Which video legs?

[Ben Davies]

Hi, looking to buy some legs for around £200. I'm probably going to buy a Manfrotto MVH502A head, so will ideally need some legs with a ball head mount.

Looking for it to hold around 1.5kg, but will want it to hold to around 10kg on the lowest setting for a small crane. :)

Cheers!

[Zach Love]

Davis & Sanford make some really cheap 75mm bowl legs. They're not great, but they work & they're cheap.

Or if you have a little more budget, look at the Manfrotto 535 legs. I love 'em.

[Peter Harman]

Hi Ben
Think long and hard about the quality of the tripod. You’ll have a great camera capable of producing great pictures only to find that the shortfall in tripod stability and rigidity will cause you no end of issues/concern, before and during the shoot and eventually in post-production. For what it’s worth, the tripod is every bit as important as every other bit of kit in the camera/tripod chain. I know kit is expensive, but you really do get what you pay for and when you add up the cost of the missed shots/opportunities, the thought you are having to put into considering how you are going to work round the limitations of the kit which distracts you from the creative element and the time it takes you to edit out the inconsistent moves, you’ll find it would have been more cost effective to buy a quality tripod. You should also think about the residual value of a good tripod too, as second hand kit often sells for a big chunk of what you’ll have paid originally. Take your budget and go look for a recognised professional brand second hand tripod. It may need some TLC, but good quality tripods are easily maintained and last for years. Good luck.

[Mike Beckett]

If you only want legs, and you can't afford Vinten/Sachtler/Miller, take a look at Libec. They are at least solid and perform well, in my experience.

Example:

Libec T78 Tripod Legs
Libec T98 Tripod Legs

Not what I would choose myself, but then since 2006 I've been through the journey from Velbon - Libec - Manfrotto - Libec - Manfrotto - Sachtler - Vinten, and wished I'd just saved my pennies and went for Sachtler or Vinten in the first place. (I'm a Vinten convert now, but other brands are available!)

I urge anyone in this position to at least try one of the higher-end tripods before committing to a purchase. A Manfrotto system is around £200 less than a Vinten Vision Blue system, for example, and you may just want to save up for another month!

[Richard Davidson]

On the advice from several here on the forum I demo'd a Vinten Vision Blue when I was looking a buying a tripod. The Vinten was way above my budget and I saw no reason to have something that expensive. I now own 2 and couldn't be happier with my purchases. Peter has it right and a great tripod is something you will keep much longer than the camera you are using.

[Mark Williams]

Take a look at this http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/827215-REG/Manfrotto_MVK502C_Mvh502A_Head_535_Cf_Tripod_Padded.html