Which Tripod is good for the money?

Dion · September 27, 2005

Hi,

I need a good tripod for the money. I have a dvx100a and have been using a rather cheap tripod and I would like to upgrade ASAP.

I spent most of my money on the camera so my budget is tight but I know there has to be something out there. I want a tripod that is quiet and smooth at a reasonable price.

I have surfed around but there is no better advise than from people who use the tripods everyday.

Please advise

Thanks,

Dion

Matt Irwin · September 27, 2005

I assume you mean tripod + head, right?

I have a Manfrotto 519 head and I love it. It's very smooth and has 7 steps of resistance on both pan and tilt. It's also one of only three or so Manfrotto heads that are true fluid heads and not "lubricated friction" heads. It has great counterbalance controll and can balance up to 22 lbs (with a stronger spring), so if you upgrade to a larger camera or load up with accessories, you won't have to get beefier head.

It's not the cheapest head out there- it retails at about $1300 US. I got mine at Samys Camera for $790 on a deal they had. I also bought only the head and not a tripod, so you should look for a bundled tripod/head package as it will probably be a better value.

I don't know how much you're looking to spend, but you should also look at Vinten, Cartoni, and Sachtler... O'Connors are fantastic, but are really expensive (even for their DV head). I think the Vinten and Cartoni DV heads can be had for around $800 (??).

Hope this helps.

Lars.Erik · September 27, 2005

If you want one that's smooth and has a head that won't wear down too fast, you will need to invest roughly $1800 in it. Brands like Vinten has a model named Vision 3. I've used it sometimes and it's good for 1/3" work.

If you want too use the tripod later for 2/3" work with full cinematography gear, rods, matte box etc. this tripod will probably be a little lighweight.

I'm not sure you'll get a decent working and smooth tripod for under that.

You could always call your local rental house too ask them if you can check out some of their tripods, see if you find one you like I mean.

Good luck in your search.

Brian Wells · October 4, 2005

The Cartoni Focus was my choice for the money. It is a fluid head with continuously variable drag controls and a 2 - 22 lb. counterbalance range on a 100mm bowl. Because of its' versatility and smooth feel, I believe it will last me throughout my career. The 100mm interface is nice because I could easily add a small jib or high hat because those accessories are designed to fit a 100mm bowl.

That said, the heads feels a little plasticy. The price is roughly the same as the Bogen and Vinten models suggested. However, I liked the feature set offered by Cartoni, which is why I bought it.

Here is a pan I made using my Cartoni Focus:

*note - file appears fine, but you should use Quicktime 7*

PiataUnirii.mov

Edited October 4, 2005 by Brian Wells

Dimitrios Koukas · October 4, 2005

The Cartoni Focus was my choice for the money. It is a fluid head with continuously variable drag controls and a 2 - 22 lb. counterbalance range on a 100mm bowl. Because of its' versatility and smooth feel, I believe it will last me throughout my career. The 100mm interface is nice because I could easily add a small jib or high hat because those accessories are designed to fit a 100mm bowl.

That said, the heads feels a little plasticy. The price is roughly the same as the Bogen and Vinten models suggested. However, I liked the feature set offered by Cartoni, which is why I bought it.

Here is a pan I made using my Cartoni Focus:

Brian,

There is something wrong with your file I can't open it.

It says that a bad atom was found in the movie.

Dimitrios Koukas