Vinten Vision Blue head: wedi cyrraedd! / has arrived!

[Michael Hutson]

Thanks Chris,

It is ordered and shipped....It is scheduled to be delivered on Monday. Thanks again for your input.

[Zach Love]

Originally Posted by Pete Bauer

So at Peter's suggestion, I'm posting to remind our Vinten friends that they'll want to be developing an accessory to allow these light, new cameras to balance on a Vinten Blue. (Thanks, Peter -- it was a pleasure!).

The Vinten people just need to snag something from their Vitec sibling & adjust it.

I think a Manfrotto 357 that weighs 2-3lbs would work perfectly for this head & any other. Even better would be one that has attachable / detachable .5-1lb weights so you can adjust the adapter to the minimum weight needed.


That, or the other option is to just raise the camera high above the head. The further up the COG goes, the more a light camera will get "heavier" & into the specified weight class of the head. But you might have to raise a XF100 too high for this to be a feasible idea.

[Michael Hutson]

My vision blue arrived Monday. All I can say is "Wow!" Nice piece of gear!

[Jan Mejlgaard Bliddal]

I have had my Vinten tripod system for less than 2 weeks, and I am really thrilled about what I can do with my Canon XH A1 when installed on the tripod. I like the fact that I can install the camcorder on the tripod head and do pan and tilts, knowing that the camcorders stayes in the position I want it to stay in. I am using it with a Manfrotto wheele dolly, because it enables me to move the system around fast and effeciently. It is possible to make smooth dolly moves if I work on an even surface. But the dolly is mostly a fast way to move the tripod from one place to another saving setup time.

[Jan Mejlgaard Bliddal]

‪Vinten Vision Blue english voiceover-Youtupe1080Ptest2.mov‬‏ - YouTube

I have made the following video that shows some of the things I have learned while using The Vinten Vision Blue tripod system. Be aware that it is my first pro level tripod and I am thus doing things i normally would not do like filming while zooming. Being that i normally do not zoom while filming. I am not very good at it and it shows in the video. I know I will get even better recordings when I have learned to use the stability of the tripod and the smoothness of the head to do better close ups. The system and my camcorder is mounted on a Manfrotto 114mv tripod i the latter part of the video. I did not expect it to be totally smooth and it is not, but I am planning on testing it on a smooth surface.

I am very satisfied with the tripod and are considering buying a slider for it, but which one would you recommend.

Best regards and thank you for a very informative site

[Chris Soucy]

Hi, Jan..............

Really pleased you are enjoying your new camera support, I'm sure it will make a huge difference to the way you shoot video, keep us posted.


CS

[Jim Allan]

Unfortunately I purchased the Manfrotto 504HD head before you wrote the review on it, and when I read your review it was like you were reading my mind about all of it's "quirks". Needless to say the Manfrotto is on ebay and the Vision Blue is coming in on Thursday. Thanks for your reviews Chris!

[Jim Allan]

The Manfrotto is now a distant memory and I shot 4 football games on Saturday with the Vision Blue and all I can say is WOW. I shoot with an HVX200A and the press box was one of the farthest from the field to date. Last year I was borrowing the Vinten Vision 11 head and carbon fiber sticks from work to shoot on the same field, so I decided to compare the footage, and the Vision Blue is every bit as smooth and predictable as the Vision 11 at full zoom. If you are thinking of buying this setup stop and just buy it.

[Jim Allan]

"I am very satisfied with the tripod and are considering buying a slider for it, but which one would you recommend."

Jan-Digital Juice just released two sliders a 40" and a 64", they seem to be pretty reasonably priced and they have a bunch of useful accessories: SlyderDolly - Portable Linear Tracking Solution :: Digital Juice

[Sabyasachi Patra]

Hi Jim,
I am also looking for a smaller sized dolly that I can carry to the field. I looked at your link. Somehow I am not very comfortable at the thought of directly pushing the base.

I am evaluating the Kessler system. It is a bit expensive.

Cheers,
Sabyasachi

Originally Posted by Jim Allan

"I am very satisfied with the tripod and are considering buying a slider for it, but which one would you recommend."

Jan-Digital Juice just released two sliders a 40" and a 64", they seem to be pretty reasonably priced and they have a bunch of useful accessories: SlyderDolly - Portable Linear Tracking Solution :: Digital Juice

[Jim Allan]

Sabyasachi,

I purchased a Kessler Cine Slider several months ago and I tried using the crank handle, but I could never really get a smooth movement all the way through the slide. I ended up just pushing the trolley by hand anyway. I just received the 64" DJ Slider and it really works nicely. I kept finding that the Cine Slider was coming up just a hair short on a lot of the moves I was doing. That's just my two cents.

[Kirk Gittings]

How does this head compare to the Sachtler FSB 4 Fluid Head? or the Libec RS-250? Does anyone have direct experience with all of these?

[Chris Soucy]

Ooh, think I can field this one.

I have (and have reviewed - see the Articles section, top of each DVinfo page. You'll need to dig, it was over a year ago) the Vision Blue, reviewed the RS - 250 ditto (fairly recently) and have a FSB - 6 here on loan from Sachtler (review not yet written, let alone published, naughty me).

Not much difference between the 4 and the 6, mainly payload related.

To keep this brief, leaving money out of it, sheer engineering magnificence goes to the Sachtler, followed closely by the Vinten, then the Libec.

Putting the money in leaves you with the cost, descending in exactly the same order.

Usability is a very personal thing -

Sachtler - stepped everything, which to me leaves some compromise with tilt drag, but that's just me, everything else is just so slick. Ultimate rigidity depends on your choice of sticks. Full system price depends on your depth of pocket.

Vinten - continuouly variable everything, not as refined as the Sachtler but way out in front of the Libec. System sticks are built like a brick outhouse. Great all round package, impossible to beat for the money.

Libec - continuously variable counterbalance (good) but only 2 stage stepped drag (not so good). Issues with the sticks. Package is extremely good value but you get what you pay for and it's the cheapest of the three.

I think that pretty well nails it, hope I haven't forgotten anything.


CS

[Kirk Gittings]

Thanks! I appreciate you sharing your experience.

[Chris Soucy]

I appreciate you sharing your experience.

Hmm, not sure whether that means I answered your question or you thought it was a complete load of ba#ls.

Like to be a bit more forthcoming; specific, even?

I don't bite (er, often), really!


CS