Which tripod are you using with your A1/HC1/HC3?

[Floris van Eck]

Which tripod are you using with your camera? If you are using a combination of tripod legs and head, please list both items. Why did you choose for this tripod, and how does it work in the field? What the pro's and con's?

I am currently looking for a tripod but I am not sure what to pick. I am currently looking at the 755b tripod in combination with a 503 or 701RC2 fluid head. But I have also heard very good reviews of $40 Velbon tripods.

So I am kinda lost to say so. I hope you can help me.

Just list your tripod/tripod combination and how you would rate it!

[Marc Ries]

Tripod: Manfrotto 755B MDeVe
Head: Manfrotto 503

An excellent mid-range combo priced between the the casual user gear and the professional user gear.

[Michael Stowe]

Tripod - Bogen/Manfrotto 3221WN Wilderness Tripod - From my DSLR days. very very sturdy and great for indoor and outdoor with the screw out spikes if needed outdoors

Head - Bogen 501 Pro Fluid tripod head.

On another note: I use the Bogen 521pro LANC Remote which is great.

[Gian Pablo Villamil]

I use this Daiwa VT523 (http://www.slik.com/daiwa/vt/vt523.html), but also sometimes a cheap Hakuba tripod.

The Daiwa is very nice, good build quality, smooth fluid head. A bit too heavy to take everywhere.

The Hakuba is much more transportable, but doesn't allow independent control of pan & tilt.

I also have a Spiderbrace, that is lots of fun in the field.

[Jeff DeMaagd]

Originally Posted by Michael Stowe

Tripod - Bogen/Manfrotto 3221WN Wilderness Tripod - From my DSLR days. very very sturdy and great for indoor and outdoor with the screw out spikes if needed outdoors

Head - Bogen 501 Pro Fluid tripod head.

I happen to have these two, I bought the combo second hand. The tripod itself seems to be designed for handling extremely odd terrain, with decoupled legs that can be set at several angle stops. It would have been nice to have a tripod with a central spreader and a way to hand crank the height, but I'm happy with the combination.

[Michael Stowe]

Originally Posted by Jeff DeMaagd

It would have been nice to have a tripod with a central spreader and a way to hand crank the height, but I'm happy with the combination.

I agree Jeff. I still may end up going that route, but I have not run into an issue as of yet. Definately a sturdy tripod

[Gian Pablo Villamil]

Whatever you do, get a *video* tripod, not a photo tripod. A levelling mechanism (ball, clamp, spirit level) is very, very handy. Much better than trying to fiddle with the legs.

[Michael Stowe]

Originally Posted by Gian Pablo Villamil

Whatever you do, get a *video* tripod, not a photo tripod. A levelling mechanism (ball, clamp, spirit level) is very, very handy. Much better than trying to fiddle with the legs.

I agree, but at the same time, I do not have any problems moving the upper brace of a leg to level my camcorder (unsnap, let leg drop or lower leg, snap back). I do have the leveling eye on the tripod head so it takes about 5 seconds to adjust if needed.

[Floris van Eck]

Originally Posted by Marc Ries

Tripod: Manfrotto 755B MDeVe
Head: Manfrotto 503

An excellent mid-range combo priced between the the casual user gear and the professional user gear.

That is the combination I am looking at for now. I can get it for around 440 EURO here in The Netherlands. How does the 503 combine with the 755B legs? On the BH Photo Video website, it looks a bit odd as the head looks really big in relation to the rest of the tripod, but it can be perspective or something.

Also, how comfortable is this combination to carry around? Do you have a softcase for the tripod or how do you carry it?

[Floris van Eck]

Originally Posted by Gian Pablo Villamil

I use this Daiwa VT523 (http://www.slik.com/daiwa/vt/vt523.html), but also sometimes a cheap Hakuba tripod.

The Daiwa is very nice, good build quality, smooth fluid head. A bit too heavy to take everywhere.

The Hakuba is much more transportable, but doesn't allow independent control of pan & tilt.

I also have a Spiderbrace, that is lots of fun in the field.

What is the price of your Daiwa? Is the head exchangeable? Furthermore, you use a Spiderbrace. I also own one. In which situations do you use the spiderbrace, do you use it sometimes as a tripod replacement?

[Mark Bryant]

Budget option..

I have a Velbon DV-7000. It sounds too cheap to be any good ($110 at B&H, complete with fluid head), but it is excellent value. To me, the head felt similar to use as the Manfrotto 701RC2.

A UK based video editing magazine (Digital Video Techniques) just did a review of various tripods, and rated the DV-7000 over the Manfrotto 701RC2 with 755B legs (which costs over 3 times as much). Now that is just one review, and I’m not saying that is indeed better, but it does validate my own findings, that the DV-7000 is very good at a low price. It is however heavy (7.5 pounds), so not good if you will be carrying it around for long distances.

[Floris van Eck]

I ordered a Velbon CX-570 at BH Photo Video yesterday. For $39,95 I reckon it will always be worth the money. I have heard some great things about this tripod, from people who are using it for over a year. I am just starting with filmmaking, and although I am tempted to to for the best, I decided to go for something with a high quality/price relationship.

I often encounter people with almost no experience, no knowledge about basic techniques or whatsoever, with the most expensive gear. I have learned with my D-SLR (Nikon D70) that the most expensive gear does not always work better. I shot some images that were classified as D2 by some people.

I am reading some books on documentary filmmaking and cinematography and all these books tell you that content, storytelling and technique is far more important than $800 pieces of equipment.

I really like Manfrotto (used it with my D-SLR), but at this moment, I am so divided between all the products they are offering that I have decided to get some practice in the field with the Velbon, and on the basis of my evaluation of that tripod, I will make a choice for a new tripod. And maybe, it will turn out that the Velbon is all I am asking for and more.

But keep this thread going, I really like it to which equipment people are using and why they have chosen for a specific tripod/combination.

[Rob Gregory-Browne]

Is it me or are tripods overrated and expensive?

I've used heavy duty, expensive pods before, but recently picked up a cheap tripod for my A1U -- $20 at Fry's. And guess what? It works great, since the A1U weighs about an ounce.

I just can't justify spending a bundle on a tripod anymore. I'm well past the point of trying to impress anyone.

[Jeff DeMaagd]

Originally Posted by Rob Gregory-Browne

I've used heavy duty, expensive pods before, but recently picked up a cheap tripod for my A1U -- $20 at Fry's. And guess what? It works great, since the A1U weighs about an ounce.

I just can't justify spending a bundle on a tripod anymore. I'm well past the point of trying to impress anyone.

For me, it doesn't have anything to do with the weight, size or trying to impress others, though extra weight helps if you have to deal with turbulence or accidental bumping. I have a couple cheap tripods, which I thought one was good, but their heads are no where nearly as nice with smooth motion as a fluid head. There are plenty of nice, cheap and lightweight tripods but if you have to tilt or pan a lot, the extra weight, cost and size is easily worthwhile. The Manfrotto 700 series are a good, inexpensive and fairly compact compromise.

[Jamie Hellmich]

Sony VCT-D680RM with remote control pan handle, and a 10 to 15 pound lead shot bean bag to "anchor that sucker" when needed.

Jamie