I found some at Walmart in the hair care department that are black and about 6" long. Looks good on my black Sachtler, and it works well, too. I took it one step further, however... at the other end I attached a small LED keychain light. I can't tell you how many times I've been glad I had it there.

wow, this actually works AMAZING.
Way better then doing it by hand!
Everyone whom is sceptic about this, just try it once and be prepared to be amazed.

Er, Chris H................
 

Can we kick this thread down to HD MOM and be done with it, it really has passed it's use by date up here...............


CS


(I knew this was gonna come back and kick your ..............)

Hi Chris,

In all seriousness, the rubber band trick really works. It might not be effective on a high-end tripod system such as a Vinten or Sachtler, but it actually works quite well for the mid-range systems such as Bogen, etc.

Could somebody please record a little video clip showing how this trick works? I'd like to host it here at DV Info Net. Thanks in advance,

Hi Chris...........
 

I know it works.

Believe it or not, I discovered it years ago with my M@#$%^&* sticks/ head setup (well, not exactly rocket science, is it?).

My point being that this being a "Pro Forum" and all, maybe we should be promoting a slightly more "pro" and yes, unfortunately, higher budget approach to the problem?

Any equipment that needs a rubber band to perform the only function it was designed for, is, to my mind, not adequately designed for professional use and should not be sold nor touted as such.

It's inclusion in discussions here should really be on a "tolerated at best" level (IMHO) purely because I know that 99% of the posters in this thread would be stunned and amazed by the level of operational efficiency a "pro" system can provide.

I know I was when I made the switch.

One thing not mentioned much here but germain to the discussion is the change from SD to HD over the last few years.

This has pretty well put all of the "budget" support systems out the window as possibilities in the HD sphere, which doesn't leave a lot of room for manouvre on a tight budget.

My suggestion to move this to HD MOM was because there must be 100 million SD Camcorders there in the US (and rest of world) which could benefit from a decent SD support, rubber band not necessary.

There's the rub.

The "rubber band" is usually only required for HD, SD can get away with the poor performance of this gear. The business is going (fast) towards HD, why let this stuff linger here?

I rest my case.


CS

I used the rubber band with my Vinten Pro-6 HDV (aka Manfrotto 503HDV in wolf's clothing) to great effect. I only found it useful for nice slow pans though, such as establishing shots or scenery. Trying to track a bird walking/running along the ground or flying was nigh on impossible.

Not sure if that was a limitation of the elastic band, the tripod, my fat fingers or all three.

My new Sachtler doesn't like rubber bands. <smiles>

P.S. Why don't Manfrotto include a rubber band in the box then?

Hi Mike............
 

Bloody good question, actually.

Wish I knew.


CS

I use the rubber band on my Sachtler FSB6, and on my Miller DS20. Does that make me less of a pro? I'll take every advantage I can get. What others prefer is their choice.

I have tested it now on my Sachtler System 6 SB SL MCF & my less pro Libec LS38 2a and am amazed with both results.
Don't really understand the whole rubberband ain't pro argument either.
I highly recommend ANY pro & amateur to try this.
For me it was a great improvement on slow pans.

Agreed... Although I have fell out of love with the rubber band (I don't seem to need it any more), what's not pro about it? If it helps you perform a task, then it's a tool - neither pro nor amateur.

But you can imagine some nice guy will come with a handle for tripod that include some rubber inside and sell it for a "pro" price", so everybody is happy.

For example you just cut a handle in the middle and add a silent block (basically a rubber cylinder with a screw at each end), so you get exactly the same effect.

On top of that you can even add a larger tube on the handle that will slide and cover the silent block, returning the handle to its rigid state.

http://busfixx.tripod.com/sitebuilde...res/sblock.jpg

Since silent block could be a bit difficult to find, so i think a spring (the one you can find on these articulated spring lamps) should give the same effect.