OT: Anyone here want to get rid of a tripod?

dibbkd wrote on 2/16/2011, 5:01 PM

99% of my videos are "personal", wouldn't consider myself a "pro", but do love making videos and use Vegas Pro to do it. I've got a little Sony HDR-CX12 Handycam and my $30.00 tripod broke a leg the other day. (not sure how it broke, it's a cheapy that I've had for about 4 years)

Anyway, it did the job of holding the camera still, but panning with it sucked, never could get a smooth turn with it. Nobody here is surprised I'm sure.

So, I don't want to spend a lot for a tripod, but was wondering if anyone here had a decent one they have stashed in a corner not really using that needs a good home. I'd be willing to pay a fair price, just wondering what you all have out there if you're looking to upgrade.

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Comments

TeetimeNC wrote on 2/20/2011, 7:46 PM

Kevin, here is a good article on what to look for in a video tripod, and what you can get at the different price points.

http://www.videomaker.com/article/3613/

/jerry

craftech wrote on 2/21/2011, 5:09 AM

dibbkd,

Please make sure you are checking the maximum extended height. Some of the ones that have been recommended are too short IMO.

The one I recommended, for example, extends to 74.8 inches. It just needs a better head which I also linked. As I said, my son has a similar camera to yours and that combo works very well for the shooting he does.

John

richard-amirault wrote on 2/21/2011, 7:19 AM

Please make sure you are checking the maximum extended height. Some of the ones that have been recommended are too short IMO.

Yes .. but .. is it STABLE at maximum height???? Many inexpensive tripods .. and some expensive ones .. are not. There is no way to know from a description on a web page. The more expensive a tripod is .. the better chance you'll have a stable platform to shoot from.

craftech wrote on 2/21/2011, 7:50 AM

Please make sure you are checking the maximum extended height. Some of the ones that have been recommended are too short IMO.
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Yes .. but .. is it STABLE at maximum height???? Many inexpensive tripods .. and some expensive ones .. are not. There is no way to know from a description on a web page. The more expensive a tripod is .. the better chance you'll have a stable platform to shoot from.
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At maximum height? Of course it is not as stable just like with a majority of tripods, but that just reinforces my point about not buying one that is too short.

John

richard-amirault wrote on 2/21/2011, 11:33 AM

At maximum height? Of course it is not as stable just like with a majority of tripods, but that just reinforces my point about not buying one that is too short.

"not as stable" is different from not stable at all. MANY inexpensive tripods are wobbly as hell .. no matter what height they are.

craftech wrote on 2/21/2011, 11:54 AM

At maximum height? Of course it is not as stable just like with a majority of tripods, but that just reinforces my point about not buying one that is too short.
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"not as stable" is different from not stable at all. MANY inexpensive tripods are wobbly as hell .. no matter what height they are.
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If that is your question regarding the one I recommended the answer is 'no' it is not wobbly. It's really quite a nice tripod for smallish cameras. It just needs a better head which I linked. The total cost is under $100.

John

farss wrote on 2/21/2011, 1:14 PM

"When you say they have "no adjustments" what exactly do you mean?"

The higher end heads have adjustments for:

Counterbalance. This adjustment counteracts the weight of the camera in a controlled manner so that at any tilt angle the camera will not move even with no friction. This works in conjuction with some way of sliding the camera plate to align the camera's centre of gravity with the axis of tilt of the head. With light weight palmcorders this adjustment in largely redundant.
Tilt Drag. In basic tripods this is just a friction system, in the more expensive ones the drag is provided by a fluid, generally some form of oil.
Pan Drag, Works the same as tilt drag.

The head on this tripod has none of these adjustments. I would take it as a given that any tripod suitable for use with a video camera has adjustable legs and some way of leveling the camera with a bubble level to indicate the head is level. An out of level shot can look pretty bad.
Being able to adjust pan and tilt drag means you can adjust the head to work with you. Long shots you generally want more drag, close ups, less drag. At your price range do not expect to get this, you get a one size suits all level of drag. All heads offer a way of locking pan and tilt. Do not use this to adjust drag, t doesn't work and you may damage the head.
This tripod / head also has a quick release system of the kind suitable for a video camera. You flick a level and you can just lift the camera off the head. You push it back into the release plate and it locks it. The plate has a 1/4" screw and pin to stop the camera from moving on the camera plate. Avoid anything that lacks the screw AND pin. Many systems made for stills cameras do not have the pin. Also avoid any tripod with a wind up centre column.

Bob.

logiquem wrote on 2/22/2011, 6:38 AM

Great deal for a tripod:
http://www.dealextreme.com/p/1-5m-aluminum-alloy-digital-camera-tripod-5kg-load-max-15247

Get also a fluid head...

Bastien