Libec LS55 vs LibeC LS38

Terwingen Niels · July 6th, 2008, 01:47 PM

hi,
i own a canon xh A1 and was reading about the great reviews from the LS38. does anybody has experience with the both? the 38 and the 55? was wondering if the 55 had the same quality head with the 'no drift back'
any recommodations here?

grtz

Tripp Woelfel · July 9th, 2008, 07:59 PM

Terwingen... I have neither of those but did a ton of research and agonizing before I ordered a Cartoni Focus. What I remember is that the two heads are different. The 55 has a drag adjustment where the 38 has none. However, the 55 would handle a larger load but gave no information in the literature about balancing the camera. Without balance adjustments the 55 might have been unwieldy with a camera as relatively light as the A1. I was tempted by the 55, but not enough.

I have a Libec TH-M20 (if I remember the model correctly) and like it a lot for the price. The legs are very stiff and have never noticed any wind up. The head, on the other hand is a lump. A talented lump, but a lump nonetheless. Both the 38 and 55 should be much better. By the accounts I've read and my own experience I would not be afraid of either the 38 or 55. If you can buy one from a place where you can return it without much bother you could go fer it and use it for a bit to see if it suits your needs.

Hope that helps.

Can't report on the Cartoni as it won't arrive until tomorrow.

Bill Pryor · July 19th, 2008, 08:00 PM

I have the Libec 38 and it is as good as reputed. Probably the best deal for the money. The 55 is a bit heavier and as noted has the adjustable drag. It would be better, I think. I went for the 38 because I was trying to keep weight down. At first I bought the Libec 22 because I wanted something small and light for this camera. It was pretty good and very smooth, but had that bounceback which the 38 does not. You can control the bounceback by pushing the tilt or pan lock at the end of a move, so it wasn't a horrible thing. However, after using the 22 awhile I found I really wanted more height, so I sold it and got the 38 which suits this camera fine and goes up high enough for my purposes.

A client of mine has the Cartoni Focus which I've been using recently when using their gear. It is very nice, has adjustable drag, etc. In fact, it feels almost like the Gitzo 38. The only negative thing is if you want to lock the pan at the end of a move, it doesn't lock smoothly like the Libecs. When you squeeze it down, it moves to the right just a little. That would make doing certain types of shots difficult. For example, I did a title background shot one time that was a long slow pan, and then at the end of the pan I locked the pan and let the camera roll for another minute or so. This little jump on the Cartoni would mess that up. It could be there's something wrong with this particular head, but it's something you might want to check when you get it. Other than that, it's great.

July 6th, 2008, 01:47 PM	#1
Terwingen Niels Regular Crew Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Belgium Posts: 50	Libec LS55 vs LibeC LS38 hi, i own a canon xh A1 and was reading about the great reviews from the LS38. does anybody has experience with the both? the 38 and the 55? was wondering if the 55 had the same quality head with the 'no drift back' any recommodations here? grtz

July 9th, 2008, 07:59 PM	#2
Tripp Woelfel Major Player Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: North Conway, NH Posts: 574	Terwingen... I have neither of those but did a ton of research and agonizing before I ordered a Cartoni Focus. What I remember is that the two heads are different. The 55 has a drag adjustment where the 38 has none. However, the 55 would handle a larger load but gave no information in the literature about balancing the camera. Without balance adjustments the 55 might have been unwieldy with a camera as relatively light as the A1. I was tempted by the 55, but not enough. I have a Libec TH-M20 (if I remember the model correctly) and like it a lot for the price. The legs are very stiff and have never noticed any wind up. The head, on the other hand is a lump. A talented lump, but a lump nonetheless. Both the 38 and 55 should be much better. By the accounts I've read and my own experience I would not be afraid of either the 38 or 55. If you can buy one from a place where you can return it without much bother you could go fer it and use it for a bit to see if it suits your needs. Hope that helps. Can't report on the Cartoni as it won't arrive until tomorrow. __________________ Tripp Woelfel

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July 19th, 2008, 08:00 PM	#3
Bill Pryor Contributor Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Kansas City, MO Posts: 3,208	I have the Libec 38 and it is as good as reputed. Probably the best deal for the money. The 55 is a bit heavier and as noted has the adjustable drag. It would be better, I think. I went for the 38 because I was trying to keep weight down. At first I bought the Libec 22 because I wanted something small and light for this camera. It was pretty good and very smooth, but had that bounceback which the 38 does not. You can control the bounceback by pushing the tilt or pan lock at the end of a move, so it wasn't a horrible thing. However, after using the 22 awhile I found I really wanted more height, so I sold it and got the 38 which suits this camera fine and goes up high enough for my purposes. A client of mine has the Cartoni Focus which I've been using recently when using their gear. It is very nice, has adjustable drag, etc. In fact, it feels almost like the Gitzo 38. The only negative thing is if you want to lock the pan at the end of a move, it doesn't lock smoothly like the Libecs. When you squeeze it down, it moves to the right just a little. That would make doing certain types of shots difficult. For example, I did a title background shot one time that was a long slow pan, and then at the end of the pan I locked the pan and let the camera roll for another minute or so. This little jump on the Cartoni would mess that up. It could be there's something wrong with this particular head, but it's something you might want to check when you get it. Other than that, it's great.