I'm so poor (tripod question)
 

Ok. I'm going to need a tripod. I see them on sale for $20 all the way up to...well...$4,000?! I'm all for quality, but I am a poor college student and I just bought my XL2, which, as I'm sure you can all gather, means that my finances are somewhat lacking. Can I get by with a cheapy, or should I wait and spring for a good one?

Keep in mind that I'm not going to be doing any pro work and this is mostly for pleasure/film classes/artistry for now.

I know the tripod I get has to support the camera, and not all of them will hold more than 15 lbs. I'm in desperate need of advice.

~Nick Vaughan

You're right that a tripod has to hold the weight.

But you can get by, by limiting the movement in your shots. The better tripods have great heads that allow smooth fluid movement. But you could get by if all you need your tripod to do is to hold your camera in a static composition.

Lots of directors get by without tripods at all!

Aside from basic support, you want to be able to move smoothly. Would be a shame to have a camera as nice as the XL2 and end up with jerky movements :-)

Unfortunately, the size and weight of the XL2 call for something a little heavier duty than the bottom of the line. At minimum I'd consider a tripod with the Manfrotto 501 head. I think it'll be hard to find anything in that class for much less than $300. Of course to do justice to the camera it would be nice to have something a lot better than this.

Maybe look for a used tripod instead? Or if you can get by with locked down shots for the time being, then you might get away with a still photo tripod.

Hey Nick,

Yeah, I agree it is going to be tough to find a tripod that'll pan-n-tilt the XL2 buttery smooth at the price point you're shopping in. FWIW, I've been getting by ok with a Libec TH-M20 I originally bought to use with my GL2. At its price of, I think, about $170, it IS a nice pod -- nice features and very convenient to use, but I think the XL2 is kind of at the upper limit of what it can handle. MAYBE one of its big brothers might give good value for reasonable performance paired with the XL2.

But again, to get buttery smooth pans-n-tilts, ya just about have to both spend some bigger money and practice a lot (which I could sure stand to do!). I'm getting by, but have really been just awaiting the HD camera situation before spending more on peripherals. If I stay with an XL-sized camera I'll definitely drop some much bigger bucks on something such as a Vinten Vision 3, which I've never personally gotten to use, but has been highly recommended over in Support Your Local Camera, DVinfo's forum for good opinions and reports of actual experiences with various tripods.

In the end, your wallet is going to be the primary dictator of how much tripod you'll get...the more you spend, the nicer the tripod.

Exactly the things I needed to know. Thanks to all.

~Nick Vaughan

Nick,
I bought a Davis and Sanford "provista" pod from b+h last year, to use with my GL1. It's not as nice as the bogen set up I now use with my xl2 , but it will support the XL2 and works well. It's well under $200. Check it out at b+h.
Bruce S. Yarock

Nick, I used a cheaper ($100.00) tripod and it did a good job in most situations unless the camera was zoomed in...at that point it shook just slightly less than I will with 5 cups of coffee in my system. Also, with no levelling bubble, everyone was moving either uphill or downhill when running.

I spent 500 bones on my libec tripod setup and am very happy, but I certainly know how it feels to be broke!!!

Ah yes, that looks like it'll do the trick. The 18lb. head is enough, yes?

Thanks again,

~Nick Vaughan

My two cents!
 

I would never buy the 501 again for an Canon XL camera. The 503 is the minimum, you must have the counter balancing springs with a camera the weight of the XL1 or XL2.

B&H does offer many combos with the 503 head and sticks they have matched to it. I think there are some around $500.00.

Just an additional note, it does not hurt to look for used tripods as you drive around. I stopped at a swapmeet type sale about 8 months ago, and stumbled across a Bogan 3030a. It was in great shape and I got it for $35.00, and no I will not sell it. I liked it so much I found another and bought it too. Bought a new Bogan recently, and felt like just sending it back. No Comparison.

Personally, if your budget is severly limited, I would error on the side of a better head and less legs for now.

Mike

If you want a tripod to just hold the camera steady in a locked position, you can get away with a cheaper ($250) tripod. If you plan to make any moves, the bottom line entry level is $500 and realistically $1000... I have a 515MVB PRO VIDEO TRIPOD WITH 516 PRO VIDEO HEAD, list for the kit is about $1500.



ash =o)

How does this compare to the bogen 501?

Nick, spend the extra money and go with the 503 head, the difference in feel and movement is worth the cost. Also, I went with the 3046 legs. I am tired of doing extreem zoom and ending up with shakey,useless video. Yes they are heavy, but the video is rock solid. When I upgrade to a 100-400mm lens I will still be able to use these sticks.

I'll back you up there. Maybe mine is old or not working properly, but it is a long way from smooth. It's destined for Ebay.

I agree the 503 head is great, but I think the 501 is the best value and it works great with the XL2 in my experience. You just need to balance it on the head which they allow you to do with the sliding plate and it's great.

I just got my $200 Davis & Sanford PROVISTA 7518 combo from B&H. Thought I might get away with saving a few bucks. Leaking goo from the head (is that normal?) It seems OK but does not give me much confidence. I think it will hold up till I can save enough to get the Bogen/Man combo or the like. I wish I had listened to this forum and waited!

OK I just sent that leaky thing back to B&H. There is no cutting corners. I am saving for a Bogen. 305 or better. B&H was OK about the return.

My experience with the same tripod (S & D, also from B & H) has been quite different. No problems at all. Pans & tilts are extremely smooth for me. No leaking. Sturdy.

the 501 head is great if you own a handycam...with the xl2 serious wieght fro a 1/3 chipper the 501 just does not cut...

if you want a 501 i can sell you mine its in mint condition and i'm in nyc, i don't use it because it only works for lock down shots...get a 503..

or better yet get a good used head on ebay versus an ok new one, the 503 is ok but for the money i expected better

Haha. I started this thread well over a year ago, but I'm on the verge of buying this:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/cont...goryNavigation

What do you guys think?

I'm going to order it this afternoon with through Bogen's student discount program.

Wow. If you're really going to spend that much, might as well go for this one:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/cont...ughType=search

I have the one with the H55 head which is about $155 more (the only difference is that it has 3-steps of drag, so that you can do smoother pans/tilts). It's also in-stock at b&h. The other good part about it is that the sticks are aluminum alloy sticks rather than Bogen's chrome sticks, which makes it about 2 lbs. lighter yet sturdier. It's also a 2-stage, rather than a crank to raise the camera (which might not be the best idea if you have to crank it all the way...might get unbalanced).

Just my $.02

Jonathan

The 516 head will serve you well (I went with the 519 head,) but you will struggle with those legs I did for several years. Get a set of legs that have a half ball instead of a center column. You will be glad you did.

Bill

I'm not sure of the model and # ------I bought one from MARKERTEK for a shoot overseas because I didn't want to ship my expensive tripod in a soft bag or buy an expensive shipping case.
It was about 90.00 with a ball head, spirit level, spreaders(mid level and floor spreaders), sliding balance plate.........

I thought it was well worth the money I spent and yes it even balanced the XL2 fine.

Haha. Got your message a little late, already ordered the 3046's. What makes you think I'll struggle with the legs?

By struggle, I mean that when you set up you will have to level by adjusting the legs. Whenever you make a change, you will have to re-level using the legs, with a tripod using a half ball you get the legs close to level, and then make your final adjustments using the half ball. You can do this while looking through the viewfinder so it is much easier. It is also a more precise adjustment.

FYI: I have a 3046 with a 3 way pan head for still work, it is a quality set of legs that will give you many years of service.

Bill

I see, I see. The 516 has a built-in leveling bubble, so it shouldn't be too much of an issue. But yeah, that half-ball sounds like a super-nice feature.

The built in level is nice but not always accurate, especially when trying to get door and window frames straight in the frame just for one example. You will see as you work with it, I used a geared tripod for several years so I speak from experience, trying to get the correct framing while adjusting the camera, looking through the viewfinder and adjusting the legs are the struggles I speak of, however, take heart you will learn to do it, as I did.

Bill

Hey Andrew - That's an interesting point about balance. I have the 503 head on the 525MVB sticks, and I try to "center" the XL2 by eye, but I realize that is probably not good enough. I sometimes use a lightweight matte box on the front, which would move the center of gravity forward very slightly, and a 7" LCD monitor on the shoe, which wouldn't move the center much at all. Also, it's not as though you can actually "feel" the center of gravity, once it's on the head. So how do you balance it? I could always put it on the edge of a table and inch it forward to find the center, but....

I am actually in the same boat as Nick. I think all of you have been extremely helpfull in my decision making as well. Please tell me what you all think of this set-up. I plan on ordering it in about two weeks.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/cont...goryNavigation

I was lucky enough to be given a solid wooden legged tripod with a beautiful head on it when I bought my canon xl1s. It weighs about 15 kg's, which is great once I get it set up but it's tough to lug from gig to gig. In fact if anyone has the surf file "Morning of the Earth" check out the tripod on the back cover..... that's mine.

I ended up buying a manfrotto 501 head and legs for about $500AU which works great with the camera. Not as stable as my first tripod but HEAPS more practical when travelling. I had it on the font seat of the car during a trip down the east coast, took it out to film a music festival, set it up on the beach for some surf footage.... it worked well in all situations.