Tried Out A Couple Tripods--One Good, One Not So Good

[Dave Largent]

The good one: Bogen 3058 legs. They're about 3 feet long. And
sturdy. Has a bubble level. If you want a really solid tripod,
these legs should be considered. Rated to 44 pounds. Twist knob leg locks. Angled center support spreaders with twist knob locks allow it to also go very low (i.e. 16"). Bigger in real life than it looks on B&H site. Tall, very tall. If you have need to shoot over people's heads (e.g. concerts, rallys, sporting events) have a look.
I can walk under it standing up straight!
Not so good tripod: Sony VCT-870RM. Their top-of-the-line Lanc control
model. Rated to 9 pounds. Almost everything is plastic except the legs and bolt sockets. Not too bad in simulating a fluid head, except that even at its loosest, panning actually flexes the legs. With no camera on it on a hard floor, panning will turn the whole tripod. Now, I didn't try it with a cam on. Maybe that would've held it. Lanc arm is switchable left or right but has some flex where it attaches to head. Seems to be a fair amount of flex in the legs. A VX would probably weight the pod down. Better to use a lighter cam with this pod. Didn't actually operate the Lanc
but one thing of note is that the zoom wide and tele are the opposite directions from what's on a cam. Because it's rather flimsy, I would say it's not up to professional use. The worst part of the tripod is the way the quick release plate attaches to the cam. There's very poor design here. Instead of using your fingers
or a coin to turn the bolt in, you actually turn the whole plate. Now, as you are probably aware, there is a small metal protruding piece next to the tripod bolt, which holds the camera in place on the plate. Problem is, you can't turn the plate onto the cam with this "holder piece" sticking out. So what you have to do each time you mount or dismount the cam to the plate, you have to take a screwdriver and unscrew a small metal
plug in the back of the plate and drop a spring and the holder piece out of the plate in order to be able to screw the plate on. Then once you have the plate tightened to the cam, you put the
holder, spring, and plug back in. Problem is, you'll be lucky if the
holes line up exactly when the plate is tightened down. So you'll have to back off the plate from the cam counter-clockwise. Problem is, if you back the plate off, the plate is no longer tight to the cam and the cam will be wobbly on the tripod. And if all this is not bad enough, the icing on the cake is this. That plug that you have to remove each time you put the cam on the tripod (which enables you to drop out the spring and holder piece) is made of fine-threaded metal. The socket you screw that metal plug into is plastic! And it takes care to get it started right. Once that socket strips out, then what. New tripod?

[Bryan Beasleigh]

The Bogen 3058 is actually a Manfrotto 161MK2 tripod and is a hefty lout , the tallest in the line. Maximum height is 9 feet and it weights 18 lbs, about double the weight of a garden variety heavy duty pod.

The Bogen # is only used in the US. The rest of the world uses the manfrotto number. Since Manfrotto make it why confuse people. Some of the "Bogen" (manfrotto) products even use the manfrotto model and some don't. To get the specs you have to do a search on the bogen number because manfrotto doesn't list it as a 3058. Arrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrgh!

[Dave Largent]

I gotta say Bryan. I've never seen anything like it. The feet are planted 7 feet apart. When I set out to get a tripod I just figured I wanted a tall one in case I needed to get some shots over peoples' heads. I had found one that was about 7 feet. Bogen 3046 I believe. But then at the last minute I ran across the 3058. It takes planning to get it up
and down to it's full height. With a big cam on I almost think it would be good to have two people. That 44 pound rating is at maximum extension, I understand. I do like it though. Real solid
at normal tripod heights. The weight doesn't really bother me.
I'm still trying to figure out the details regarding how to operate
a cam with it up so high. The plan at this point is to put some kind
of extension on the handle--around 3 feet--and use some type of
small field monitor and a Lanc controller. What did I get myself into here?
I know I went on kinda long winded regarding that Sony tripod.
Were you able to understand what I was saying regarding the
problem attaching a cam to it?

[Frank Granovski]

See both the "real" Manfrotto codes and the "peculiar" Bogan codes here:

http://www.manfrotto.com

[Frank Granovski]

'm still trying to figure out the details regarding how to operate a cam with it up so high.

My old Manfrotto 075B legs extended to about 10 feet. One time I stood on a chair placed on a table to get an interesting angle. I never felt so high. I could have gone even higher, in the old church, by placing the tripod on the table, fully extended, but I couldn't figure out how to suspend myself from the ceiling (about a 20 foot ceiling).

[Dave Largent]

So you know how it is, Frank, to see a tripod up that high. It almost looks rediculous. I've thought of standing on ladders
but I need to pan while shooting and the thought of walking on the top of multiple 5 foot ladders while trying to focus and zoom got me a little nervous. I had a vision of something bad happening to not only me but also my cam and the tripod. It wasn't a pretty picture.

[Frank Granovski]

And just to add, I was a bit scared standing on that chair on top of the table. I'll never do it again. (Maybe just on a chair, or on a table, but not both).

[Bryan Beasleigh]

Frank, that was the site I was reffering to. To find the manfrotto cross reference you have to run a search. The pods are listed haphazardly, some usyng the bogen and manfrotto and some just the manfrotto number. Sometimes there is no cross reference on that site.
Dave
I didn't bother to read beyond your first few comments on the Sony. You saids it was disapointing and knowing you as an excellent judge I took your word for it.

My point on the weight of the manfrotto was on a positive note. No way your going to budge that puppy. Add a new step ladder to your wish list though.

[Dave Largent]

Thanks for the compliment about being a judge. Speaking of which, I've almost completed testing of those 3 dynamic omni mics. I just need to test yet with a woman's voice; hoping to get that done today. I will say, one mistake I made when I first started testing was to use musical selections to test the mics with.
Then, when I tried just vocals, the results changed. It occurred to me then that these mics really weren't intended for music so why test that way. I just did it out of habit because I've used these same musical selections to test sound cards and speakers. There definitely are differences between the mics, with one leading at this point in both sound quality and sensitivity. I have to make my choice by tomorrow.
You guys would agree, wouldn't you, that using music to test these mics would not necessarily be of much benefit?
P.S. Anyone know which of the Bogen heads smaller than the 501
are true fluid heads?

[Bryan Beasleigh]

I agree about the mic test. Which ones were you able to get a hold of.

I have a Manfrotto 136 which is now discontinued. I think the 501 is the most reasonable , decent head.

[Dave Largent]

I was thinking of something smaller than the 501 because it's for
a monopod. I have the 682B, the one with the flip-out feet.
Isn't it true that sometimes they'll list heads as being "fluid heads" but they don't necessarily have fluid in them? Or can I trust their claims?

[Frank Granovski]

Anyone know which of the Bogen heads smaller than the 501 are true fluid heads?

That's Manfrotto's smallest fluid head. I had the slightly smaller 136 head, which was very good, but it was a "fluid action" head (no brake fluid). :)

[Dave Largent]

How are those fluid action heads? And is it really brake fluid in there?

[Michel Brewer]

Dave:

Stealing a trick from our brethren in still photography...get one of those mini 3 step ladders at home depot, and get some plumbing insulation foam to tape at the top where your knees would hit the bar. That should give you all the height you needed and can be handily swung over the shoulder and dosent take up a lot of space. Best thing its less than thirty bucks and works good for running and gunning handheld work to....

M

[Frank Granovski]

And is it really brake fluid in there?

Something like that. Maybe motorcycle front fork oil? The 501 is smoother, by just a tad. I believe Bryan also owns a 136 fluid action head. I recently went with even the cheaper 128RC head, but had it "lifted."