I'm in the tripod market myself. What do folks think about Velbon tripods? I was looking at the PX-187 for $179. Seemed nice, fluid head, adjustable feet.

Greg

Bogen has some nice combos for around 199.00 as a starting price. You are right at the cusp of cheap vs starting level of decent. You could do well finding stix on Ebay, then sticking a good head on them.

I actually just found one on e-bay for $120 it's a Bogen 3160 Fluid Head and 3011 Legs. Looks like about $180 to buy it new, so I had to buy it at the $120 price tag :) Looks like a pretty decent combo.

I have the Bogen/Manfrotto 3221 tripod Legs with 501fluid head and is a nice set-up for the GL2 (under $300 for the combo). Warning, if you are actively shooting, i.e., controlling the zoom, focus, start/stop, etc., a Bogen/Manfrotto 522C camera remote control handle is indispensable (another $300).

I've been thinking about getting one of those remotes as well, working in a club where you have to have your camera 7 feet in the air to get over everyones head and having to have your arm up in the air all night to zoom can really hurt after a while!

The 522C camera remote actually replaces the existing handle on the fluid head with a thumb-controlled 'controller handle' so you can operate the camera "hands off" while following the action, e.g., panning and zooming at the same time. I think Canon makes a (cheaper) wired remote controller box that might also work for what you are describing, i.e., if you are not actively panning while shooting.

This is a good thread.. Did we get by on the cheap on the camera?? Ol' Cheapie camera?? not really doing professional video?? Try best buy or Walmart.. they have 29.99 models... Now if your serious and you want quality pans and the like.. something you wont have to replace all the time.. ( My father In Law said it best.. he held up a 300 $ frying pan slammed it on the kitchen counter and said a poor man cannot afford to buy cheap shit! ) i have always lived that philosophy.. Ill starve and did starve to buy my Panny DVC 80.. I have a 3221 wilderness Bogen tripod and a 501 head and it is top notch.. 279$ from B&H.. man did i shop before i decided on that one.. i have zero buyers remorse and its construction leads me to believe that it will last a good long time.. Now yes! this is a good tripod.. but as Spot said your on the cusp between good and bad.. for me.. the tripod I purchased is the minimum one would spend if he or she were truley serious about their craft.. my 2c

I purchased the SLIK 504 QF II when I picked up my GL2 (count the number of hours after the GL2 was released and add a day). I picked it up at a Wolf Camera / Ritz at a steal (about $75 on a introduction blow-out sale--I think it usually sells for $120+).

Great tripod, VERY smooth fluid head, bubble level adjustment, easy to setup, lite, lots of adjustment--even on uneven surfaces. Couldn't see anything better in tripods costing 2-3 times as much. You will NOT be unhappy with this tripod. Looks good too. Have made over 40 videos with this tripod.

It's listed at $119 at B&H at http://www.bhphotovideo.com
(search for SLIK 504 on the home page search field)

It also got a great review in Videomaker when it first came out.

http://www.thkphoto.com/products/slik/slik-vs.html tells more info, with a subset of the description below.

The SLIK 504 QF II shares its leg set with the ABLE 300 DX, but it comes complete with a solid SLIK 2-way fluid pan head incorporating an easy to grip pan handle with full angle adjustments. The panhandle is long enough to give excellent leverage for smooth panning. There is a bubble level built into the base of the head so the tripod can be leveled quickly after being set up. The head also has a video quick release plate for fast mounting and un-mounting of the camera.

If you want something a bit more solid than a Wal-Mart $29.99 tripod (and more stylish, too), scout around on E-bay for an old 16mm film tripod. I have a 1970-vintage Miller wooden leg tripod with a Miller fluid head that I purchased separately for a total of $200.

You may be thinking.... wood? But, it's lighter than my Bogen aluminum and rock steady. The old Miller head is very smooth and extremely solid. With a Bogen quick-release adaptor, it's the perfect size for my Sony PD-150.

I get some odd looks, but more comments of "cool tripod" when I unship this thing. Lots of feature films have been shot on equipment like this over the years..

I was wondering how these tripods do in a cold dusty environment? I video my wife at winter horse shows inside a barn. Sometimes the temps are around 15 - 20F and the horses stir up a lot of dust. The "walmart" tripod I use now freezes up and unscrews itself after several pans...duh!

Any experience out there?

TIA

Tim

Both of these are good companies with low shipping costs and no tax outside of their respective states:

http://www.thebestthings.com/tripods/tripodkits.htm

http://www.central-camera.com/tripods/bogen/bogen.htm

I purchased my "Wilderness Kit" from the latter. # 3221WN-501 Kit: $274.00
They even upgraded the bag.

Very happy with it.

John

The old Millers are hard to beat, we have a couple of the really old wooden legged models and I think they'll outlast the newer carbon fibre ones.

Bear in mind a good tripod will serve several generations, so what if it costs even more than the damn camera, it doesn't have built in obsolescence.

This should be obvious but, tripods need maintenance. A lot of models have rubber buffers that scew onto the spikes, if you don't use them often they'll rust onto the threads and trying to get them loose again is a real pain, a little oil every few months can save a lot of grief.

One other thing to look for in a tripod is if it will fit a dolly. The Daiwa and Miller sticks are designed to easily attach to matching dollies.

I just received a Vangard VT 558 purchased on ebay for about $50 including shipping.

Good Solid Tripod and 74 inch height. I am surprised at how good it actually is given the price.