Tallest Legs?

[Daniel Boswell]

I need to find some tall tripod legs like in the 8ft and over range. Any suggestions?


Daniel Boswell
www.dvartistry.com

[Joe Allen Rosenberger]

Dan,

I haven't seen sticks that reach over 8ft. but I have a pair of Manfrotto 475, and depending on how wide you spread the legs....you can reach 6ft 7 inches which is pretty high.

If you are looking for something for a "unmanned" camera.....I use c-stands which work great and extend higher than any tripod.

Here's a link to B&H for he Manfrotto 475:
ttp://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?A=details&Q=&is=REG&O=productlist&sku=253130

Even being placed in the rear of a ceremony with people standing....these sticks have always reached over top of everyone's heads wiht ample clearance. I would suggest attaching a weighted sand bag to underneath the center column when going for the max height to reduce any unwanted vibrations.

Good luck, Joe

[Daniel Boswell]

Originally Posted by Joe Allen Rosenberger

Dan,

I haven't seen sticks that reach over 8ft. but I have a pair of Manfrotto 475, and depending on how wide you spread the legs....you can reach 6ft 7 inches which is pretty high.

If you are looking for something for a "unmanned" camera.....I use c-stands which work great and extend higher than any tripod.

Here's a link to B&H for he Manfrotto 475:
ttp://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?A=details&Q=&is=REG&O=productlist&sku=253130

Even being placed in the rear of a ceremony with people standing....these sticks have always reached over top of everyone's heads wiht ample clearance. I would suggest attaching a weighted sand bag to underneath the center column when going for the max height to reduce any unwanted vibrations.

Good luck, Joe

Thanks Joe!

[Don Bloom]

Bogen 3046 (silver)/3246(black)-without the center colume being raised will reach about 6'6"-with the center colume raised a bit over 8'

Don

[Daniel Boswell]

Originally Posted by Don Bloom

Bogen 3046 (silver)/3246(black)-without the center colume being raised will reach about 6'6"-with the center colume raised a bit over 8'

Don

Thanks Don..think i will pick up the 3246!

[Joel Peregrine]

Hey Dan,

I second the 3246 - lightweight too. For another 30" you can add one of these:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/cont...ist&sku=358106

Sort of cumbersome to set up but its my portable balcony.

Originally Posted by Daniel Boswell

Thanks Don..think i will pick up the 3246!

[Bill Rankin]

You might want to look at the bogen 3258. Reaches 105 inches.

[Jacob Ehrichs]

I use the 3046s and fully extended I need a chair to see through the viewfinder on my XL1, and that's still looking upwards and I'm 6'4". I almost bought the 30" extensions but I ended up buying another tripod instead as I needed something lighter and able to go lower. Not as much need going higher.

[Harold Schreiber]

Hi Daniel,

I've got the Bogen 3011 TriPod and 3126 Head. In normal set-up, it gets my Cam up to 6' 8" (with a custom made a "Cam-to-head attachment"). If I pull in the legs a bit, it puts the Cam to 7'.

Like Jacob, I'm 6' 4" tall. To deal with the Cam's height, I've custom made my own Extendable (2' to 4') Single and Two Handled Control Arm systems. Can change them out in 5 mins. I can still use the OEM single handle if I want to, if Cam is at lower height, but I found the longer handle(s) to give me better control years ago.

I've also custom made a "Cam-to-head attachment", that allows for the Cam to be placed in whatever vertical position is needed to allow the control handle(s) to remain where it needs to be, for the best control.

I also use a separate LCD monitor (5" to 15") along with a wired remote and a custom set-up Infrared remote for the Zooming function. These 4 things make any action Videography much easier, I can sit or stand and have the Cam at about 7', as some of the horse shows I do can last up to 10+ hours of tracking horses around an arena or a cross country jump course.

I use a Sony Wired Remote handle from one of their TriPods (2 speed) and I have fabricated each of my Sony Cams (4) Infrared Remotes to be used with fiber optic cables to the Cams, either freehand or attached to the control arms, for the Zooming and Cam on/off. I can use the controls with either hand. The better ($$$$$) wired Remotes give you even better Cam controls. I've just not found them necessary for all the things I do.

I have my TriPods "PreWired", so I can simply mount the Cam, then just plug in the power, remotes (wired and fiberoptic), and Video/Sound outputs (if I'm going to a VCR or DVR). I also always add weight to stabilize the TriPod. Like 20 to 30 lbs of leg weights.

Can send you Pics if interested.

Harold

[Robert Johnston]

Im interested in seeing that camera setup please.

[Daniel Boswell]

Originally Posted by Harold Schreiber

Hi Daniel,

I've got the Bogen 3011 TriPod and 3126 Head. In normal set-up, it gets my Cam up to 6' 8" (with a custom made a "Cam-to-head attachment"). If I pull in the legs a bit, it puts the Cam to 7'.

Like Jacob, I'm 6' 4" tall. To deal with the Cam's height, I've custom made my own Extendable (2' to 4') Single and Two Handled Control Arm systems. Can change them out in 5 mins. I can still use the OEM single handle if I want to, if Cam is at lower height, but I found the longer handle(s) to give me better control years ago.

I've also custom made a "Cam-to-head attachment", that allows for the Cam to be placed in whatever vertical position is needed to allow the control handle(s) to remain where it needs to be, for the best control.

I also use a separate LCD monitor (5" to 15") along with a wired remote and a custom set-up Infrared remote for the Zooming function. These 4 things make any action Videography much easier, I can sit or stand and have the Cam at about 7', as some of the horse shows I do can last up to 10+ hours of tracking horses around an arena or a cross country jump course.

I use a Sony Wired Remote handle from one of their TriPods (2 speed) and I have fabricated each of my Sony Cams (4) Infrared Remotes to be used with fiber optic cables to the Cams, either freehand or attached to the control arms, for the Zooming and Cam on/off. I can use the controls with either hand. The better ($$$$$) wired Remotes give you even better Cam controls. I've just not found them necessary for all the things I do.

I have my TriPods "PreWired", so I can simply mount the Cam, then just plug in the power, remotes (wired and fiberoptic), and Video/Sound outputs (if I'm going to a VCR or DVR). I also always add weight to stabilize the TriPod. Like 20 to 30 lbs of leg weights.

Can send you Pics if interested.

Harold

i woudl love to see pics Harold..sounds liek an interesting set-up

[Jeff Emery]

Originally Posted by Daniel Boswell

I need to find some tall tripod legs like in the 8ft and over range. Any suggestions?


Daniel Boswell
www.dvartistry.com

Well...

I suppose some of the purists might laugh or scoff at my solutions but I'll toss it in anyway.

I recently had to shoot a live performance for a band that was playing in a bit of a hole-in-the-wall bar/club. The stage platform was only about a foot higher than the dance floor.

For stationary cameras, I use Sony VX2100's mounted on BM 501 heads which are on top of Dynatran AT-12T legs. Fully extended I knew I wouldn't be able to get over the tops of the dancers heads without more height but I didn't want to deal with scaffolding or platforms. Neither of those options was practical for the venue anyway.

So, in advance of course. I went to a local home improvement center and bought three 10' lengths of 2" PVC pipe, the thick walled stuff. I also got some of those foam insulation tubes that you wrap around water pipes. I extended the bottom sections out on the tripods and cut the foam to that section's length and placed it around the leg. I used cheap ol' electrical tape to secure the foam, wrapping it in kind of a candy cane striping sort of way. The foam insulation acts as a filler to "thicken" up the legs.

Then I cut each 10' PVC pipe in half. I slid, with some twisting and rotating effort, the cut pieces over the "fattened" up leg section. I left the PVC its natural white color but used some sandpaper and cleaner to remove the markings on the pipe. (They do make black ABS pipe but the inside diameter was not the same as the white PVC.) I used the cheapo black electrical tape once again to make a candy cane stripe on the pipe. Actually, they look kinda cool.

Anyway, these "extensions" raised my cameras up high enough that it was easy to get good shot composition on the band and get the dancers in the video too. I did have to buy some sturdy, stable step ladders to get my camera operators up a couple of feet or so.

As you might realize, putting extensions on like this does enlarge the overall footprint of the tripod, but it's a frugal yet effective way to solve the height issue and can easily get you up to the 8+ foot mark.

Jeff