EX1 Tripod selection

Dylan Morgan · April 2nd, 2009, 04:28 AM

Nick I thought that the counter balance primary function was to help with the camera being front heavy (with a 35mm setup) And I'm just talking a bare EX1.... With the CB set to 3, I find the spring annoying when I want to tilt deep due to the added resistance towards the end of my tilt. I just don't get it, so many people swear by this thing. I have a $200 bogen that works better than this. I must be missing something. The thing is rated for a 17lb camera too! Well I'll find out when I get my new one.

Nick Wilson · April 2nd, 2009, 07:25 AM

The counter balance is to counter the camera's tendency to fall forward or back because its centre of gravity is above the head's pivot point. The camera needs to be slid on the head to position its centre of gravity directly over the pivot point; with loads of hardware hanging off the front you may need the long plate:

Keene Electronics

Balancing the camera on the head involves roughly setting the counterbalance, then sliding the camera forward or back until it falls away equally to the front and rear, then setting the counterbalance so as far as possible, wherever it is tilted, it stays. Too much counterbalance and the camera will drift towards level; too little and it will fall away. If the position is wrong, it will fall forward but not back, or vice versa. Like most things in life this is a compromise and some residual movement can be fixed with a bit of drag.

Adam Levins · April 29th, 2009, 01:50 PM

Wanted to update my old Vinten Vision 100. I have been looking at the options and wanted to see if I could get some help from this fine community.

I am on a EX1 which is 5.3 lbs (2.8kg) at the moment but will be getting the scarlet when it comes out which should be under 6 lbs. with basic battery and fixed lens.

I like to stay light so I do not add tons of stuff as this is my run and gun setup.

I was wondering if anyone is using the Sachtler FSB - 4 with 8.8 lbs Capacity. I got a coupon at NAB that buys me the 2 stage alu setup with this head for $999 from BH. Seems like a good deal with free shipping too!

Slightly tempted or should I spend $630 more and go for the Sachtler DV 6 which Supports 19.8 lbs.

Another tripod I have hear good things about is the GITZO G1380 ALU KIT which sells for 1550 from EVS and can handle up to 22 lbs. I love the legs on this setup but I HATE the locking off mechanism on that head. It is similar if not identical to my old Vision 100 and those little locking of leavers get worn out very quickly and the head becomes impossible to lock off, especially when fighting the counterbalance on a tilt.

Has anyone used the FSB - 4 with the EX1? I guess the FSB - 6 is an option too but it costs $1,549.95 and only suports 13.2 lbs so if I am going to spend that kind of money I would rather get the dv-6

Sachtler FSB - 4 $999.95 from BH

Sachtler FSB - 6 $1,549.95 from BH

GITZO G1380 $1,549.95 from EVS

Sachtler DV 6 1,599.95 from BH

Planing to buy early next week.

Thx in advance for any advice,

Adam
Levinspictures

Gabor Heeres · April 29th, 2009, 02:00 PM

I see you come from London. In the UK Secced is a well-sold clone of Sachtler. I use an Ares 3 system for 2 months now. Perfect!. They are stable, feel solid, have 4 different counterbalance options, move as smooth as a Sachtler and are way cheaper. For an EX1 I'd say the Secced Ares 2 system is the perect tripod:

DVbuyer: Secced ARES 2 Tripod

Very good experience with buying TNP from this side.

Adam Levins · April 29th, 2009, 02:09 PM

Thanks Gabor,

Interesting option. I will look into it.

I am in the US at the moment so going to buy here. I am keen to stick to a brand that has a track record and solid warranty.

Do you have any experience with the FSB line at all?

Dave Morrison · April 29th, 2009, 02:10 PM

Adam, I have the FSB6 and have been very happy with it.

Gabor Heeres · April 29th, 2009, 02:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Adam Levins

Thanks Gabor,

Interesting option. I will look into it.

I am in the US at the moment so going to buy here. I am keen to stick to a brand that has a track record and solid warranty.

Do you have any experience with the FSB line at all?

Hi Adam,

Not with the FSB line. I had a Sachtler DV1 system before the Secced and prefer the Secced system. It just the same value for less money. I needed to sell the Sachtler because it was way too light for my S270. Now I do use the Seced Ares 3 which is more heavy and costs only €900, less then the Sachtler DV1 which initially costed €1000.

Adam Levins · April 29th, 2009, 02:20 PM

Thanks Dave.

Did you test the FSB 4 at all? Perhaps you bought the 6 before the 4 was released. Would you consider the 4 if you were buying now?

What counterbalance setting do you work on with the EX1 on the FSB 6?

The other big difference between the 4 and 6 is 5 more steps of counterbalance on the 6. they both share 3 levels of drag plus off (no drag).

FSB6 = Counterbalance in 10 steps, Grades of drag 3 each horizontal and vertical + 0

FSB4 = Counterbalance in 5 steps, Grades of drag 3 each horizontal and vertical + 0

Dave Nystul · April 29th, 2009, 02:39 PM

Adam,

fully rigged our EX-3 weighs 13.5#. It might be argued that we like over-kill here, but our tripod of choice is the Sachtler DV 8 SB. Not one bit sorry we chose this model. Light weight but stable. Highly recommended.

Dave

Craig Seeman · April 29th, 2009, 03:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dave Morrison

Adam, I have the FSB6 and have been very happy with it.

I'll second the FSB 6. Nice head for the price. I got the CF quick lock legs also.

Dave Morrison · April 29th, 2009, 03:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Adam Levins

Thanks Dave.

Did you test the FSB 4 at all? Perhaps you bought the 6 before the 4 was released. Would you consider the 4 if you were buying now?

No, I don't think the FSB4 was available at the time. I'd probably look at it closely if I was doing it all over today. BTW, I bought it with the carbon fiber legs and had problems with one of the locking mechanisms which Sachtler took care of.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Adam Levins

What counterbalance setting do you work on with the EX1 on the FSB 6?

I'm using it on #3 presently. That might change if I get a WA attachment.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Adam Levins

The other big difference between the 4 and 6 is 5 more steps of counterbalance on the 6. they both share 3 levels of drag plus off (no drag).

FSB6 = Counterbalance in 10 steps, Grades of drag 3 each horizontal and vertical + 0

FSB4 = Counterbalance in 5 steps, Grades of drag 3 each horizontal and vertical + 0

Yes, I've been very impressed with the head on this thing. Very nice change from my Bogen/Manfrotto!

Adam Levins · April 29th, 2009, 04:37 PM

Thanks for all the feedback.

I am going to get the Sachtler FSB 4 and do a mini review here as I can't find one on the net at the moment. Will be interesting to see how suitable a match it is for the EX1.

I can always return it for a larger model if I need to.

Adam Levins · May 26th, 2009, 04:30 PM

Still Waiting for B&H to get more FSB4's in stock....

Tuy Le · May 26th, 2009, 05:09 PM

Adam,
I tried the FSB4, FSB6 & others at NAB - with wireless mic, larger battery, on camera light ... I think the FSB6T is a better choice.

I had been using the Sachtler 18 II for a long long time and very happy with it.
Now I'm using the FSB6T (#442) - it could not compare to the old one, but it's pretty good.

Adam Levins · May 26th, 2009, 06:17 PM

Thanks Tuy,

Maybe I need to go for a FSB6 or DV6....

April 29th, 2009, 01:50 PM	#183
Adam Levins Regular Crew Join Date: May 2008 Location: London, UK Posts: 33	Sachtler FSB 4 with EX1? Wanted to update my old Vinten Vision 100. I have been looking at the options and wanted to see if I could get some help from this fine community. I am on a EX1 which is 5.3 lbs (2.8kg) at the moment but will be getting the scarlet when it comes out which should be under 6 lbs. with basic battery and fixed lens. I like to stay light so I do not add tons of stuff as this is my run and gun setup. I was wondering if anyone is using the Sachtler FSB - 4 with 8.8 lbs Capacity. I got a coupon at NAB that buys me the 2 stage alu setup with this head for $999 from BH. Seems like a good deal with free shipping too! Slightly tempted or should I spend $630 more and go for the Sachtler DV 6 which Supports 19.8 lbs. Another tripod I have hear good things about is the GITZO G1380 ALU KIT which sells for 1550 from EVS and can handle up to 22 lbs. I love the legs on this setup but I HATE the locking off mechanism on that head. It is similar if not identical to my old Vision 100 and those little locking of leavers get worn out very quickly and the head becomes impossible to lock off, especially when fighting the counterbalance on a tilt. Has anyone used the FSB - 4 with the EX1? I guess the FSB - 6 is an option too but it costs $1,549.95 and only suports 13.2 lbs so if I am going to spend that kind of money I would rather get the dv-6 Sachtler FSB - 4 $999.95 from BH Sachtler FSB - 6 $1,549.95 from BH GITZO G1380 $1,549.95 from EVS Sachtler DV 6 1,599.95 from BH Planing to buy early next week. Thx in advance for any advice, Adam Levinspictures

April 29th, 2009, 02:10 PM	#186
Dave Morrison Major Player Join Date: May 2002 Location: West Central Florida Posts: 762	Adam, I have the FSB6 and have been very happy with it. __________________ EX1, Nikon D750 http://www.morrisonphotographics.com http://www.heritagefilm.com

April 2nd, 2009, 04:28 AM	#181
Dylan Morgan Regular Crew Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Portland OR Posts: 70	Nick I thought that the counter balance primary function was to help with the camera being front heavy (with a 35mm setup) And I'm just talking a bare EX1.... With the CB set to 3, I find the spring annoying when I want to tilt deep due to the added resistance towards the end of my tilt. I just don't get it, so many people swear by this thing. I have a $200 bogen that works better than this. I must be missing something. The thing is rated for a 17lb camera too! Well I'll find out when I get my new one.

April 2nd, 2009, 07:25 AM	#182
Nick Wilson Major Player Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Northampton, UK Posts: 259	The counter balance is to counter the camera's tendency to fall forward or back because its centre of gravity is above the head's pivot point. The camera needs to be slid on the head to position its centre of gravity directly over the pivot point; with loads of hardware hanging off the front you may need the long plate: Keene Electronics Balancing the camera on the head involves roughly setting the counterbalance, then sliding the camera forward or back until it falls away equally to the front and rear, then setting the counterbalance so as far as possible, wherever it is tilted, it stays. Too much counterbalance and the camera will drift towards level; too little and it will fall away. If the position is wrong, it will fall forward but not back, or vice versa. Like most things in life this is a compromise and some residual movement can be fixed with a bit of drag.

April 29th, 2009, 02:00 PM	#184
Gabor Heeres Major Player Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Eindhoven, The Netherlands Posts: 322	I see you come from London. In the UK Secced is a well-sold clone of Sachtler. I use an Ares 3 system for 2 months now. Perfect!. They are stable, feel solid, have 4 different counterbalance options, move as smooth as a Sachtler and are way cheaper. For an EX1 I'd say the Secced Ares 2 system is the perect tripod: DVbuyer: Secced ARES 2 Tripod Very good experience with buying TNP from this side.

April 29th, 2009, 02:09 PM	#185
Adam Levins Regular Crew Join Date: May 2008 Location: London, UK Posts: 33	Thanks Gabor, Interesting option. I will look into it. I am in the US at the moment so going to buy here. I am keen to stick to a brand that has a track record and solid warranty. Do you have any experience with the FSB line at all?

April 29th, 2009, 02:20 PM	#188
Adam Levins Regular Crew Join Date: May 2008 Location: London, UK Posts: 33	Thanks Dave. Did you test the FSB 4 at all? Perhaps you bought the 6 before the 4 was released. Would you consider the 4 if you were buying now? What counterbalance setting do you work on with the EX1 on the FSB 6? The other big difference between the 4 and 6 is 5 more steps of counterbalance on the 6. they both share 3 levels of drag plus off (no drag). FSB6 = Counterbalance in 10 steps, Grades of drag 3 each horizontal and vertical + 0 FSB4 = Counterbalance in 5 steps, Grades of drag 3 each horizontal and vertical + 0

April 29th, 2009, 02:39 PM	#189
Dave Nystul Regular Crew Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Salt Lake City, UT. Posts: 58	Adam, fully rigged our EX-3 weighs 13.5#. It might be argued that we like over-kill here, but our tripod of choice is the Sachtler DV 8 SB. Not one bit sorry we chose this model. Light weight but stable. Highly recommended. Dave

April 29th, 2009, 04:37 PM	#192
Adam Levins Regular Crew Join Date: May 2008 Location: London, UK Posts: 33	Thanks for all the feedback. I am going to get the Sachtler FSB 4 and do a mini review here as I can't find one on the net at the moment. Will be interesting to see how suitable a match it is for the EX1. I can always return it for a larger model if I need to.

May 26th, 2009, 04:30 PM	#193
Adam Levins Regular Crew Join Date: May 2008 Location: London, UK Posts: 33	Still Waiting for B&H to get more FSB4's in stock....

May 26th, 2009, 05:09 PM	#194
Tuy Le Regular Crew Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: San Jose, CA Posts: 96	Adam, I tried the FSB4, FSB6 & others at NAB - with wireless mic, larger battery, on camera light ... I think the FSB6T is a better choice. I had been using the Sachtler 18 II for a long long time and very happy with it. Now I'm using the FSB6T (#442) - it could not compare to the old one, but it's pretty good.

May 26th, 2009, 06:17 PM	#195
Adam Levins Regular Crew Join Date: May 2008 Location: London, UK Posts: 33	Thanks Tuy, Maybe I need to go for a FSB6 or DV6....