Vinten, Sachtler, Libec, Miller, Manfrotto Shootout

[Bruce Watson]

Originally Posted by Chris Soucy

But realistically folks, just how many, as don't have one of these beasts already, are gonna go lash out anywhere from $700 odd to nearly $1600 or thereabouts to hold up a 1 lb odd camera?

I would. I've used a crappy tripod with a cheap but pretty good handycam. It was, well, not exactly a nightmare, but not exactly not. A real PITA. I would and will pay good money to avoid that in the future.

The people who will pay for a decent tripod for a small camera are those that a) need it, and b) would rather create than fight with their equipment.

As such, I'm very interested in your conclusions. This time my cheap-ish but pretty good camera is a Panny GH2.

[Alan Melville]

Guys,

I've followed this thread since it's inception...I think it's been going for a year now....lol....feels like it...

BUT....I see it swinging to the topic of "light weight DSLR's" now, not being a user of same, I have a couple of old clunker XL2's, I may be out of line here but my suggestion is to simply make up a lead platform that sits between the QR plate and the camera, If you need a high C of G, make it thick, if a low C of G is required, make it thin, either mold in a mounting thread, or drill a hole through it and fit a longer threaded cheese head metalthread, after all, they're only a quarter inch BSW from memory.[Correct me if I'm wrong]

This will get you all around existing problems, ie. weight & C of G and you're all happy campers until a manufacturer comes up with the ideal rig for you guys.

Just my 2c worth.....but I'm goin' to charge a buck 'cuse I think it's soooo cleva.....

Al

[Alex Coelho]

Originally Posted by Mike Beckett

Not that anyone shout doubt the Bard of Dunedin, but just to add my 2p worth.

My HMC41 is 2.1kg with handle, XLR adapter, big battery, mic and windshield. I'd say it is just about the minimum usable camera on the Vinten Vision Blue - and yes, the perfect balance is perfect with it, everything is fine.

Take off all the extras - no windshield, no mic, no XLR adapter, no big battery, no handle - and the camera is about 2lbs, 1kg. Not suited at all to the Vinten Vision Blue, the lightest counterbalance is too strong.

I mounted my Panasonic FZ100 stills camera (which takes a good video too) and it was sheer comedy - that camera is about 1lb in weight. Waaaay too light.

For ultra-light cameras, I think the closest "good" tripod I can think of is the Sachtler FSB-2, which may or may not still be available. It had counterbalance at 0, 1 and 2 kg (0, 2.2 and 4.4 lbs).

That's the problem. You're now stuck with a Manfrotto or other cheap piece of junk, which your camera can actually tilt with, but which has the fluid performance of a bag of grit.

Maybe mount your tiny-DSLR on a slider full-time and it might meet the minimum weight for the better tripods!

That sucks. I was seriously thinking of getting the Vinten for my GH2 and 5D. Thanks for the info.

[Barbara Jaumann]

Apart from a different payload range the Sachtler Cine DSLR also has a longer camera plate designed for use with DSLR cameras.

[Scott Bellefeuille]

Decided to just go with the Sachtler FSB-8. The reason was that it offered coverage for the widest weight range 2.0-20lbs which covers my current DSLR set up and pretty much any camera I'll throw at it in the foreseeable future. For $380 more than the FSB-6 it seems like the wisest investment for the long term. If the Vision Blue had covered the lower end better (down to 2.5lbs) I would have had a hard time passing it up due to the price point. Also if the Sachtler CINE-DSLR had been priced similar to the Vinten it would have been an easy choice to go for the CINE-DSLR. Once I get some time with the FSB-8 I'll post a follow up with my impressions. Cheers and thanks to Chris and all who helped with info and insight.

[Ethan Cooper]

Originally Posted by Alex Coelho

That sucks. I was seriously thinking of getting the Vinten for my GH2 and 5D. Thanks for the info.

why not just add a little weight to the cam when used on a tripod? I'm sure a simple metal adapter plate would get the job done. Some guy at your local machine shop is tired of making the same ol things & wouldn't mind you coming along & giving him a few bucks to drill some holes in metal.

[Scott Bellefeuille]

Ethan- I think adding weight with a simple metal plate is a valid idea if you're shooting studio or crewed stuff and transporting the extra weight isn't a problem. But if you're shooting documentary or one-man run and gun type stuff the idea of lugging around an extra 2-3lb in the form of a metal plate just for the sake of balancing your head isn't too attractive.

[Mike Beckett]

Got to agree, I would find the metal plate a bit of a bind. I'm just lucky my rig falls inside the designed payload of the VB. As I said in the other thread, if they made it handle 0.5kgs - 5kgs it would've been perfect.

That FSB-8 will be a really good tripod Scott. It's equivalent to the DV6-SB I used to own, which was a very, very good head, so this can only be better. The quality of that Sachtler gear is second to none.

[Scott Bellefeuille]

Yeah but now I'm thinking for the price of that Sacthler I could have gotten two Vinten Blue heads and just mounted one head on the the other to get my camera payload above the min. weight.... ;-) As you said though, if they had been able to get the min down to .5kg at that price point the Blue would have been the head to beat for DSLR or other lightweight gear. Maybe Vinten is listening and they'll get it there with the next iteration.

[Wayne Zebzda]

Are we there yet...
(kid in the back seat).

[Chris Soucy]

Just another couple o' blocks.

The delay is proving exceedingly usefull however.

Why, only yesterday whilst triple checking one particular aspect of a "thing", I made a discovery that sat me back on my heels muttering "You cannot be serious!".

Today I dug a bit deeper and have confirmed not only my previous discovery but also that it will actually allow a shooter to "do" video in blissfull ignorance of the fact that their rig is tilted 2 degrees clockwise to the horizon.

It's such a glaring design fault that, if there is any justice, a certain design engineer and accompaning system tester should both be checking the want ads looking for less demanding areas of employment.

Why not found before?

Very good question and one I have asked myself a couple of times, especially as this fault is built into the system.

It took the right rig, connected to the slide plate in just the right way ("right" takes on an interesting dimension here, it is the way it was designed to be used, not the way anyone would use it, as it simply isn't the right way to use a slide plate with the rig in question) positioned on the head as it had to be in that configuration, and bingo, what the f............?

In other words, a design fault ("feature" in manufacturing speak) in the slide plate led to the discovery of the second fault.

Up to then I had been blissfully bypassing the first fault (noted, yes, used, no) and using the system as it should have been instead of how it is designed.

I believe it is a fairly well documented phenomina, daisy chaining design errors that ultimately lead to total system failure.

I confidantly predict that this little daisy chain, if only discovered after some poor soul had shot three hours of "never again" video, only to discover that the world has a tilt, probably would lead to total system failure, as he ran over it with his 4 X 4. Repeatedly.

I reckon that by the time you read this, a bevvy of designers/ engineers aross the planet have pulled systems off the production lines/ stores trying to figure out who the culprit is.

Hint: put a front heavy camera on the SP using the VHS pin and use it with the front of the SP in the last 2 cmm before the back hits the safety release.

Do I honestly think this fault is enough to stop the production line?

Nope, but it will get people, has to, law of averages says so.

Hang in there guys, the team is getting there, even tho' there's a certain "Groundhog Day" element creeping in lately.


CS

[Roger Shealy]

I believe the technical term is "Dutch"

Poor Man's Dutch Roll Cradle for Canon 5d Mark II on Vimeo

[Chris Soucy]

I nearly barfed up my G&T after about 10 seconds.

Hmm, can't exactly see a great demand for the product, but then it takes all sorts, maybe NASA training for astronauts or Air Force pilot training.

On second thoughts, if it doesn't cost more than a million smackers they won't buy it, so guess that's out.

Unfortunately in my case, er, this case, it's more stuff up than barf up.

And it's no so much Dutch as lower Europe, possibly even somewhere warm like Italy.


CS

[Roger Shealy]

OK, back to our regularly scheduled program... Are we there yet now?

[Chris Soucy]

"Can't you see I'm driving?"

"Woman, do something about these damn kids!"

Smack

[We apologise for this break in transmission.

Normal service will be resumed when my nose has been re - set].

Test Card.


CS