Currently I use a Manfrotto 504 tripod which has suited me pretty darned well for DSLR video making and with the Canon XF305.
It is a fast and easy video tripod to use, with very respectable performance.
When Lan Bui and I had the Canon C300 on loan though we started to consider would the 504 be enough.
Considering the C300 is a small compact lightweight package the 504 should be more than man enough for the job, but the C300 is a modular camera that you can add a whole ton of stuff to, depending on your requirements.
We made a short video comparing it to the Manfrotto 509 tripod, a tripod that needs batteries( there is a good reason for this though when you see it's party trick)
Watch for the biting cold taking its toll on Lan and I, with the dog running around the background and a random bonfire in the background (not a smoke machine on this occasion, I promise)
It is a fast and easy video tripod to use, with very respectable performance.
When Lan Bui and I had the Canon C300 on loan though we started to consider would the 504 be enough.
Considering the C300 is a small compact lightweight package the 504 should be more than man enough for the job, but the C300 is a modular camera that you can add a whole ton of stuff to, depending on your requirements.
We made a short video comparing it to the Manfrotto 509 tripod, a tripod that needs batteries( there is a good reason for this though when you see it's party trick)
Watch for the biting cold taking its toll on Lan and I, with the dog running around the background and a random bonfire in the background (not a smoke machine on this occasion, I promise)
3 comments:
I've been a Sachtler user for the past 25 years and own about $30,000 of Sachtler gear-- Video 18, 25, and sets of carbon fiber legs. A few years ago Manfrotto really raised the bar with some very high-end but very low-priced tripod systems.
With smaller, lighter HD cameras these days, I've used the 504 for two years on my Sony EX cameras. Much lighter than Sachtler, and very good performance.
Now I am shooting with the 509HD-- and incredible head for a fraction of the price of a Sachtler. $900 US vs. $5-7,000 (and that's just for the head.)
Easily the most bang for the buck and I am now shooting Manfrotto most of the time. Smaller, lighter, and far cheaper than Sachtler and Vinten, and with the same performance. (I am shooting a campaign spot with a major US presidential candidate with the Sony F3 and my Manfrotto 509HD-- instead of my Sacthlers.)
BTW, when shooting with lightweight cameras, a larger head like the 509HD is preferable to lighter heads. Those cameras have so little mass and weight, it's harder to perform smooth pans and tilts with them on a small head. A heavier camera is easier. So opt for the next size up-- don't go simply by the rated weight capacity of the head. More is better, and at the price of a 509HD, why not?!
Hi Ejoy,
Thank you very much for sharing your insight
The 509 is a cracker!
Regards
Drew
thanks for that was just scratching my head looking at all the tripod options ....
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