Help with tripod

Thank Will Vincent!

So do you think it a good buy for filmmaking, etc? Do you find the max length enough?

The only thing that concern me is the max load capacity, but i guess it's more than enough for a Canon 70D and a heavy lens?

Thanks a lot
 
I've been very happy with it. I think the max load is somewhat conservative, I'm fairly sure I've had more weight on mine without issue, but... 13+ lbs should be more than enough for a DSLR, even with a big rig around it.
 
One last point of clarification.. obviously there are "better" tripods... but for a relatively low cost option, this thing is great.. nothing as smooth as it unless you jump up another couple hundred as far as I'm aware.

There are several brands offering this tripod head.. including: Weifeng, Fancier, Varavon, E-Image.. probably a few others. Newer ones may have lighter weight grease making them not quite as smooth, especially under higher loads, if you wind up with one of those (not entirely sure how to determine it) you supposedly can request a change of the fluid from the manufacterer.
 
hey guys!

i also wanted to ask a question about the tripods. i'm completely amateur (i don't know much about them) and i need a tall one to mount my phone or nikon 3300d on.

i don't mind if the tripod is taller than i want, i guess it's better to have more height than needed. if the height is too low, i don't know how to make it taller. i need one as tall as an average person.

ummm, that about covers it i guess. thank you for your time! :D
 
AD, that looks fine. Not that I would know, though.

Caution: this is coming from someone who has no experience. So a grain of salt.

I just ordered this Manfrotto fluid head myself. So it's definitely a case of someone suggesting, or really just mentioning, the gear that he himself bought, which doesn't necessarily mean objectivity or familiarity. But it's one of those heads that's out there, gets attention, and seems to have quite a bit of positive regard. But it's not all positive; some find at least minor disappointments with it. But also, a while back Jax Rox said it's a decent head, which of course I liked to hear before buying it.

I don't know if anyone's selling it as part of a package with legs, though.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1i4MskxyZ3M


Nikki, the same grain of salt caution for you too. But I'll give it a try.

I suppose it might depend on just what the average height of a person is that you're thinking of. They grows 'em tall these days. :P

When I was searching for answers to help me figure out what tripod to get, one of the suggestions I read was that it's best to get your height from the tripod's legs, not by resorting to raising its center column, if it has a center column. But I was focusing on finding a tripod for still photography at the time. Does that apply to tripods for video?

Anyway, running with that idea, I guess the idea is that the center column is less stable. So, that might lead you to suggestions that you get something like a Really Right Stuff tripod. Very drool worthy gear. But them babies are expensive. And are they the sort of tripods videographers want? Maybe videographers want a different sort of animal?

Though, these sure look glorious:

RRS Blog

I'll stop mumbling on in my ignorance now.

For what it's worth, I decided on a nice, more affordable Manfrotto tripod, which seems to be of really nice quality, despite not being Really Right Stuff (or some such). :)
 
When I was searching for answers to help me figure out what tripod to get, one of the suggestions I read was that it's best to get your height from the tripod's legs, not by resorting to raising its center column, if it has a center column. But I was focusing on finding a tripod for still photography at the time. Does that apply to tripods for video?

Even more so, yes. The reason is that the higher the center column is raised the less stable it becomes, because the center of gravity shifts when you extend that. When you extend the legs though, they also move out wider at the same time, increasing stability as the base gets wider. ;)
 
Even more so, yes. The reason is that the higher the center column is raised the less stable it becomes, because the center of gravity shifts when you extend that. When you extend the legs though, they also move out wider at the same time, increasing stability as the base gets wider. ;)

Nice. That's a very good thing to know. :)

the height i want is about 1,75-1,80. also, the tripod must be mobile. taking photos is cool, but i also need to move while i record video. what's your opinion? :)

I can't tell you which one is right for you. Hopefully some ITers with actual experience will make some suggestions.

Online photo gear retailers like B&H, Adorama, and Amazon typically list a product's specifications on a product page. You might have to look for and click on a specs tab or button, but it's usually there. It will likely list a tripod's various heights. Looking at such specs should help you to narrow your search down to tripods that will work for you and eliminate those that won't.

So I'm not necessarily recommending the one I got; it's not like I've put it through its paces. It may be that it's not the right design for videography. But for what it's worth, I'm very pleased so far with how it looks and feels. That is to say, it looks and feels like it's sturdy and of good quality. But again, before considering it, I'd look into whether or not it has the right features for videography. I am hopeful, though, that it will work just fine for shooting video with my DSLR.


EDIT/UPDATE: **************

Oops. Wo. My bad. :no: Sorry about that. I was mistaken. What I actually chose was the 055CXPRO3.

It had been a while since I'd thought about it. I should have checked it to be sure before I posted.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sI5ePvT2_Lw

I did get a Manfrotto spiked foot set to replace the rubber cap feet, but I haven't installed them yet; so I can't comment on them yet.

Now they're selling the MT055CXPRO3 which is an update to the version I have.
 
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It's in the mail. Hopefully I will once it arrives. Hopefully they'll go well together. But don't know yet. =)


*****

Just wanted to also share this other review I'd seen before. This guy has an interesting combination. These legs are more affordable. They're made out of aluminum, for one thing. And I guess it's designed for video shooting.

I did just try my tripod to see if it has that twist he shows in the mvt502am tripod at c.6:07. That kind of twisting seems virtually nonexistent. It is very rigid. However, the 055 I have doesn't have the leg bracing, which maybe a video tripod is supposed to have?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6jIu2CD6krE
 
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Just wanted to mention that I did get my 502ah head today. And I'm happy to report that it seems to work just fine with my 055cxpro3 tripod. Maybe not an ideal pairing since the tripod is, I take it, not a video tripod per se. But it all still seems very solid, anyway, for a small camera and a hobbyist shooter. If I have trouble with it down the road, though, I'll try to report it.

About the height. I'm on the short side at about 5'7". With the legs fully extended, without the center column extended, it comes to an almost "perfect" height for my eye level. Actually, it's a bit high for viewing the DSLR's LCD screen. So, at that height, I'd really need to stand on a little something.

So far quite pleased with it.
 
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