horrible for movement... (I don't even think it's meant for video)

Either way, I'm hoping to spend under $1-200 for both... it doesn't have to be super-smooth, but better than what I got.

I'm using a Canon HV10, and other sub 15lb cameras...

Any input is appreciated...

Joe,

At low prices, it's hard to beat Libec, e.g. the LS-22 or TH-950DV. See this thread:

http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthread.php?t=84248

Mind you, it is around $350 (probably less if you shop around.). There's a Libec TH-650 as well (with a lighter head and a 65mm levelling ball instead of the 75mm one), which is about $100 cheaper, which will more than handle your Canon HV10.

As a disclaimer - I have a Libec LS-37 (the older model of LS-38) and a TH-950DV (which is the LS-22 head on 2-stage legs), I haven't experienced the 650 personally.

I used the Libec TH-M20 for my GL-2 for three years and it was fine. It should work great for your HV10. Dont treat it rough and dont expect it to last for ever. It sells for $180 at BHphoto.com

I'd be happy with a 1-2 lifespan...

are these rebuildable? like replace the grease inside?

I don't have much idea of how fluid-head tripods work... but... yea...

are these rebuildable? like replace the grease inside? I don't have much idea of how fluid-head tripods work

You might find this interesting... http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthread.php?t=70707

Hi Joe, I use a Sunpak 7500 tripod. Its not the best thing in the world but at the price of only $70, its worth it. I was using a WalMart tripod that I bought for about 30 dollars, and let me tell you, that thing is a piece of junk compared to this. This thing is heavy and tall, it reaches 78"! And holds up to 15lbs. This is a great low cost tripod. The pans are nice and smooth. Its not exactly floating like a 503, but its also half the price!
I could not find it on B&H, but if you do a froogal search for it, you'll find it.

Best of luck!
~Gabriel

Hi Joe, I use a Sunpak 7500 tripod. Its not the best thing in the world but at the price of only $70, its worth it. I was using a WalMart tripod that I bought for about 30 dollars, and let me tell you, that thing is a piece of junk compared to this. This thing is heavy and tall, it reaches 78"! And holds up to 15lbs. This is a great low cost tripod. The pans are nice and smooth. Its not exactly floating like a 503, but its also half the price!
I could not find it on B&H, but if you do a froogal search for it, you'll find it.

Best of luck!
~Gabriel

Seconded. The Sunpak lets me get a buttery smooth pan or tilt (but not both at the same time) at full 20X zoom on my XHA1. I've seen tripods that cost over 10 times as much and they're not even as tall as the Sunpak. (Note that Sunpak resells under the Ritz brand, too.)

Something tells me those fancy Italian tripods have a nice margin. (As soon as you go over $70, though, you gotta pay it.)

I'm hoping for relatively smooth pan/tilt/zoom but not going to whine too much about it...

My current tripod can't pan/tilt without jerking a lot...

A straight pan is smooth, but as soon as you add tilt it screws it up horribly.

I'll look into it further, hoping to stick around 100-150 though :)

http://www.lousyheros.com/videos/bgp724.wmv

To make my point, whether you like the music/content... the 3rd shot is me laying in the grass w/ the HV10 (very small/light/hard to freehand) camera, panning and slow-zoom... after that I'm on a $20 vanguard Tripod (same as the first two shots) but the pan/tilt is jerky and there's nothing I can really do...

I need a compact, light weight tripod that will fit on my bike or in a backpack. I'll probably only be using it for a week of shooting. I was thinking of getting what BH reccomended for the HV20 but it's a little long folded up:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=details_accessories&A=details&Q=&sku=146249&is=REG&addedTroughValue=481076_REG&addedTroughType=accessory_detail

I know it'll be a big leap down from my bogen/manfrotto 503 combo but I just need something to keep her steady. Any comments or suggestions?

3046 Tripod Legs and 501HDV Head...

I have an HV10 and won't be going any bigger than pro-consumer HD Cameras... under 10lbs for everything...

18, barely have $500 in my bank account and need to retire the $20 Vanguard I have right now (It's pretty sad)

I'm using the HV10 for the meantime... I'm just curious if it's worth it to grab a sub $1000 tripod/head or if it won't make much of a difference. I honestly never thought tripods would make such a difference but I began to realize the one I had was a joke.

Looking for input from anyone who has used these pieces (combined or seperate) and any thoughts on if I should get a $100 "system" or if it's worth it to buy them seperate...

I've got the 3246 legs (same as yours except for black) and the 503 head (similar but not identical to the 501HDV -- by the way the 503 HDV is due out soon) and I'm pretty happy with the combo.

There's a funny personality quirk, though, which I posted about earlier: the bubble levels on the legs and on the head don't match, and if you level to the head bubble it goes out of level when you pan. At least it does on mine. So based on advice I got here I ignore the bubbles, mostly, and level based on straight lines visible in the shot.

I even got the ball leveller Bogen recommended and all it means is I now have three level bubbles that don't match.

haha I can usually tell if it's off level when I'm filming regardless, can even correct it partially in post-production (partially :P )

But I guess we'll see

I was looking at the 3181 legs too... there's so many options but I'm trying to keep it around $400

351MVB2 + 501 was another I saw... $395 w/ tripod bag at BH...

Hi everyone,
I am looking for a video head which would be sufficient to give me smooth pan and tilts with hv20 camcorder.
I was thinking about 700RC2/701RC2. 700RC2 seems lighter and would be easier to haul around.
Can anyone tell me if there is a sufficient quality difference between them? Or is there any other suggestion that is the same price range?


ps. I am going to use that with the Feisol-3402N tripod which would be used for my still photography too.

No body has any suggestions for me about cheap video heads?? :-(

Okay, hopefully this is the right place and I can get the right answers here.

I am looking for a tripod and/or a monopod.

This is what I would like out of it. Granted I will need multiple heads, but right now bear with me.

I want a tripod/monopod that will work with the Canon Rebel XT/Canon 30d
For my still photography. I want portability, so I am thinking monopod, I also want it for graduations, and other family oriented so I want something small and wont need too much "space/time" to set up.

Although I am thinking a tripod, because i want it to work with the HV20 and the A1. Granted I know I may need multiple heads, but What i was thinking is that I can get a head for the Rebel/d30/hv20 and then get a different head for the a1, but keep the same legs for a tripod.

Can anyone suggest the best solution, albeit if it takes a monopod and a tripod, what are the "major" differences between the two and which would I possible get more use out of.

Reason why I ask is currently I have part of all the above mentioned, but shortly I will have all, and I do not want to have to spend 400-500 on a tripod/head for the rebel and 400-500 for the hv20 and then another 400-500 for the a1....

thanks!

eric

I found a monopod last week. The Manfrotto 680B. It does have a nice big plate on top and fits under the A1, EOS400D and 20D.

And it has a reasonable price too..

(picture included)

Okay, hopefully this is the right place and I can get the right answers here.

Hi Eric. Actually the correct place would be in our tripod forum, especially because you are considering multiple uses. I've moved your thread there, but left a temporary re-direct in the original forum.

Seems like a great and reasonably priced monopod, i guess the only thing it "lacks" is its release plate but for 60 bucks or so, it seems perfect.

Now for a tripod! =)

Eric,

Give the Manfrotto 560B monopod a look. It will serve two purposes 1) good for photo (the head unscrews revealing your camera mounting screw) and 2) good for video. I use this monopod for filming wedding receptions and concerts where I can have a cameraman on stage but be unobtrusive. For my camera set up I removed the supplied head and attached my bogen 503 fluid head to the monopod. Works great!

Jonathan Schwartz
CA Video Productions

I am curious about a good tripod / head in the sub $1k range for the A1 too... Any thoughts?

Hello, I just got a HV20 and will be doing mostly scenic shots with it with some zoom. I was wondering what tripods and heads you guys would suggest would be the best in the price range listed? There seems to be some pretty good deals on Bogen and Manfrotto stuff on eBay, I could probably pick up a $400 - $600 setup used for my price range. Do you think this would be my best bet? What specific models should I be looking for?

A few people are suggesting the Velbon DV-7000, as far as new stuff goes, is there anything better than this in my price range?
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/366741-REG/Velbon_DV7000_DV_7000_Tripod_with_2_Way.html

Thanks for your help.

I have had problems on eBay, while still being very cautious. Read fine print seveal times over. I hope you have a better experience than I have.
Congrats on your new purchase. I hope to buy an HVR-Z1U very soon.

i HAVE BEEN LOOKING AT THESE, b&h YOU CAN GET A VINTEN VISION 3 FOR UNDER A GRAND!!

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?shs=VINTEN+FLUID+HEAD&ci=0&sb=ps&pn=1&sq=desc&InitialSearch=yes&O=productlist.jsp&A=search&Q=*&bhs=t

i HAVE BEEN LOOKING AT THESE, b&h YOU CAN GET A VINTEN VISION 3 FOR UNDER A GRAND!!

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?shs=VINTEN+FLUID+HEAD&ci=0&sb=ps&pn=1&sq=desc&InitialSearch=yes&O=productlist.jsp&A=search&Q=*&bhs=t

Are these good? I mean, I know Vinten has a reputation but I am curious how well it work with the weight of the A1...?

If that question was about the Vinten Vision 3 (I didn't check the url) then, yes, it's good.

Mine turned up two days ago along with a Manfrotto 528XB 'pod. It's is a combination that I can only describe as awesome.

The head is smooth, relaxed, massive (by comparison with a Manfrotto 503) and solid. The quick release plate is much more substantial and, with the recommended #2 spring, it balances my A1 with ME67, Rycote Softie, Rycote CCA adapter and Sennheiser G2 receiver an absolute treat.

It goes where you want, stops when you stop and just stays put. You can put it at any angle of tilt, once the camera is balanced, with absolutely zero drag set, and it will stay there forever. In short, compared to my 503, there is NO comparison (this IS NOT to put the 503 down - for what it cost, it's not a bad head).

Matched with a Manfrotto 528XB 'pod (what a BEAST!) it is utterly mind blowing.

I knew I had equipment problems once I upped to HD, but it wasn't till I had that set up running the other day that I realised just how bad my problems were.

Don't try this combination unless you're ready to bin whatever it is you're using now - 'cos that's exactly what you will want to do!

(It's even made me realise I'm a better videographer than I thought - getting what I did with what I was using before - sheer sorcery!)


Cheers,


Chris

I'm looking at the HV20 and would like to pickup a Sachtler DV6SB will Miller legs, but the camera is too light for this head.

I've considered the DV1 (much cheaper, not nearly as good) which is designed for small camcorders. But if I add a 35mm adapter, FF, rails, mattebox, etc, my rig becomes too heavy for the DV1.

So, I'm wondering if it makes sense to somehow add weight to a small camera to get it to work with the bigger video heads like Sachtler's DV6SB or Vintens' Vision 3? Anyone try this?

Thanks much as always.

I'm not sure why you would want a tripod that outclasses your camera, unless you plan on making major upgrades that would fit the class of the tripod, which in all would be a good idea but I have seen people with the full intention of upgrading from there DVX100 to a Varicam, end up sticking with the DVX and regret spending so much on a Sachtler HotPod. I would just get whatever matches what you plan on using at the time and maybe make room for a minor upgrade.

But I'll give you what I experienced anyway. I mounted a micro-CCU cam, think CCTV/security camera with a VF mounted to it - onto the standard Bogen 3066 head I use. I loosesned friction to the lowest, and everything was either very resitant to movement, or fluid, slow. I'm not sure if the models you are looking at have counterbalance springs, but the solution would be to have a spring that matches your camera, possible the least resistand, and then have the interchangeable spring that matches your camera - keeping your camera as only what you need.

To just add weight, mount your receivers to the camera, use a battery pack for a light maybe. If you had the MultiRig (DvTec), or any other handheld stabilizer that allows you to mount to the tripod while the camera was still attached to the rig - that would add considerable weight.

Yes, I do fall into the trap of thinking I'll upgrade some day soon, just not now. I really think an HV20 is good enough for the first phase of my documentary, which is talking head interviews. An extra $2.5K on an XH-A1 just doesn't seem justified to me. Esp. when the image difference is pretty minimal under good lighting. I also like the idea of using a small camera.

That said, I add an adapter, mic, xlr adapter, and I'm overweight for the DV1.

David Lynch added 80 pounds deadweight to a Vx2000 when shooting playstation ads for sony.

David Lynch added 80 pounds deadweight to a Vx2000 when shooting playstation ads for sony.

So, that's what happened to that little Associate Producer. LOL

sorry I just couldn't resist.