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Tripod for a BL1 with video tap & Zoom lens


Dave Bourbois

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Further down the road, in a couple of months from now, I was thinking of getting an Arri BL-1, prefferably with a set of primes and a video tap. Assuming this comes to pass, and that I also get a good Zoom Lens what support would you guys reccomend?

 

I'm on a somewhat limited budget, so I was thinking of getting some Bogen 3058 legs, and a 3274 head. The legs are rated to carry up to 44lbs. and the head is rated to support 32 lbs.

 

I imagine I could get a better price if I went with some old Satcher tripods, but because of my work with videography, I sort of got spoiled with these heads that have that built in spirit level that you can adjust on the fly.

 

Anyhow, any advice or comments would be greatly appreciatted.

 

-Dave

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Well you can get a Satchler (or other) tripod head with a bubble level, so that's not the biggest deal. Bogen/Manfrotto tripods are great for the low budget and smaller video camera world, but once you bump up to the level that you're talking about you can by very nice used gear that's of much higher quality and with greater controls for the same if not less money. I'd reccomend something like a Satchler studio-2 with 150mm ball leveling. You can probably find these in good used condition with standard aluminum legs and ground spreader plus case for around $3k. Another $1k should buy you a set of baby legs with case and a hihat. Try Visual Products and Gallus Communications for starts.

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Hi- Not to be too flippant, but based on recent experience with a BL-1 with a tap, you should get the lightest tripod possible, that way it will be easier for you to throw the whole arrangement off a cliff after several days of trying to frame shots through what has to be the worst viewing system ever. :blink:

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Hi- Not to be too flippant, but based on recent experience with a BL-1 with a tap, you should get the lightest tripod possible, that way it will be easier for you to throw the whole arrangement off a cliff after several days of trying to frame shots through what has to be the worst viewing system ever. :blink:

The BL-1 viewing system can be easily swapped out with the vastly better BL-3 viewing system. Since many BL-3 camera have had the P+S Technik "Evolution" retrofit, there are many BL-3 viewing systems out there available for cheap. This and a PL isolation mount are the two best upgrades to that venerable old camera.

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