New Revoluionary Fluid Base Monopod from Bogen at DVinfo.net

Michael Liebergot · May 12th, 2006, 12:52 PM

I just saw this on the Bogen site.

It's a revolutionary new monopod that has and fluid base for 360 panning, a pan/tilt, and substantial 3 footed retractable base.

The legs seem uch improved from previous versions.

http://www.bogenimaging.us/product/t...14&itemid=3236

Danny Natovich · May 19th, 2006, 04:22 AM

Nice find, If it only could be with safe self standing...

BTW - Your DvRigPro. balance bracket and the acc. insetrs are in the mail.

Danny.

Michael Liebergot · May 19th, 2006, 07:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Danny Natovich

Nice find, If it only could be with safe self standing...

BTW - Your DvRigPro. balance bracket and the acc. insetrs are in the mail.

Danny.

Well the feet look better than the current 3-footed monopod that I have from Bogen. On my current one, the feet have too much flex, these look more substantial.

BTW, thanks for the help on my DVRig Danny. Can't wait to try these out. Toobad ai wont have it in time for a shoot I have this Saturday. But I'll try it out for another shoot I have on Wed.

Peter Chung · November 11th, 2006, 11:59 AM

So this monopod with legs is not safe free standing? Does the camera tend to fall over or what?

Thanks!

Alan Galbraith · November 16th, 2006, 02:53 PM

the monopod is not freestanding... well it kind of is...

I put an HVX200 on it, and with the pod fully collapsed it is stable enough to let go of the camera and it will not fall over. But I wouldnt walk away from it. Its usable as a table top "tripod" for say a lock down interview shot, as long as you are sitting right next to it should it start to fall.

the key is... at teh very bottom of the monopod the leg attatches to the feet with a ball and socket. Whiel it is fairly tight and doesnt let the feet "wobble" its not firm enough to hold alot of weight steady when the leg is fully extended (lots of leverage).

This does allow for some cool moves though. You can do a great and VERY steady dutch tilt with it, and even some "fake" crane moves (picture leaning the camera foward and then pulling back and tilting up, ala if you bent over at the waist and looked into the engine compartment of a car, then stepped back and brought your eyes up to take in the whole front of the car).

All in all, I LOVE my monopod and now rarely carry a tripod with me when in the field.

on set is a different beast, and I still use a tripod.

Peter Chung · November 16th, 2006, 03:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alan Galbraith

the monopod is not freestanding... well it kind of is...

I put an HVX200 on it, and with the pod fully collapsed it is stable enough to let go of the camera and it will not fall over. But I wouldnt walk away from it. Its usable as a table top "tripod" for say a lock down interview shot, as long as you are sitting right next to it should it start to fall.

the key is... at teh very bottom of the monopod the leg attatches to the feet with a ball and socket. Whiel it is fairly tight and doesnt let the feet "wobble" its not firm enough to hold alot of weight steady when the leg is fully extended (lots of leverage).

This does allow for some cool moves though. You can do a great and VERY steady dutch tilt with it, and even some "fake" crane moves (picture leaning the camera foward and then pulling back and tilting up, ala if you bent over at the waist and looked into the engine compartment of a car, then stepped back and brought your eyes up to take in the whole front of the car).

All in all, I LOVE my monopod and now rarely carry a tripod with me when in the field.

on set is a different beast, and I still use a tripod.

Alan,

Thanks for sharing your experience. It makes more sense now. Perhaps if the camera could be balanced over the monopod, it would have less of a tendency to tip over since the center of mass would be directly over the monopod pole...

Alan Galbraith · November 16th, 2006, 03:26 PM

yes, with the camera directly over the feet is the ONLY way the camera will balance.

and this may be affected by accesories you have on your camera. A box stock HVX with one P2 balances just fine with the leg fully colapsed.

I HIGHLY reccomend this monopod to anyone.

The fluid base works like a charm. Pans are nice and smooth.

The tilt of the stock head is friction only, so its not THAT great, but you can tilt the whole unit on the base to simulate a camera tilt.

Also the head of the unit it removable via screwing it off of the 1/4-20 stud (will have to check the size when I get home, but it looked like 1/4-20) attatching it to the monopod. One could easily attatch a fluid head to the monopod and have a REAL slick operation.

I have also used it as an overhead extension to get the camera above the crowd, and to fake some crane moves. Pick the whole rig up, rest the feet on your belt buckle and bingo, with the leg extended your camera is now 5 feet above your head. You still have fluid pans because the fluid cartridge is in the base near the feet. Just twist the leg and you get noce smooth pans. Now, with the camera tilted down, you can fake a crane move by doing a "dip the flag" move with the pole (ala, lowerin the colors in a parade, color guard style). Looks great.

Again, great piece of gear. Well worth the $

Chris Li · December 11th, 2006, 08:26 AM

I was considering this monopod for HVX/Z1 camera use, but Bogen rates the pod for less than 5 lbs ! Are you saying it's ok if pod is not fully raised or left unattended?

chris

Chris Li · December 11th, 2006, 08:50 AM

best in-depth review of flowpod in Dec. issue

http://www.videomaker.com/article/12672/

Meryem Ersoz · December 11th, 2006, 09:12 AM

http://ia331338.us.archive.org/3/ite...ntheDesert.mov

how can it be the best review if it doesn't have footage??

all of these shots are taken with an HV10 mounted on a 560B except for the dolly shots from the moving car....

i've used mine with an FX-1, and what happens is that you don't have access to the complete range of motion. there's a point where your pans and tilts stick. if you get familiar with that point, however, you can still add a lot of motion to your shots and have a great deal of mobility with this gadget. the FX-1 weighs 4.5 lbs. i don't know what the added weight of the Z1 would do...the FX-1 seems to push the limits of the unit as it is. but there's still plenty of moves which can be achieved.

i've used mine standing still unattended with the HV10 but would not do so with the FX-1 under any circumstances.

John Reilly · December 11th, 2006, 10:06 AM

I was highly disappointed with the payload capacity limitation after seeing the unit skillfully demonstrated by the salesman at my local video store...

My FX-1 is "naked" at 4.8lbs.....add the battery, wide angle lens and my Rode Stereo Video Mic and I'm way out of the ballpark.

The article referenced in the above post confirms the payload capacity of 4.4lbs, noting that exceeding this limit 'could damage the pod'.

I can only hope Bogen comes out with the "Big Brother" soon!

Chris Li · December 11th, 2006, 10:26 AM

how can it be the best review if it doesn't have footage??

Great footage, Meryem!

Alan Galbraith · December 11th, 2006, 10:35 AM

Dont wait for a big brother...

My fully loaded HVX with FS-100, Frezzi light, NP1, extra mount for shotgun mic... does just fine.

you CANNOT extend the monpod and walk away from it. it WILL NOT stand on its own with a larger camera on it. a small little palm camera perhaps, but even at that, you're asking for trouble.

you can sometimes balance the camera with the monopod collapsed, but I would not walk away from it.

if you need to do this, use a tripod. The monopod has a different purpose.

Even loaded down with a heavy camera and lots of gear I get smooth pans, no worries.

I'll see if I can take some pics later.

Meryem Ersoz · December 11th, 2006, 10:35 AM

thank you, chris....

i, too, would love to see them release a beefier version of this monopod...bogen/manfrotto, are you listening??

Alan Galbraith · December 11th, 2006, 11:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by John Reilly

I was highly disappointed with the payload capacity limitation after seeing the unit skillfully demonstrated by the salesman at my local video store...

My FX-1 is "naked" at 4.8lbs.....add the battery, wide angle lens and my Rode Stereo Video Mic and I'm way out of the ballpark.

The article referenced in the above post confirms the payload capacity of 4.4lbs, noting that exceeding this limit 'could damage the pod'.

I can only hope Bogen comes out with the "Big Brother" soon!

no worries on weight... look at my rig (as noted in previous post), it weighs more than your and does just fine on the monopod.

this unit will work just great for anything up to a full sized, shoulder carried ENG style camera.

As a matter of fact, I can try it out with my DV5000 and see if it will "support" the weight without collapsing. That might be pushing it a little. but for anything short of that size/weight camera, its going to do just fine.

May 12th, 2006, 12:52 PM	#1
Michael Liebergot Trustee Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Maryland Posts: 1,505	New Revoluionary Fluid Base Monopod from Bogen I just saw this on the Bogen site. It's a revolutionary new monopod that has and fluid base for 360 panning, a pan/tilt, and substantial 3 footed retractable base. The legs seem uch improved from previous versions. http://www.bogenimaging.us/product/t...14&itemid=3236 __________________ Michael www.lvpvideo.com

May 19th, 2006, 04:22 AM	#2
Danny Natovich DV Rig Pro Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Tel Aviv Israel Posts: 233	Nice find, If it only could be with safe self standing... BTW - Your DvRigPro. balance bracket and the acc. insetrs are in the mail. Danny. __________________ www.dvtec.tv

December 11th, 2006, 08:26 AM	#8
Chris Li Regular Crew Join Date: May 2004 Location: Wash. DC area Posts: 154	Weight capacity I was considering this monopod for HVX/Z1 camera use, but Bogen rates the pod for less than 5 lbs ! Are you saying it's ok if pod is not fully raised or left unattended? chris

December 11th, 2006, 08:50 AM	#9
Chris Li Regular Crew Join Date: May 2004 Location: Wash. DC area Posts: 154	New videomaker review best in-depth review of flowpod in Dec. issue http://www.videomaker.com/article/12672/

December 11th, 2006, 10:06 AM	#11
John Reilly Regular Crew Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Eastern Los Angeles County, CA Posts: 70	560B Weight Limitation I was highly disappointed with the payload capacity limitation after seeing the unit skillfully demonstrated by the salesman at my local video store... My FX-1 is "naked" at 4.8lbs.....add the battery, wide angle lens and my Rode Stereo Video Mic and I'm way out of the ballpark. The article referenced in the above post confirms the payload capacity of 4.4lbs, noting that exceeding this limit 'could damage the pod'. I can only hope Bogen comes out with the "Big Brother" soon!

November 11th, 2006, 11:59 AM	#4
Peter Chung Major Player Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Kansas City, MO USA Posts: 220	So this monopod with legs is not safe free standing? Does the camera tend to fall over or what? Thanks!

November 16th, 2006, 02:53 PM	#5
Alan Galbraith Regular Crew Join Date: Oct 2004 Posts: 98	the monopod is not freestanding... well it kind of is... I put an HVX200 on it, and with the pod fully collapsed it is stable enough to let go of the camera and it will not fall over. But I wouldnt walk away from it. Its usable as a table top "tripod" for say a lock down interview shot, as long as you are sitting right next to it should it start to fall. the key is... at teh very bottom of the monopod the leg attatches to the feet with a ball and socket. Whiel it is fairly tight and doesnt let the feet "wobble" its not firm enough to hold alot of weight steady when the leg is fully extended (lots of leverage). This does allow for some cool moves though. You can do a great and VERY steady dutch tilt with it, and even some "fake" crane moves (picture leaning the camera foward and then pulling back and tilting up, ala if you bent over at the waist and looked into the engine compartment of a car, then stepped back and brought your eyes up to take in the whole front of the car). All in all, I LOVE my monopod and now rarely carry a tripod with me when in the field. on set is a different beast, and I still use a tripod.

November 16th, 2006, 03:26 PM	#7
Alan Galbraith Regular Crew Join Date: Oct 2004 Posts: 98	yes, with the camera directly over the feet is the ONLY way the camera will balance. and this may be affected by accesories you have on your camera. A box stock HVX with one P2 balances just fine with the leg fully colapsed. I HIGHLY reccomend this monopod to anyone. The fluid base works like a charm. Pans are nice and smooth. The tilt of the stock head is friction only, so its not THAT great, but you can tilt the whole unit on the base to simulate a camera tilt. Also the head of the unit it removable via screwing it off of the 1/4-20 stud (will have to check the size when I get home, but it looked like 1/4-20) attatching it to the monopod. One could easily attatch a fluid head to the monopod and have a REAL slick operation. I have also used it as an overhead extension to get the camera above the crowd, and to fake some crane moves. Pick the whole rig up, rest the feet on your belt buckle and bingo, with the leg extended your camera is now 5 feet above your head. You still have fluid pans because the fluid cartridge is in the base near the feet. Just twist the leg and you get noce smooth pans. Now, with the camera tilted down, you can fake a crane move by doing a "dip the flag" move with the pole (ala, lowerin the colors in a parade, color guard style). Looks great. Again, great piece of gear. Well worth the $

December 11th, 2006, 09:12 AM	#10
Meryem Ersoz Wrangler Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Boulder, CO Posts: 3,015	http://ia331338.us.archive.org/3/ite...ntheDesert.mov how can it be the best review if it doesn't have footage?? all of these shots are taken with an HV10 mounted on a 560B except for the dolly shots from the moving car.... i've used mine with an FX-1, and what happens is that you don't have access to the complete range of motion. there's a point where your pans and tilts stick. if you get familiar with that point, however, you can still add a lot of motion to your shots and have a great deal of mobility with this gadget. the FX-1 weighs 4.5 lbs. i don't know what the added weight of the Z1 would do...the FX-1 seems to push the limits of the unit as it is. but there's still plenty of moves which can be achieved. i've used mine standing still unattended with the HV10 but would not do so with the FX-1 under any circumstances.

December 11th, 2006, 10:26 AM	#12
Chris Li Regular Crew Join Date: May 2004 Location: Wash. DC area Posts: 154	how can it be the best review if it doesn't have footage?? Great footage, Meryem!

December 11th, 2006, 10:35 AM	#13
Alan Galbraith Regular Crew Join Date: Oct 2004 Posts: 98	Dont wait for a big brother... My fully loaded HVX with FS-100, Frezzi light, NP1, extra mount for shotgun mic... does just fine. you CANNOT extend the monpod and walk away from it. it WILL NOT stand on its own with a larger camera on it. a small little palm camera perhaps, but even at that, you're asking for trouble. you can sometimes balance the camera with the monopod collapsed, but I would not walk away from it. if you need to do this, use a tripod. The monopod has a different purpose. Even loaded down with a heavy camera and lots of gear I get smooth pans, no worries. I'll see if I can take some pics later.