Sticking to Vinten... But is there a gap in their line-up?

[Zexun Tan]

Hey guys,

I've been having a great time filming with the Vinten Vision Blue head and sticks set (got the ground spreader, not ideal, but works!) and yes it's performed great within it's weight ratings, which are 2.1 - 5 kg at 55mm. If you up the COG to about say 100mm, it'll be about 1.6 ~ 3.5kg.

That's all fine and good when I shoot without a rig, which I do very often, now that I've actually got one.

This is a picture of my rig, on a medium-sized lens I use often: http://tinyurl.com/8kqrb5k
There's more stuff that I would like to put on at times, too. Audio recorders, pre-amps, a better mic setup etc.
It usually weighs in at about 3.5kg to 5kg with a COG of about 100mm.

The issue I face is that even at max counterbalance (with seriously restricted tilting capability), I can just barely balance the rig on my VB. it's obviously not made with these rigs in mind.

Now, I've tried stuff like the Sachtler FSB-6, and no, after renting it, I realised it's not for me. I'd want the feel I get from the VB perfect balance on a head that can support the rig. I can't go up to an OConnor, because it's too pricey and heavy (and 100mm too, for 1030D).

In comes the Vision Blue5, that Chris reviewed awhile ago. Kinda solves my problem? Yes, kind of.
Coming in at 5.5 - 12kg @ 100mm COG, its springs are probably just going to be too powerful for my normal rigs.

There's a crucial (for me) gap of 3.5 to 5.5kg that's missing in the line up, that was once where the Vision 5AS sat. So do I just continue using my VB and crank up the counterbalance and drag (which I don't like to do), or buy the Blue5 and fight with a too-strong minimum CB?

And no, if at all possible I don't want to raise the COG too high. I often deal with close-up tilting action, and the higher the camera is, the more the camera will be offset as I tilt. Adding useless weights also seem like an unprofessional-looking solution.

Anyone?

Zexun

[Chris Soucy]

Zexun..............

Mail me with a return address (there isn't one associated with your DVinfo monicker).


CS

[Zexun Tan]

Hey Chris,

I emailed you, but just in case you didn't get it, it's tanzexun at gmail dot com

[Peter Harman]

Hey gang, the Vision blue5 has exactly the same balance spec as the Vision 5AS, but its measured at a lower CofG.

[Zexun Tan]

So there's a new Vinten Vision Blue3... not much of a diff, is there?

[Chris Soucy]

New Vision blue 3...............

Much to my amazement, it's been released already (a month ago), and nary a squeak from Vinten about it till now, and then only because I asked.

Impressed, not.

B&H has it listed, sort of (another sterling non effort on their part, got to give them full marks for consistency) $1400 plus change.

Range? Probably the same as the 3 AS before it, though at a lower COG, and considerably cheaper.

So, folks, if you want to try one, get hold of your closest Vinten rep and get 'em to send you one for a test drive, or try your local pro dealer if there is one.

Whether it will solve your problem, Zexun, you'll only be able to tell by trying it.

I imagine you can find your way to the local Vitec dealer blindfolded by now.


CS

[Mike Beckett]

So what about the new Vinten Bridge device from the DVi news page, to allow you to use smaller cameras on any VB tripod?

All very quiet round here on that one!

[Chris Soucy]

Funny you should mention that!

I was supposed to be getting both a Vb3 head and the bridge thingy for a test dive and review, like, months ago.

As I said, impressed, not.


CS

[Mike Beckett]

I'm sure it's a song... "Peter doesn't love me any more... The moon ain't gonna shine in the sky..."

Or maybe not!

[Chris Soucy]

Apologies for the tardy response, courtesy of our local hospital, more of that over a beer some day (suffice it to say I've had less blood taken by ravenous Vampires,Trolls, Morlocks and rampant ORC's, and yet another Tantric interview with their MRI scanner, oh, bliss).

What I want to know is this - the guy in the next bed had his lower jaw broken to cure a serious overbite, broken, slid forward and pinned and wired.

Gets back to his bed, has a "press the button on demand" Morphine machine, spends most of his time in La - La land (he does need it, he looks like squat).

I ask for the same rights for Gin and Tonics and Dry white wine, get seriously stony response - "Alcohol is bad for you".

Um, and Morphine is GOOD?

Strange old world.

Nah, Mike, think it's a bit more pedestrian than that.

Peter said he'd do it, then Andrew said he'd do it, then both assumed the other would do it and in the end, neither of them bloody well did it (always look on the bright side of life, da dum de dah de dah de dah)!

Still working with Andrew on some new stuff, though what I call "new stuff" doesn't really translate well into "Vinten Speak", which is a sort of offshoot of a mixture of Vulcan and Clingon, though without the "high tech" accoutrements, like digital electronics.

Fair dinkum, they're a rough mob!


CS

[Derran Rootring]

Hey Chris, what's with all this hospital talk? Hope everything is OK!

Sorry to hear you haven't been able to test and review the vb3 yet. It's the one review we're all waiting for! Perhaps they got confused and send me the vb3 by mistake (in the brochure I also ended up with 'New Zealand' under my name), but I've been testing it and created a short video with it in Amsterdam. Hope it will serve as a nice snack until you've been able to spend some time with it and write a proper CS certified review. :)

[Andrew Butler]

Hi All,

This seems like a pretty good opportunity to introduce myself...

My name is Andrew Butler, as Chris has mentioned before I've taken over from Peter as PM at Vinten.

Chris, apologies on the lack of VB3 for you to test, i'm still trying to get to the bottom of that one, there should a system on it's way to you now including a bluebridge.

We actually took a bit of a different approach with the launch of this product. Because we anticipated a very high level of demand we informed our re-sellers and made the product available to them 1 month before we started to promote it. We hoped this way they could get demo units in place and some stock on the shelves before the demand realy came on strong. I think it has been a smoother way of doing things but would love to hear a point of view from you guys.

For anyone who has not seen the specs yet they can be found in full on the website

Vinten | Vision blue 3 tripod and camera support

The outline is this: Capacity Range - 3.0 to 6.6kg @ 50mm C of G (starts at 2.1kg when using the Vision blueBridge). Systems are available with the same aluminium 2 stage Poziloc tripod as the other Vision blue systems with options for mid or ground spreaders.

Andrew

[Chris Soucy]

No, Derran, they didn't send you a Vb3 by mistake.

They sent it because I suggested they do so, though it's quite possible that as I suggested it, it was assumed by a person or persons unknown, that it HAD actually been sent to me.

The "New Zealand" under your name on the brochure (er, what brochure - ah, THAT brochure) sort of points to that being the case, they've used my "sort of" quote but lost the "New Zealand" and used yours and stuck it there instead.

Not surprising really, there's so many people of Dutch extraction here that a typically Dutch name is not out of place in either NZ or Southern Oz. Heck, even my missus is Dutch (but hey, no ones perfect)!

So, where's this video then?

(Don't take the hospital stuff too seriously, just another pitched battle in my 5 years war with my disintegrating spine. If my father wasn't long dead already, I'd kill him for passing on faulty genes!)


CS

[Derran Rootring]

Well I don't know, but a disintegrating spine sounds rather serious! I will send positive thoughts your way to win this battle. (Or perhaps the Gin and Tonics you were asking for...)

So I got you to thank for being able to do the review? In that case thank you for suggestion me and Vinten for listening to you! :)
Just so you know, this is exactly the kind of thing that will get you on my CHRIStmas list. ;)

For anyone that is interested you can find my review here:
DerranNL: Vinten Vision blue3 and blueBridge - Review and Video

And to see the Vinten Vision blue 3 with the blueBridge in action please watch the video below:

Vinten Vision blue3 and blueBridge in Amsterdam - YouTube

[Chris Soucy]

Derran..................

Click on the "Contact Us" button at the bottom of every page and ask Chris Hurd if he'll lodge your video review in the Videos - Video Reviews section, for further exposure and access.

Stuff linked here in the Forums simply gets buried in pretty short order.

In addition, start a new thread entitled "Vinten Vb3 Video Review" or somesuch and repost the video address there so it's easy to find doing a search, instead of buried at the bottom of a not terribly helpfully titled thread, not really related.

Do include a reference to the Videos - Video Reviews section in case the link in your new thread gets broken or deleted.

Bloody good video BTW. I could have sworn you got a shot of my old apartment on the BrouwersGracht at some point (I lived there for a year on assignment in the late 80's), keep forgetting just how photo/ videogenic Amsterdam is.

Suggested improvements?

Make it longer - can't get too much of Amsterdam.

Put as a subsidiary heading Title - "Amsterdam Winter, 2013"

Put in heading/ trailing title - "A Video Review by Derran Rootring" (Can't quite decide which)

Put in trailing title - "Anyone else involved and what they were doing"

Put in trailing title - "Vision blue 3 Video Support System and Bluebridge device kindly supplied by Vinten" & " Thanks to both Peter Harman and Andrew Butler at Vinten UK" or similar, you'll work it out (actually, I'm sure you can cram that all into one concise sentence with a bit of thought)

Make a Pro reviewer of you yet!


CS