Tripod, Equipment and "Shills"

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GeordieStew

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I'm currently embarking on a very amateur journey with wildlife/nature videography.

I have a decent fluid head (e-image), My carbon fibre photography tripod is generally ok but I'd like a dedicated video tripod for better support when I don't have to hike huge distances.

I'm a YouTube Premium subscriber, so have spent the last few days watching various reviewers/advertisers/shills lauding some tripods. Smallrig for example. Clearly (openly) gifting tripods to people for reviews. I'm fine with this, but it leaves too many questions about the integrity of the reviews and reviewers. Video tripod reviews seem in short supply on the internet. Go on Reddit, everyone seems to recommend £5000 tripods or they want £50 tripods.

What do I do? Spend £1800 on a Sachtler? Take a chance on a £300 Smallrig?

Puzzled.
Stew
 
If you already have a carbon tripod the things that are letting you down are the cumulative movement of camera to plate, head to tripod and the flexibility of the feet. All these can add up to quiet a bit. Use some firm pressure to move you camera about and look where the movements coming from. Unless you have a very stiff camera I would think most of the movement is coming from the camera to plate junction.

Andrew HATFIELD | Architectural and Interior Photographer
 
There's no substitute for actually trying one for yourself. Got any nearby pals you can have a go with their tripods? Might narrow down what you're looking for? You're not far (in Whitley B) from Wex @ Gosforth or LCE on Gosforth High St - definitely worth a trip & try what they have. I've got 5 tripods, each have their own merits & drawbacks - I keep thinking I've found the one & there's something not quite right that irritates... and it's different for everyone.

  • Manfrotto 055 (mine is so old that's it... no B,C, etc) - it's solid as a rock but weighs approximately the same as St Mary's Lighthouse. Currently has a startracker mount on it. That doesn't get moved far.
  • Manfrotto 055 carbon/magnesium (can't remember the exact model 055MF3 maybe or a predecessor of it) - it's 60-70% lighter than the above, a little less solid - it's just too long to carry too far (for me)
  • Manfrotto 190XPRO3 - it's not quite tall enough for me, leg sections are too long (for me) - should've bought the XPRO4
  • Manfrotto 732CY - stupidly light, stupidly thin 4th leg sections - which means it's too short for me to use for any length of time. A bit "blow away" - supremely light though
  • 3LT Brian v2.0 - not quite as light as the 732CY I don't think, but a respectable 1kg-ish - but it is definitely more solid than the 732CY, there's something irritating about the way it folds down. Still it came to me for nearly free - and it's the tripod I mostly use right now though.
My work colleague is often referring to me as the tripod collector...
 
Since for ever, cine triposa have always had a far heavier and stable build. Usually with split legs and braces, no centre column, and a fluid pan and tilt head, mounted on a half dome leveller.
Unlike stills photography, a cine tripod is held and controlled during shooting, this adds major shifting motion that must be mitigated on a continuous basis. A light weight tripod and head is a complete waste of time and money.
 
Terrywoodenpic said:
Since for ever, cine triposa have always had a far heavier and stable build. Usually with split legs and braces, no centre column, and a fluid pan and tilt head, mounted on a half dome leveller.
Unlike stills photography, a cine tripod is held and controlled during shooting, this adds major shifting motion that must be mitigated on a continuous basis. A light weight tripod and head is a complete waste of time and money.
Click to expand...
I get it...

Still, as they're not really reviewed (other than YouTube people being gifted them), it's hard to judge which to go for.

I could go to Wex or somewhere, but they'll have a limited range and mostly Manfrotto in line with corporate agreements.
 
By far the sturdiest tripod I have is an old theodolite alu tripod (I have 2) blagged/scrounged both. Solid as a rock. No fun to carry all day but solid.
Easy to modify for photography, bung on any head you like after that.
This is the sort I have.

link
 
GeordieStew said:
I could go to Wex or somewhere, but they'll have a limited range and mostly Manfrotto in line with corporate agreements.
Click to expand...
They are sure to have a limited range but the should have several more than the none you can look without going... There is no substitute for trying it for yourself.

Who knows? They might have exactly what you're looking for...
 
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