The 503 rather than the 501 is not so much money well spent as money essentially spent.

The 501 is not a true fluid head and suffers from "stiction".

The 503 is a true fluid head, and will pan and tilt smoothly. A plus is that it has a counterbalance spring which should be a good match for the weight and COG position of the XL2.

I have been used this head (501) for 3 years, first with sony vx2000, and xl2 for past 2 weeks. pan and tilt is ok-not perfect with 20x and 3x lens. but if you add telephoto like canon 100-400 L lens it suffers pan-tilt and does not lock properly.

just today I shooted wolves with xl2-100-400 lens with manfrotto 501 head and I got angry too much. it is because total wieght is more than 5 kg and center of gravity is odd. effective focal length is more 3000 mm so this head is not for this combination. now I m looking heavy sturdy tripod and head ...

alkim.

Alan is exactly right, spend the extra money for the 503. The counter balance springs alone are worth the extra money and the head is true fluid and very smooth.

As far as the tripod, I too prefer single leg units, with center spreader bars, and a crank up center section. If you can find an older Bogen, like a 3030a or a 3033, get it. I bought a used 3030a at a swap meet about a year ago for $35.00, and I loved it so much I spent 6 months on ebay looking for another. In between that time, I bought a new Bogen, and sold it very soon afterward. They are just not as beefy and solid as the older ones.

Hope that helps.

Mike

I have been using a 501 head for quite some time with an XL2 and an m2 and a lot of extras and it seems ot work fine. But I have been thinking of updating.

XL2 Tripod Help
 

Hi,
I recently bought a package deal with my XL2 that came with a tripod that isn't even capable of supporting the camera, and so I'm going to have to buy another one. Not really knowing anything about them, I was hoping someone here could help me out. I'm not looking to spend any more than $200; does anyone have any good suggestions? Either new or, preferrably, a better one that could probably be found used for $200?

Thanks,
Joe

If you spent alomst 4k for a camera I wouldn't skimp and look for the cheapest tripod, even if you find one for $200 I think you'll end up being dissappointed and look to buy another tripod. Paying a little more in the beginning will save you money in the end.

I use this with my Gl2/vx2000 and am very happy, but you may need something a little more:

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

I agree - get a good tripod. At minimum, I'd get the 501 head and 3046 legs. If you can afford it, go with the 525 legs and 503 head and they won't disappoint.

If you get anything less than the Bogen 503 head, you are going to be kicking yourself...

Nick

tripod for xl2?
 

In few weeks, I'm gonna shoot short film with XL2.
Do you guys have any suggestions what tripod should I use?
I've used manfrotto 503 and I'm not very happy about it, especially with it's panning abilities; when I start panning it's never smooth.
I've heard Miller and Sachtler are very good; did anybody use those systems?
any other suggestions, maybe?

thanks in advance
Vic

look at the vinten vision 3 system it has very good movement.

Try a Velbon DV 7000, not only are they half the price they are also smoother and better built for the money.

Well, not to rub anyone the wrong way, but I'd strongly suggest you look at the Miller Arrow 30 if you can afford it, or a higher end Sachtler. I know exactly the problem you're describing, and so many tripods that feel smooth have the same problem, not being smooth off the start. The best torture test for a fluid head's smoothness is to zoom in on something, and then attempt small framing corrections. When I was new to the industry I bought a Bogden 501, and it's turned out to be just a waste of money. It's fine if you're just doing follow shots where the pan is continuous, but if you want to make small, minute corrections, its always sticky off the start.
I went to NAB last year and tried every tripod I could that was rated for the weight of the XL2. The Miller Arrow 30 was the best by far, and also the most expensive. I've used the Sachtler Video 20 which was also very good. I now rent a tripod for all my shoots, either a Miller or Sachtler, and am saving up for the Arrow 30. in the end, its worth the money as it saves so many shots.

The Miller Arrow 30 is a fantastic tripod but may be a significant overkill for the XL2 - not to mention send the average guy into bankruptcy trying to fund it. I am a huge fan of Miller Tripods though. Perhaps the DS20 fluid head with either the Solo Carbon Fibre spreaderless legs or one of the alloy legged tripods would work a treat.

First, I highly recommend that everyone who asks for equipment recommendations state a price range which is acceptable to them.

I have a Miller DS10 and I am looking for an upgrade. It seems that according to everyone here, the lowest cost solution to my problem and yours, is the Vinten Vision 3 (~$970). I don't think that I can remember ever reading one negative comment about the Vision 3... while I have read dozens, maybe hundreds, of positive comments about it.

Another fellow posted the other day that he had actually tried all of the contenders in this particular range and the Sachtler DV-8 won out... but it is quite expensive, around $3000. He suggested that the DV-6 (~$1550) is of similar quality. Since he had actually tried all of these side-by-side with his camera, his arguement was convincing, to me.

Also, since I plan on going to a smaller cam, I am considering the Vinten Pro 6 (~$430). I found one positive review on it but I need more.

So my short list is:

Vinten Pro 6
Vinten Vision 3
Sachtler DV-6

Nick

Thanks for replying guys...
Miller Arrow 30 is a grate trypod but out of my price range; I might try Arrow 20, or Sachtler DV 6.(I'll check Vinten 3 too at B&H)

What do you think about Cartoni f103; that one seems to be pretty good?

I'm also cosidering the weight of the matte box, that I might put on XL2, so the above mentioned trypods should do, I think.

Thanks again
Vic

Is this a good tripod for an XL2?
 

I'm looking for a fairly inexpensive tripod that would support an XL2, and be sturdy. I have plenty of time to shop around, because I'm still saving for my XL2 :^)

Would this be a good choice?
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/cont...goryNavigation

Any suggestions would be appreciated (even different cameras). I'm open to options.

Thanks,
Luke

That will work... that is really an entry level for an XL2 but should be fine.


ash =o)

Just so you know Luke, I have both of my XL-2 cameras for sale in the classifieds. They are in pristine condition and will save you some money over buying brand new.

-gb-

Luke, I own this tripod and the XL2 and they work great together.

I've been happy with my Vinten sticks and Vision 3 head. It's not inexpensive, but it's been worth every penny. I use the XL2 in several different modes so the weight varies. The different counterbalance springs are about $30 each and the number, 1-10, refers to the weight in kilos. So, if your rig weighs thirteen pounds, you need the #6 spring ( 6 x 2.2lbs = 13.2 lbs). With the Wideangle converter, matte box and follow focus the #6 was usually about right. I also used the #5. Now that I have AB Hytron 50's powering my camera it's either the #8, or #9. Have to take a little time and see which spring is best.

Cartoni Focus is also very nice. I'm not a fan of Sachtler's lower end stuff, like the DV4 head and DA75 legs look too wimpy. Their heads and sticks for for bigger gear is much better.

The Manfrotto 515MVB, or 525MVB sticks and the Vision, or Cartoni heads might be a good way to go, you'll have a nifty two tone rig. These have 100mm bowls, so, if you get the Vision 3 head, you can get a Vinten 75mm-100mm adapter for about $25.

The head is the most important part and it's also the most expensive, but pay for quality and as someone else said: you'll only cry once.

Tripod recommendations for the XL2
 

I'm looking for a good decent price tripod for my XL2 that will work with the Canon TA-100 Tripod adapter?

Thanks in advance!

the best tripod I have found for this camera If you are wanting in the future to add a lot of extras, e.g. pro batteries, mattebox, harddrive recorder, wireless units. etc, is the Sachtler 15 system. I have demo'ed several other systems and this one is far better than all the others if you want a good balance, smooth pan and tilt, and quick placement. Sorry but the price is around 6,000.00 with carbon legs and travel case. However, if your in this business for awhile you will soon see that a nice tripod will make your footage look better, and this piece of equipment will outlast the next three cameras you buy.

Tripods for the xl2
 

Hi everyone I would first like to say this forum has been of great help for me.

Now the question i've been looking for tripods and there seems to some sort of an agreement on sachtler's tripods being the best. have you guys tried anything worth trying that would provide a firm support and a head that allows smoth panning and tilting.

my main problem is that i'm in costa rica and i have to import all of my gear and pay 49% taxes for any video related item (a total rip off) so i'm looking for a more affordable solution.

Opinion are going to vary highly on this. I have the 3221 legs with a 501 head. I like the setup. I have seen a lot of people badmouth this combo. But to each his own.
Combo is priced decent and does the job that I need.

Don't know if it's in your price range (although it's a heck of a lot cheaper than the Sachtler legs), I have the Libec LS-55M system with the H55 head. Highly recommend it. It's a lot sturdier than the 501 (which I'm not a big fan of in the first place) and a more fluid head.

Jonathan

Mae sos andres vargas?? I did a quite simple thing. I bought some bogen stiks and a used o'connor fluid head from ebay. Works great, total $750

about this head
 

Thanks for the reply Adam! I wanted to ask you.... based on your own experience would you say the 501 bogen/marotto suffers from stiction. This is the usual complain about this particular head i wanted a second opinion. tnx

Do not get the 501, get the 503! You will need the counter balance, and it is full fluid. It may not be perfect, but it is real good!

Mike

Yes, it does.

I really recomend using bogen-manfrotto tripod with another fluid head. The most important thing about a tripod is the fluid head, a clumsy head gives bad results. A system's performance is measured by the worst of its parts... A good o'connor fluid head is robust and its really dificult to make it break. You should get an o'connor 30 or even a 50... they price low on e-bay compared on the new ones.. and they are great. Just be careful with the bowl size.

Thanks mike but what about stiction does the 503 have that problem too?
i wouldn't like to star a panning with a bumpy move every time.
you mentioned it's not perfect. Based on your experience, are there any particualr flaws to this head you'd like to tell us about

I can't vouch for everyone, but My 501 had stiction, my 503 does not. Oh, and I have two 503's.

Mike

P.S.: I'll add one more thing, duh, I guess that's why the P.S. Huh! Anyway, I have heard some say the 503 isn't that smooth, I think they may be "confused," on how to set it up and may be tightening or loosening the lock down lever rather than the tension lever. Make sure you are using the right one.

Mike

Advice on choosing better tripod kit for XL2
 

I have XL2 ,70~200 IS, Manfrotto 055CB + 701RC2. I find quite difficult to freeze focus at 200mm because of high magnification & the wind as well as my hand shake. And would like to go for 400/600mm in future. So I am planning to go for either 503 or 519 with 525MVB.
Now I want your advice on this, Is there any better option than the one I choosed.
Ashok Mansur

There are indeed much better options.
But before you spend the cash, might I suggest hanging a sandbag from your current tripod to stabilize the shot.

I do agree, but the problem arises when you follow the bird, its quite dificult to sharp focus. Even the pulse can make the jarring. While panning & even tilting no free movement, slight jerking is there.
my budget is for above kit, If better choices are there. plz name it.
Ashok Mansur

The 519/525mvb kit is roughly $1200, and at that price you can indeed find much smoother options. The Cartoni Focus is roughly the same price, but offers a few notable upgrades - a 100mm bowl - more stable connection between head and legs, stiffer legs, and far smoother movement. I personally do not like the build quality of the lower Cartoni products, but if treated gently, they should be fine, and certainly the price/performance is excellent for that tripod.

Also, my personal budget favorite is the Vinten Vision 3 - a 75mm bowl, but the head is smoother and more durable than anything within 2x its price. There are tons of reviews online of all these setups, but definitely search around because Bogen/Manfrotto is hardly the only game in town. Through clever marketing and decent prices, they have made themselves the most recognizable name in lower-end camera support, and they'd certainly like you to believe that you must stick with their line.

Last but not least, don't forget that a smooth head only goes so far. You have a LOT of weight pulling on the lens mount of your camera. If you haven't already done so, make some bracket to connect both the camera and the lens to the tripod plate. The 70-200 has a nice collar on it already, so you won't need a fancy rod system just for support. A simple steel plate drilled and countersunk can do the trick, otherwise I'm sure commercial versions exist. Once you have both points anchored, it may also help to find the fore/aft balance point, and try to align that with the balance of the tripod. That way, the tripod is working evenly throughout its tilt motion, and you can use a lighter touch to control it...and therefore less vibration.

Just remember - ANY flex between the sensor and lens will show up as vibration in your shot, especially when magnified 100x. That goes for any other accessories you have strapped to the camera as well. Make sure everything is cinched down, batteries are tight, filters are tight, etc...

Thankyou Jeron, The Vinten vision 3 head costs $969.95, Cartoni focus head costs $799.95 & 519 head costs $868.95 & also as a complete kit which will be the better one.
Regarding lens support I developed a sliding support for lens as well as for body. which is giving a solid stability.
Ashok Mansur

I ended up going with the Bogen 516 fluid head and the Bogen 3046 tripod
from BH photo


http://prohosted.com/bogen516.jpg

Best tripod for XL2, budget 800$
 

I want a fluid head tripod that won't wiggle if theres a bit of wind and I'm zoomed all the way in... Let me know if you can help me out!

Scott:
I run my XL2 on a Bogen/Manfrotto 351 tripod with the 503 fluid head. It's rock-steady, no problems with unintended camera motion with the 20x zoom all the way out. The fluid drag is adjustable so you can set it to a sweet spot for your preferences. I bought mine as a package (head, tripod, and carry case) for $485.00. I've used B/M tripods for years as a still photographer and never personally had any complaints about the quality and construction.

Before that, I was using a Davis and Sanford Mark II tripod with the D&S FM-25 fluid head. I found it for a good price at a used camera store, missing a few small parts. A couple of hours at a friend's machine shop, and it had two new solid aluminum handles, a nice brass clamping knob, and a new mounting stud. Monster of a tripod, better suited for a studio, but capable of holding an elephant steady. I went with the Bogen as a field tripod because it collapses up smaller, weighs less, and is easier to level with the bowl mount. You give up some convenience as to camera height adjustment without the center column, but I can set up and level the head in ten seconds. With the D&S, I'd spend a couple of minutes fiddling with leg length adjustments trying to center the bubble. I'm keeping the D&S to use as a base for the crane I plan on building.

Regards;
Martin