Seeking other online reviews
 

I'm having trouble locating site(s) with good, solid reviews on various tripods. Has anyone come across such a site (besides DVInfo, which is my fav :) ) I'm looking for indepth reviews with pictures.

Otherwise, I'll have to build my own review site, heh.

The tripod manufactures are a tight group, as a whole. Over the years several manufactures have approached me to review new models. No compensation was ever offered other than a small discount (10% to 20%) if I wanted to buy it after the review. Manufactures won't loan tripods for review and dealers don't want their goods all beat up. Buying tripods for review is too expensive.

Jeff

Yeah...well... I'm sure there's a site somewhere with a collection of real-world reviews from actual tripod owners... Thus eliminating the potential bias that comes with something on-loan from a manufacturer.

Well, at least in my world there should be *sniffle*

I have a problem with "real world" review sites. Every owner thinks the thing they bought is the absolute best ever. It seems like everything listed in those types of sites gets a 9+/10 rating. Mostly worthless.
Just what I've found. Not tripods in particular, but everything else from cars to stereos to paintball guns.

Hey Dylan, I don't think my tripod is great, but it works..sort of... The neatest thing on it, besides the XL-1, is the compact ball leveler. That's way cool.

Andrew,
Jeff's right. I was in a similar information-starvation quandry last year when shopping for a new tripod. Aside from an occasional magazine review or Web site review I could not find any source for multiple comparative evaluations. Videography magazine reviewed the Vinten Vision tripods and Epinions.com showed a few "user reviews" of mostly consumer-grade tripods but that was about it.

We've become spoiled into expecting reliable reviews for just about everything on the Web. It just ain't so. With most of the professional-grade tripods running $2,000-$10,000 it will probably not be so in the future, either. This caliber of gear is sold to tv stations and production companies who just send it back to their salesman if they're unsatisfied.

True Ken. It's that same reason (major expense) that makes me want to try and get the best tripod the first time. It's just too much money to let go of on a guess. I don't like stabbing in the dark when it comes to this kind of expense

If it's any help to you I bought a Miller DS-10 (configured with a mid-level spreader) for my XL1s. It's a fine tripod and head combination that comes with a well designed soft case. Miller has since dropped its price to around $850 making it an even better value. A Sachtler was the first runner-up.

I have not found a good tripod review site, however I have an idea. Is there a local camera shop around you? Just today, I went to my local camera shop and the guy there was very helpful. He let my try out different tripods with different heads and recommended different ones to me for different purposes. I finally decided on a Bogen 3460 (503) head and a 3246 tripod. I am now working on the money for this tripod. I am confident that for my future GL2 and and for every other use this tripod/head will last. I don’t know what your price range was but you should look this combo on B&H (they sell for about $440 total). Good luck, and go see your local camera store!

Local camera stores here are a joke. Even our chain of Henrys (_the_ camera outlet in the region) has crap in-store. I'm talking $100 CDN tripods. Ask for a spreader and the teenaged deskboy will be like 'huhyuh?' So I don't have this option, unless I drive 2 hours one-way to Michigan, or New York state and try my luck there.

The couple of better shops we have will look up tripod prices in the indistry-wide reseller catalog. But have no clue about the product besides the price listed.

<<<-- Originally posted by SyneticDV : Local camera stores here are a joke. Even our chain of Henrys (_the_ camera outlet in the region) has crap in-store. I'm talking $100 CDN tripods. Ask for a spreader and the teenaged deskboy will be like 'huhyuh?' So I don't have this option, unless I drive 2 hours one-way to Michigan, or New York state and try my luck there. -->>>

You'll find a whole lot more in the Toronto area than you will in the US border area. Toronto has some big time dealers. Cinequip , White, The Source Shop, Vistek and Precision are all pro dealers. I agree with you about London though. Henry's has a fair bit in the big store on Queen and Vistek has 3 floors of goodies. All the major broadcast people go to Cinequip. These people would chew off their right arm if they thought it would help you.

<<<--The couple of better shops we have will look up tripod prices in the indistry-wide reseller catalog. But have no clue about the product besides the price listed. -->>>

Try Cinequip on Branigan in TO (WWW.cinequip.ca), Vistek (www.vistek.com) ,Downtown Camera or Henry's Superstore on Queen. Precision Camera, The Source Shop on Mowat (http://www.sourceshop.com/home.html) .

Burlington Camera in Burlington ha s herd of tripods.

The best prices come from the pro dealers . I prefer Cinequip and the Source Shop. The DV Shop on Dundas can order in almost anything and he knows his stuff very well.

email me at beaser@eudoramail.com if you have any questions. I never pay full price for anything either.