Tripod Specs

Jon Allen · August 27, 2004

This might sound a little stupid, but being as the dvx100a is just under 4 lbs, what tripod would you recommend for it? I could get an el cheapo from walmart (that would hold the cam and probably some accessories) but I'm looking for a fluid head and a more "professional" type pod.

Any great recommendations or horror stories are welcome. Thanks!

Jon Allen · August 27, 2004

I suppose I'm not looking for "good and cheap" I'm on a budget, so "decent and cheap" is more what I'm looking for.

Stas Tagios · August 28, 2004

Honestly, you don't want to skimp on the tripod. You probably spent over $3000 on the camera, do you really want to trust that much money to sub-par sticks?

That said, there's certainly a wide range of decent choices that don't necessarily break the bank. Most of the major tripod manufacturers now offer lower-priced DV tripods and heads for the new generation of light-weight pro and prosumer cameras.

I opted for the Bogen/Manfrotto 503 head and 525 legs combo, which ran around $750. I'm guessing from your post that might be a little higher than what you want to spend.

Bogen has cheaper combos, starting at around $230, which you can see here:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller...arch&Q=&ci=5136

Can't comment on their quality since I'm only familiar with my combo, but Bogen generally offers a decent price/performance ratio, and I've been happy with my 503/525 combo, which I used with my DVX.

Carlos M. Icaza · August 28, 2004

Stas is correct in his statement that you wouldn't want to trust your $3,000 camera on a cheap set of legs. I opted for a pair of Manfrotto heavy duty (I don't recall the model #). Actually, the legs that I have are very heavy. Remember that when you are going to be on a set you are going to have cables connected to your camera, wether they are sound cables, or video cables, power cables, and invariably, someone will cross their walk into the cables and sure enough pull on the camera. If you have steady heavy sticks, most likely they will hold upright and save you from damaging your camera.

C.-

PS: Sand bag them legs !

Jack Barker · September 6, 2004

Yeah, I've got the 503/525MVB combination as well - sweet. I also opted for the Manfrotto Cine/Video Deluxe Dolly with the big 5" wheels ($250 B&H) and I now can't imagine life without it. It makes setups SO much faster.

Stas is right. Buy cheap lights and use foamcore for bounce, but don't skimp on the sticks. If you do, you will come to regret it.

Jon Allen · September 7, 2004

Thanks guys. I think we might be shooting at a trade show soon so we'll have to come up with something VERY portable. I'm talking we'll be grabbing a guy (randomly?) and doing on-site interviews. I'll need something stable, but light- I'm half tempted to get one of those OTS carriers. I'm honestly not sure what my budget is (oh, the ognominy!) but we're just getting started in this video thing and we're small enough I'm afraid to ask for a pod the same price as the camera. :(

Jack Barker · September 7, 2004

Not to mention the ignominy. :rolleyes:

Mitch Gross · September 8, 2004

If you're running around grabbing stuff on the fly, you may wish to consider a monopod. Can't support the camera without your stabilizing, but it is vastly etter than going completely handheld. 16x9inc.com sells one with a kickstand and a tripod head attachment that is fairly clever and less expensive than a good tripod.

Jon Allen · September 9, 2004

Thanks for the proof-read;)

Yeah, I'd consider the mono pod if there were a safe place to put it while I wired the talent. This, of course, wouldn't be a problem if my "help" actually knew anything about setting up and tearing down lights & sound.