Sachtler FSB4 or FSB6 for Canon XH-A1?
 

Hi

I've been thinking of a new tripod for a long time now and came to the conclusion that what will suite me best is a Sachtler 2-stage tripod with mid level spreader. What I have trouble deciding though is which of the heads I should by. I have a Canon XH-A1 camcorder without any accessories. I don't see myself buing anything either in the future, exept maybe a shotgun microphone.

The FSB4 is rated 0-4 kg while the FSB6 is rated 1-6 kg. The Centre of Gravity on a XH-A1 is pretty low and what I can see in the tables for the FSB4 the counter balance settings is OK for up to about 3.5 kg with a CoG of 60mm.
The FSB6 on the other hand will handle CoG from around 1,5kg in the lowest setting.

I don't want to have a tripod that is either underkill or overkill for the weight of the camcorder.

Regards,

/Bo

I think that either will suit your needs just fine. You might think now that you won't be adding anything to the camera but given the extra adjustability of the FSB-6 and the room for future growth or a heavier camera it makes sense to me to spend the extra money on the FSB-6.