Tripod Legs

[Stephen Schott]

Honestly, I think it depends on your “kind” of shooting. I’ve been a part of different shoots where there isn’t a lot of moving and if you do move, it’s a major thing. I’ve also been a part of shoots where they are moving A LOT. And moving because what they are shooting can never be duplicated. Wildlife style stuff where if you miss the tiger attacking a gazelle… you’ve kinda missed it, kinda thing. No reshoots. You want stability, but if your leaning more towards a “run-and-gun” kinda shooting, I’d avoid the larger sticks. Just make sure you get the stability you need, but I think it’s personal choice, depending on your clients and their kind/your kind of shoots.

When you’ve got family… everything else is extra

[Kyle Powers]

Thanks Stephen,

I’m doing indi films. I want to most stable platform possible. I’m just wondering if I would benefit by going with the Heavy duty legs given the eventual weight of my payload.

[Stephen Schott]

Personal opinion, the more weight, the more stable. One thing to look at that I’ve learned the hard way is, what is the height range of the sticks? I’ve had projects where I wanted to get fairly low, close to the ground and my sticks wouldn’t go as low as I wanted… others do. Also, how high. When you say indie films, I think of a fairly free rein regarding creativity and height might be something to look at. Just a thought.

When you’ve got family… everything else is extra

[John Cummings]

Not overkill…just smart.

I think a 25-pound payload will be pushing the limits of the DV12 head, regardless of the advertised 30 pound maximum payload.

Also, you may want to consider that the DV12 has only 2.8″ of sliding range on the top plate, while the Video 18 has nearly double that. That is very important when it comes to properly balancing a fully-tricked out camera on a deep tilts.

And don’t cheap out on the legs. Undersized sticks (and heads) will wear out more quickly under the higher loads and will eventually dump your camera when you walk away from it. (Yes, I’ve learned that lesson the hard way.)

Bottom line: Get more capacity than you need. It will last longer, be safer and you’ll be able to accommodate larger cameras if you need them.

By the way, if you really want HD legs, give these a look:
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/201202-REG/Sachtler_5586_Speed_Lock_CF_Carbon_Fiber.html

The speed locks are very nice…I have the HD version.

J Cummings
Cameralogic/Chicago
cameralogic.tv
HDX-900/HDW-730S/DXC-D50