Tripods *Vinten Pro-5, Miller DS5(SOLO), Manfrotto 501*
 

Hi.

I can't decide between Vinten Pro-5, Miller DS5(SOLO), Manfrotto 501 system.

Could you tell me the prices for each system?

Miller DS5 seems to be most expensive one, and the other two are about to be same.

Which one is "better for the money"?

Is it better to purchase DS5 as I heard it is quite good for it's price, even though it is the pricest one among three.

My camcorder is DVX100.
Is it ok to use with Vinten Pro-5, the head has capacity of 6kg weight.
I'm just worried because I heard its better to choose the head, not far different weight capacity than the camcorder weight.

Your help would be great.

They should be okay for your cam. It's not just the head that's important, the legs/spreader should be examined to see which suits your needs best. I've looked at a Miller DS5. It's very nice. If you want to save a lot of money, buy it from Australia. There is an older thread that goes something like this: "Where to buy the Miller DS5." On that thread someone along with myself posted a good AU dealer, along with the prices.

When I was at NAB, I tried every single tripod made.

I chose the vinten vision 3 (not sure what that model is called today).
Vinten's smoothest of all the different brands IMO. Very easy set up too.
Experts like Adam Wilt and Bruce Johnson of DV mag also use it.

One cool thing about it is that you can buy different springs to use
with different weight cameras, so for a extra few bucks, I've
had everything from a VX2K to a DSR-500 and DVCPro 400. Works
great with all. Not cheap @ $2K!

The one thing I don't like is the way the plate attaches to the camera.
Bogen has it all over Vinten there.

Thank you.

<<<-- Originally posted by Jacques Mersereau : The one thing I don't like is the way the plate attaches to the camera.
Bogen has it all over Vinten there. -->>>

Jacques, can you explain the differences between the plates?

Does the Vinten require the Vinten plat,e or can it be swapped with a Bogen?

ps - the Vision 3 is still in the current Vinten lineup, hasn't been replaced yet.

The Bogen "plates" I'm familiar with (like the system used on the 3063)
the screw and plate do not separate. The screw also has a flip down
handle. This is cool because you don't need any tools and the whole
thing stays as one piece. The hexagon "plate" when put into place
hits a button which releases a spring loaded lever that captures it.
Bogan's system is easy to use, BUT not very secure because a
heavy camera could pop that spring loaded lever. That would be
a disaster.

Vinten (and most others) have a machined piece of metal plate that
gets screwed to the bottom of the camera. The problem with
Vinten's are the two screws, (one is threaded, the other is supposed to
sit in the other hole forward of the threaded hole to keep the camera
from turning on the plate) the XL1 doesn't have a place for
unthreaded screw.


It and the threaded screw are
held together as one with a piece of plastic. If you take the unthreaded
screw out (which you do cuz it doesn't have a hole) that leaves you
with one screw and the plastic. If you want to get rid of the plastic,
the screw doesn't work correctly, so you HAVE to use it. Also, you need
a coin or screw driver to screw the plate to the camera. You can very
easily loose the screw out in the field.

But, once locked down, this system's tripod plate slides into the tripod
head. The design keeps it from sliding out forward, and as it is inserted,
you hear a click. That's the safety, which will keep the camera from falling
out backwards. You find your balance point, and another knob locks the
camera into place.

What I like about the bogan system is the non separated parts and
the fact that you don't need even a coin to lock it to the camera.

Also, when I checked on getting a 2nd Vinten plate, it was $145!

You can find replacement Vinten plates on ebay. They aren't factory replacements, but they are machined right (with the stops) and usually go for around $50.

Oh yeah? Thanks for another great tip Jeff.