Baby Tripod, which one?

[Gerdy Vandermeersch]

Hellow Everyone

Hope you can help me with follow decision. I'm currently an owner of a Cartoni T623/2, a 2-stage tripod 100 mm base with Fluid Head with min. height 54cm. Now I want to buy a baby tripod. Something like the T622/S from Cartoni, but when I contacted Cartoni for the price I was a little bit surprised. It's a little bit to expensive.

So are there alternatives on the Market. I'm searching for a Baby Tripod with a 100 mm base that can go from 20, 30 cm min. height to 50 cm max. height. It has to support a Fluid Head, an Xha 1 + Letus Extreme, Lens, Mattebox and monitor.

Some tips?

Thank you very much in advance!

[Chris Soucy]

No sooner asked than........................

Tripod Legs


CS

[Brian Drysdale]

You could check out used baby legs. New 100mm baby legs aren't going to be cheap, the only difference with the tall legs is that tubes are shorter.

[Jon Fairhurst]

I've got the big brother to the Manfrotto 350 SHMVB. It's reasonably solid, and quite heavy. With only one stage and two tubes per section, it's more solid than most tripods in its price range.

Manfrotto by Bogen Imaging | 350SHMVB Mini-Pro Video | 350SHMVB

With the shorter legs, the stability will improve beyond what I get with the 350 MVB. I recommend a spreader, since that will let you release the legs and go lower. (According to the spec, the minimum is 5-inches with the legs released.) You'll probably get some spring with the legs released and extremely wide though.

As another option... have you considered a jib for low shots? That could let you go all the way to the ground, and would give you more options for movement.

[Jon Fairhurst]

Another option is a hi hat:

hi hat

[Gerdy Vandermeersch]

Thank you very much guys. Indeed, the manfrotto is the best choice I think.

The price is indeed very high for what you get I think.

I'm gonna search where I can find a used one!

Tjaw tjaw
G

[Jon Fairhurst]

And don't forget to look for a spreader. I think it's necessary, if you want to go very low.

[Jack Walker]

Originally Posted by Gerdy Vandermeersch

Thank you very much guys. Indeed, the manfrotto is the best choice I think.

The Manfrotto has a flat top. Doesn't the Cartoni head have a have ball?

Of the tripods listed, the Miller seems to be the cheapest, including spreader:
Miller | DS-MINI Aluminum Tripod Legs (100mm Bowl) | 439 | B&H

[Jack Walker]

In my opinion this Gitzo Series 3 Systematic tripod is the best option. It can be set at heights from 7.5mm to 35mm. It will take a 100mm bowl, 75mm bowl, or a flat top. Load capacity is 18kg. No spreader is necessary (built into collar), and it is absolutely solid. It also has a lot less weight and bulk than a standard baby tripod:
Gitzo | GT3320BS 2-Section Aluminum Tripod Legs | GT3320BS | B&H

Here is the 100mm bowl interface:
Gitzo | GS5320V100 Bowl Interface 100mm | GS5320V100 | B&H Photo

Here is the 75mm bowl interface:
Gitzo | GS5320V75 75mm Bowl Adapter | GS5320V75 | B&H Photo Video

The tripod comes with this flat top plate:
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc...lat_Plate.html

[Jon Fairhurst]

The Manfrotto includes a 100mm ball with a flat top, so you can use it with ball heads, or flat heads.

[Gerdy Vandermeersch]

Originally Posted by Jack Walker

The Manfrotto has a flat top. Doesn't the Cartoni head have a have ball?

Of the tripods listed, the Miller seems to be the cheapest, including spreader:
Miller | DS-MINI Aluminum Tripod Legs (100mm Bowl) | 439 | B&H

Yes, I agree with you, but I don't like a spreader like this. You can't use such spreader on every location I guess. For example if you want to place your baby tripod on a stair, that's not possible with such a system. Or am I wrong?

[Gerdy Vandermeersch]

This Gitzo seems to be interesting... How can you move the legs up and down Jack?

[Jack Walker]

Originally Posted by Gerdy Vandermeersch

Yes, I agree with you, but I don't like a spreader like this. You can't use such spreader on every location I guess. For example if you want to place your baby tripod on a stair, that's not possible with such a system. Or am I wrong?

The spreader cancome off. The feet have points, so they work well outside our very thick carpet. There are rubber feet that can be put on for hard floors, but they cost $115:
Miller | 550 Rubber Feet Pads (Set of 3) | 550 | B&H Photo Video

Without the spreader, the pointed feet also work with a dolly:
Miller | 391 Lightweight Dolly | 391 | B&H Photo Video

[Jack Walker]

Originally Posted by Gerdy Vandermeersch

This Gitzo seems to be interesting... How can you move the legs up and down Jack?

The collar in the middle of each leg is a twist lock. Untwist, then extend the leg, then twist to lock.

Also, the notches on the collar are stops that allow the legs to be set at three different angles out, adding an additional way to raise and lower the head. The legs can be set at the same angle or at different angles.

One important difference between the Bogen and Miller tripods and the Gitzo is that the maximum height on the Bogen is 68 cm, the Miller is 61 cm, but the Gitzo is only 35 cm.

However, the Gitzo will go lower--to the ground--needing only clearance for the locking nut on the head. The Cartoni heads usually have short locking nuts, so they can be placed very low. The Miller minimum height is 30 cm. The Bogen minimum height is 49 cm, but has the ability to spread out the legs to give it a minimum height of 13 cm, making it similar in low height to the Gitzo, but less convenient and more bulky.

[Gerdy Vandermeersch]

Thank you very much Jack. That helped me a lot!