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Lightest Tripod + Head for use with Arriflex 235


Uli Meyer

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What is the lightest tripod and fluid head anyone has used with an Arriflex 235, a single prime lens and clamp on matte box. I've been taking my 235 out and about in a bike trailer for hand-held filming but would like to add some legs. There isn't enough space for the heavy duty gear. Any ideas?

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Depends on the specific payload once you add lens, stock, matt box etc...

Should be lots of options if you look a video/newsgathering tripod and heads. Vinten Vision range or Sachtler Video (maybe 20) would be a good starting point. Particularly the carbon Sachtler legs

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16 minutes ago, Phil Connolly said:

Depends on the specific payload once you add lens, stock, matt box etc...

Should be lots of options if you look a video/newsgathering tripod and heads. Vinten Vision range or Sachtler Video (maybe 20) would be a good starting point. Particularly the carbon Sachtler legs

Thanks Phil. The payload is ca.10kg, including clamp-on matte box, lens, batteries and 400ft mag. Maybe I should rent the Sachtler 20 for a day to see if it fits into my bike trailer.

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Nice thing about Sachtlers is they are super common in London, so wouldn't cost very much to rent and try. I think it's better slightly over spec and have some headroom. I have a small Vinten that's rated at 12 kg but the bowl can work a bit bit loose on payloads approaching that amount. 

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Quote

Sachtler FSB 8

This is extremely unlikely to work.  The counterbalance capacity of a tripod head depends on the center of gravity height for the payload.  Film cameras have a much higher CoG, so the payload capacity is much reduced.  And putting a film camera on a 75mm ball base would be asking for trouble. ?

I concur with Phil, something like a Sachtler Video 20 or Miller ArrowX 7 might be the minimum one could get away with using a lighter film camera like the 235, but they'd probably be right at the upper limit.  I also advise testing your heaviest build, with a full dummy load in your most top-heavy magazine.  I used the highest-end Vision head (in non-HD version) once with a Moviecam Compact with carbon fiber magazine and prime lens - it just barely worked with the magazine in the rear position; the top mount was too much for it to handle.  

 

0707_graph_2_fluid-head-fsb-8-payload-diagram-300x185.png

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13 minutes ago, Daniel Klockenkemper said:

This is extremely unlikely to work.  The counterbalance capacity of a tripod head depends on the center of gravity height for the payload.  Film cameras have a much higher CoG, so the payload capacity is much reduced.  And putting a film camera on a 75mm ball base would be asking for trouble. ?

I concur with Phil, something like a Sachtler Video 20 or Miller ArrowX 7 might be the minimum one could get away with using a lighter film camera like the 235, but they'd probably be right at the upper limit.  I also advise testing your heaviest build, with a full dummy load in your most top-heavy magazine.  I used the highest-end Vision head (in non-HD version) once with a Moviecam Compact with carbon fiber magazine and prime lens - it just barely worked with the magazine in the rear position; the top mount was too much for it to handle.  

 

0707_graph_2_fluid-head-fsb-8-payload-diagram-300x185.png

Thanks Daniel! I was hoping to hear from someone who had tried something similar. I've got to find the right balance of steadiness and compact mobility.

 

1 hour ago, Jordan Beard said:

Sachtler FSB 8

Hey Jordan, thank you for your suggestion but the FSB 8 wouldn't work. Even though the 235 is the lightest 35mm camera from Arri, it is still pretty heavy once you've added all the bits and pieces.

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I think you might be able to get away with a Sachtler Video 15 if you’re just using a small prime, 400’ mag, and clip-on matte box with no Studio bridge plate, which would also end up making the camera shorter in height. 

It would be close to maxed out but when working solo in the rough, it would be much easier to carry around than the Video 20. I’m assuming you’ll be mostly doing lock-offs or small moves where the 100mm ball is less likely to slip. 

If you go with 200’ mags, you can get even smaller, though of course then you’ll be carrying more mags and threading more often. 

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On 6/11/2020 at 11:51 PM, Satsuki Murashige said:

I think you might be able to get away with a Sachtler Video 15

Thank you Satsuki, that is worth a try.

This weekend I used my old Miller DS 60 on a Hi-Hat and both fit nicely into the Hamax together with the camera. Restricted to low angles but since I was filming my 6 months old son, not a problem ?

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3 hours ago, Uli Meyer said:

Thank you Satsuki, that is worth a try.

This weekend I used my old Miller DS 60 on a Hi-Hat and both fit nicely into the Hamax together with the camera. Restricted to low angles but since I was filming my 6 months old son, not a problem ?

 

 

That's one heck of a home movie.

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On 6/14/2020 at 5:00 PM, Uli Meyer said:

Thank you Satsuki, that is worth a try.

This weekend I used my old Miller DS 60 on a Hi-Hat and both fit nicely into the Hamax together with the camera. Restricted to low angles but since I was filming my 6 months old son, not a problem ?

 

fantastic project and decision to shoot the 235! chapeau.....I hope we can see results!

Edited by Stephen Perera
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I use a Sachtler Panorama 7+7 fluid head on a Benro C474T (bought recently) with 100mm bowl that come in at 6.75kg (14.88 pounds) together in use.....
Load capacity on the Sacthler is 12kg (26 lbs)
Load capacity on the Benro tripod is 35kg (77lbs) - folded length is 66cm (26")

Edited by Stephen Perera
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On 6/14/2020 at 7:28 PM, Heikki Repo said:

And here I thought my decision to lug an Eclair ACL with a 400ft mag and a prime lens to shoot home movies in an amusement park was over the top ? It seems I still have some ground to cover  ?

Great stuff.

never over the top!!!!!! feed the passion!

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Bravo!!! loved it......

Look at how Vision3 resolves the highlights...........and the colours are so great even in London's 'log look' hahah I know as I lived there 6 years for my degree course and then working.....Camden, Kentish Town....know them well....me and my Dad, on a family holiday to London in the 80s went up the road to the athletics club in Kentish Town and he did some training on their track

.....priceless family heirloom!!!!! Im shooting one  myself of my father still an athlete at 82 years of age......

look at how he likes the cold watermelon thats great for when they're teething! hahaha I have 2 sons myself....one 19 today and the other 16 now!

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3 hours ago, Stephen Perera said:

Bravo!!! loved it......

Look at how Vision3 resolves the highlights...........and the colours are so great even in London's 'log look' hahah I know as I lived there 6 years for my degree course and then working.....Camden, Kentish Town....know them well....me and my Dad, on a family holiday to London in the 80s went up the road to the athletics club in Kentish Town and he did some training on their track

.....priceless family heirloom!!!!! Im shooting one  myself of my father still an athlete at 82 years of age......

look at how he likes the cold watermelon thats great for when they're teething! hahaha I have 2 sons myself....one 19 today and the other 16 now!

Cheers Stephen!

I've seen the footage of your Dad on your Vimeo channel. Wonderful way to document your father's dedication to keeping fit. Beautiful black and white footage.

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That was very moving Uli, nice work. The only thing missing is a few shots of yourself! One of the wonderful treasures of home movies is seeing your parents as younger people and imagining what their life must have been like. I think your son will love that too when he is older. 

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1 hour ago, Uli Meyer said:

Cheers Stephen!

I've seen the footage of your Dad on your Vimeo channel. Wonderful way to document your father's dedication to keeping fit. Beautiful black and white footage.

Very kind of you to have taken time to watch and yes thats my own family heirloom personal project! I encourage you to keep documenting his life as it will be fantastic and priceless to him

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49 minutes ago, Satsuki Murashige said:

That was very moving Uli, nice work. The only thing missing is a few shots of yourself! One of the wonderful treasures of home movies is seeing your parents as younger people and imagining what their life must have been like. I think your son will love that too when he is older. 

Yeah, I thought about that. I'll try and get my wife to press the start button on a set up or two on the next lot ?

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On 8/17/2020 at 7:56 PM, Satsuki Murashige said:

That was very moving Uli, nice work. The only thing missing is a few shots of yourself! One of the wonderful treasures of home movies is seeing your parents as younger people and imagining what their life must have been like. I think your son will love that too when he is older. 

I second that....you HAVE to appear Uli....forget about you remembering him when he was this age...its about HIM seeing you and his mother when he's 18 or whatever and you were filming him etc.....and then showing HIS kids and so on....family heirloom I keep going on about.......

this encourages me too.....a lot in fact.......the piece Im doing on my father which you kindly saw some footage of... I had to stop due to Covid-19 lockdowns and have not resumed yet.....I have 1,200ft of Eastman Double X in the freezer for it still...........I guess I have to appear in it......I'm definitely getting his grandchildren (my sons and my sisters son and daughter) to appear.....I have this scene in my mind where I shoot on the new athletics track they are building in the south of Gibraltar that has Africa in the background across the Straits of Gibraltar and I shoot them racing on the 100m straight and they all silhouette against the sky.......that could look cool......

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3 minutes ago, Stephen Perera said:

Hey Uli, who is your lab? also....how can we see your 'From Life' piece.....????

The lab I use is the Kodak Lab at Leavesden Studios. They are terrific!

'From Life' has finished its festival run a while ago. It won a few awards, I'm happy to say. The film is available to view online here:

or on the 'OMELETO' Youtube channel here:

 

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