What's the best Tripod & Head I can get for around $400?
 

I think the title pretty much says it all. I need a tripod and head head for my XL2. I can't afford too much more than $400 right now. Toss some models at me if you can think of any. Unless you think I should wait until I can spare more loot. BTW... I'm not interested in a used one. I bought my last one used, and it aged too fast.

Thank you for your time,
Paul Picklesimer

501
 

alright man,
i have the 501 manfrotto head and no problems -

Nothing but great with a 501 with 3251 legs, $430 at bhphoto.com

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

Very versatile as far as min/max height, not the lightest setup but get the shoulder strap and you'll be fine. We've hiked miles with it. Used for XL1s and now XL2. Bogen actually has extended the warranty to 3 years recently.

Kevin

I like that combo for settings where I need to be able to shoot over people's heads, but the 3251 legs are heavy and a bit of a pain to work with. I also find myself wondering if there's anything a little smoother than the 501 head for about the same price, as it doesn't seem as silky as I was hoping it would be when I bought it. (But then I bought two more anyway.) For general-purpose use, the 501 head with a lighter set of legs is a good compromise, so long as you can keep people from walking in front of your shot.

i have a 701rc2 head and a 516 for an XL2. the 701rc2 can't begin to compare to the 516, obviously. but it's cheap, it works if you're careful. it seems about as good as the 501 i tried, but built with a lot less bulk. i think saving up for a 503 or 516 makes more sense. the only reason i use the 701rc2 is because nothing else compares with it for weight and portability (if you have to carry an XL2 in the backcountry or the wilderness).

I just purchased this Bogen system through B&H, its still being shipped so I have yet to play with it. Really excited though, seems like it will be an awesome setup. http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/cont...goryNavigation

503 is a Minimum!
 

I would skimp on the legs some and get the 503 head at a minimum, $259.00 at B&H. It has spring counter balance for the tilt, and is a "true" fluid head. I just bought my second one. 501 will not handle the XL series' weight as well, and is not a true fluid head.

Please try before you buy.

Mike

Thanks for all the advice. I think now I'm leaning toward the 503. I have a set of bogen 3050 legs, but one of the legs doesn't want to stay open. If I can figure out how to fix it, I may go with the 503 and then upgrade the legs down the road.

Paul Picklesimer

Good decision my son, and may the force be with you!

Mike

get the 503 and legs from ebay!
 

get the 503 from B&H etc and legs from ebay! There's more than one ebay store that sells either aluminum (~$70) or carbon (~$100) legs for the Bogen line. You'll need the $46 half ball leveler (# 520BALLSH) from Bogen to attach it.
Just scroll through that section in ebay. Most tripod legs come from a single Chinese source and are rebranded, so don't spend too much on legs.

Actually, I just noticed that I left out the most important thing: DO NOT BUY ANYTHING EXCEPT A TRIPOD WHERE THE HEAD RESTS ON A BALL LEVELER.

Benefit: Adjust the leg lenght once without much fuss and then level just the head. Invaluable. You can even do it while the camera is running (with practice): hold the camera by the top handle, carefully losen the leveler, adjust, tighten screw.
Often, the true level as indicated by the bubble is not the one you need. There may be picture frame or a piece of furniture or door frame in the background that you must chose as your visual reference.

Center column tripods should be outlawed.

Search for this Bogen leveler on B&H:

BO3502

Just cut and paste that into the search box and it should be the only item that comes up.

It seems to perform the same function as the hi-hat adapter (520BALLSH) that you mentioned. Does the hi-hat adpater just screw onto the 3/8" threads at the top of the legs?

One or two advantages of the 3502 ball leveler is that it is shorter and has a leveling bubble.

Why would you ban center-column tripods?

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/cont...shs=Bogen+3502

I have one, and highly recommend it as an add on for a center post tripod. It allows 10 degrees of levelling. I actually bought it for leveling my crane when attached to its dolly. Having used it on the tripod, I wouldn't go back to levelling legs.

Btw, the 701RC2 is a full fluid head, as is the 501 and 503. The difference is how drag is applied...and the 503 is the first in the line to do this with fluid as opposed to friction.

timely
 

great timely thread folks, but the little nugget of info I need is'nt showing up yet:
can the Bogen 3502 leveller accessory be fitted to the 701RC2 head??? Everyone seems to be fitting this leveller to the bigger Bogen heads (501, 503 etc)-- will it work on the smaller ones???

Getting this gear for my students-- being able to go with the 701 head will mean more $$ for other stuff.
Thanks much,

MRP

Bwah-ha-ha-ha! Try my mighty 3192's!! Those are the mightiest thighs I ever have seen, I mean...!

Now, now, agreed, but let's let freedom ring. Yes. Just as you said, actually...

If I may, the reason is quite simple. The proper tripod design has the legs extending to an apex as close to the camera as possible for pure stability.

If you work entirely within cloistered calm, such as a studio not built over a cement works, a rising-column tripod might be okay, assuming noblody walks by or breathes.

In the real world, on location, in thick and thin, in pounding surf, in gale-force wind, in a landslide, you need STABILITY! Which same is only realized with a cup-head tripod.

QED.

Hey, you can never buy too much tripod, but you sure as hell can buy too little, to your infinite regret. I recently traded my Manfrotto 3066 head to a guy for his 503. I kept my 3192 tripod, still the flagship of the Manfrotto line, when I might just as easily swapped for his 3182 'pod. Why'd I keep the unit modeled after the USS Missouri's anchor? Because it is so stable, I couldn't countenance trading it for anything less.

But go ahead! Select the 90-ounce weakling. I'm tired of tripods that act like toy dogs, all trembling and shaking. Give me a real dog, a dog with teeth and balls (well, a half of one, anyway), a dog that'll stand guard, a tall breed of dog on the land!

Well... I started this thread back in December and I just now got my tripod/head. If only money grew on trees. I went with the Manfrotto 351mvb2 tripod with the 503 head. They were in the specials section at B&H. They came with a free gift in the form of a notebook breifcase (quite nice, I actually needed one). A nice soft bag was also included. I am very happy with my purchase. The legs seem sturdy enough to me, and the head is very smooth. The whole thing only set me back $495. Thanks everyone, for all the advice. As always DVinfo has been a great help.

Have you had time to field test the setup? How's it working out for you? Any issues with the height of those legs? General pros & cons?

I am getting so close to buying my first real camera setup and I figured one of the most important 1st accessories should be a decent tripod / head that won't force me to take out a loan. I plan to shoot mainly outdoors, "nature stuff" (several lakes and forests where I live).

I haven't had much experience around tripods in general, so I have no idea why you don't like them. I do have a bunch of experience at being tall though, and the fact that my Bogen center column tripod brings the camera to eye level is a nice point. Any other tripod bring the cam up to around 6'?

Does the 351MVB2 has spikes, or only padded shoes? I want to know this because I will be using the tripod both indoors and outdoors.

Will the 503 head hold up the weight of the XL2 without having to lock it down when you walk away from it. Will it "stick" in place?

I have a Lebec TH-M20 (ok for DVX100) but is not sturdy enough for the XL2 but it can work - as long as you always lock your levers tight when you walk away -otherwise the lens weight will fall forward. But i was hoping to get the 503 head and that it would be strong enough to hold it up to where you can point the camera to a certain direction and it would seem to "stick" in that place. Will the 503 do this w/ XL2? Thanks!

I'm looking into buying the Manfrotto 351MVB2 Aluminum Video Tripod Kit that comes with the Manfrotto 503 head. I'm getting it from B & H and their catalog says it includes a "75mm half bowl". Am I correct in assuming that this is a half-bowl leveling device? The kind where you loosen something under the middle of the tripod (no center-post, of course) and you can swivel the camera/tripod head around a little until the bubble leveler tells you you are level and then you lock it down?

I sure hope so. My only worry is that on the Bogen / Manfrotto site the half-bowl leveler was not specifically mentioned in their itemized "features included" list for the 351MVB2, yet a half-bowl balancer WAS listed in an itemized list of features for one of their more expensive 516 head systems.

Yet, the B & H web page lists a 75mm Half Bowl included clear as day.

Am I OK here? I don't want to own any tripod that doesn't have a ball leveler.

Maat,

I have the Manfrotto 503 head and the 525 MVB Tripod, and I love the combination. It holds up my H1 really nicely. I did notice on my invoice that I paid an extra $100 for 'Manfrotto 520 75mm half ball'. I notice that my invoice says 'ball' and not bowl. But in the tripod description, they say it comes with a 75mm 'bowl'. I think you need this 'ball' in addition to the 503 to get the levelling capability, so just check and see if B&H is including this.

I also paid extra for a nice travel bag.

Good Luck.

A colleage of mine who is big on wedding coverage and used the PD170 uses Libec tripods (libec.com). B&H sells them. She says they are good tripods and low in price. Maybe worth checking out. I looked at the site and would go at least one model up from the bottom.