I’ve come up with my ideal tripod. After several months of field testing the latest releases from Cartoni, Miller, Sachtler, Vinten and Manfrotto/Gitzo, here’s what I want: The speedy setup of the Miller or Sachtler one-point leg locks for dual-stage legs; Miller’s carrying handle; the precise, adjustable spreader of the Vinten Vision 100; the dual-point spike tips and ball-and-socket feet of the Cartoni high-end tripod, and the pricing and availability of the Manfrotto/Gitzo brands. That would be the ultimate field stick for my production truck.
But since I can’t run out and buy this exact tripod today, using Studio/monthly’s regular "ROI Reviews" rating structure, I’ll sort through the tripods out there right now to help you figure out which ones are right for your next production. I received ten tripods over a period of two months, from five manufacturers. Each company, at Studio/monthly’s request, sent me one top-of-the-line field production tripod and pan/tilt head, plus a more moderately priced system aimed at the indie shooter. Street prices of the various kits range from about one grand to roughly seven. In addition to the companies listed above (Manfrotto, Gitzo, Vinten and Sachtler are all actually under the corporate umbrella of the Vitec Group, but operate as independent manufacturers), JVC provided me with its ProHD HDV camcorder, the GY-HD100U, as a test camera for the tripods. I also broke out my big, honkin’ Betacam dockable camcorder. At 33 pounds, it was just right for playing with the bigger, ENG tripods. There are many other good tripods out there, from companies like Libec and others, that I didn’t have time to test.
Gitzo G1380CF
The Gitzo G1380CF is a moderately priced tripod aimed at the event videographer or indieshooter. I found the unit, actually a diminutive piece of hardware, to be pretty indestructible. If you are a military recorder headed for Iraq, this might just be your ideal set of sticks. Priced right to get wrecked, but not likely to get scratched, this tripod features telescoping tubes made from heavy-duty carbon fiber. Twisting up the rubber feet will expose the spike tips. The 1380 head has a rudimentary system for matching to different camera weights for counter balance. Simply install one of the six provided springs that corresponds to the weight of the camera you intend to use. There are no complicated knobs to get broken. It also worked great. The fluid drag system for panning and tilt was fairly decent. All of the metal parts are powder-coat painted and should resist all but the worst scratches and dings.
Studio Rating: SWEET Gitzo G1380CF Kit
Event, indie or location shoots
Price: +/- $1,600 kit with strap and carry bag
Specs
Weight: 9.5 lbs.
Camera Cap: Up to 22 lbs. by type of installed head spring
What’s Cool
Rugged, simple leg design ready for field or event use. Head is also tough and has simple, yet functional interchangeable counterbalance spring design.
What’s Missing
Price seems a tad high when compared to the Cartoni Focus system, which has more features for the same money. Like most tripods with screw-type rubber feet that retract to expose the spikes, the tripod, on the wrong angle, can shift by rolling on the rubber "tire" if it is not really tight.
Manrotto 526 system
The Manfrotto 526 system is actually not much more money than the Gitzo, but it is a very different breed of hardware. The 526 is Manfrotto’s newest and top-of-the-line ENG tripod head. It features multiple settings of fluid drag, though I found the pan settings to be fairly heavy. In fact, while performing a pan on a smooth floor, I found that the tripod actually slid a little bit. It may have just needed more break-in time than my review window provided. Overall, the head worked pretty well, and it was easy to set up. The tripod legs sent to me were the company’s flagship sticks, the 3193. The aluminum legs locked into any position firmly and the ground spreader worked well. I am not fond of ground spreaders in general, so I would have preferred a mid-level system. But for the money, the Manfrotto tripod is a solid choice.
Studio Rating: SOLID
Manfrotto 526 PRO
Event, moderate-budget broadcast
Price:+/-$1,400 head, $375 legs
Specs
Weight: 18.5 lbs.
Camera Cap: 17 to 34 lbs.; adjustable spring
What’s Cool
Great system for the price. Stable sticks and a solid head that supports a wide range of camera weights. Heavier system creates stable platform. Great carry bag.
What’s Missing
I would have liked an above-ground spreader. Pan drag was a little heavy. Minimum height is over 30 inches. Not as low to the ground as other systems tested.
Sachtler DV 4 II/2 and System 18 tripod
Sachtler sent me two tripods. The first, the DV 4 II/2, is a stripped-down version of the company’s higher-end models. It worked well, could be set up on almost any terrain using an above ground spreader and articulating rubber feet; or you can remove the feet to expose double tip spikes that grab hold of the ground. The head has a smooth fluid panning system. Its shortcoming lies within the fluid dampening system. There is simply not enough of it. There are only two settings for pan or tilt drag: ON or OFF. In the binary world of digital video, I suppose this is fitting (ironically, the settings are labeled "1" or "0"). The fluid drag, however, is very good and would do just fine for lighter cameras.
Sachtler’s System 18 tripod and head combination are the most expensive of all of the systems I tested, but that is my only complaint. There is nothing poorly designed on the rig. The System 18 features a wide range of drag settings, with silky smooth movement, the ability to support almost 40 pounds of camera gear, and a set of sticks that has a fantastic leg lock mechanism, using only one lever, that quickly deploys one or both stages of the dual-stage legs. When open, this lever system feels as smooth as the telescoping sections of a trombone. The rubberized feet, which snap on over spiked tips, articulated well to stick to uneven ground. It’s a great tripod, if not a little bit on the heavy side.
Sachtler DV 4 11/2 Studio Rating: OK
Event, moderate-budget ENG
Price:+/-$1,100
Specs
Weight: 11–13 lbs. depends on spreader
Camera Cap: 7.3–16.3 lbs.
Features:
Stainless steel fittings
Off-ground spreader
Fluid head
What’s Cool
Light and quick set up. Compact Design. Easy quick release camera plate. Great price for
What’s Missing
Has only one setting for fluid drag, plus no drag. Needs variable drag.
Sachtler System 8 Studio Rating: SWEET Plus SL MCF
Higher-budget ENG and film
Price: List $8,6995.
Street +/- $6,500
Specs
Weight: 21 lbs.
Camera Cap: Up to 39.7 lbs.
Features:
Dual-stage heavy duty legs
Dual-spike tips with detachable floors pads
"Speedlock" off-ground spreader
What’s Cool
Single lever to release either stage of the legs
Above ground spreader is adjustable to allow many positions
Head has 10 adjustable fluid drag levels for pan and tilt; very smooth
What’s Missing
Heavy system, with a minimum height that is 25.6 inches. Costs more than other systems.
Vinten Pro-6 system and Vision 100
Vinten’s Pro-6 system worked without a hitch. Though this is the only piece of gear I had no complaints about, nothing stood out as impressive, either. Features include decent legs, with solid locking adjustment clamps, a clean design and a smooth working fluid head. There’s even a lighted bubble level to help level the 75mm ball platform. My only complaint was the ground spreader, but since I rarely shoot with them, it didn’t bother me. At this price point, it’s a respectable system that will support cameras up to 13.2 lbs. at heights of 16 to 61 inches.
The Vinten Vision 100 was also a solid performer. Aimed to support cameras from 15 to 44 pounds, it is a true workhorse. The Vision series is for high-end pros and it is priced accordingly. But with that high price comes optimum performance and a few nice creature comforts I hadn’t seen before this review. The head, as expected, has ultra-smooth movement. Heavy cameras were the easiest to counter-balance on this tripod, I found. Helpful features include a digital readout for the balance, a photocell that triggers illumination behind the pan, and tilt drag knobs and a bubble level. This is a stocky carbon-fiber model that has similar leg locks to the Pro-6. To me, this shows an attention to detail across Vinten’s product line. The carbon-fiber spreader, which is easy to adjust, is this particular tripod’s best feature. It helped lock the legs in almost any configuration. A twist of the knob on top fine-tunes the height of the tripod by pulling or pushing the legs apart.
Vinten PRO-6 System Studio Rating: SOLID
Event, moderate-budget broadcast ENG
Price: +/-$1,080
Specs
Weight: 10.5 lbs.
Camera Cap: Up to 13.2 lbs.
Features:
16.4–61.5-inch height
illuminated bubble level
Fluid drag system
What’s Cool
A reasonably priced Pro grade system for DV or HDV shooters.
Quick set up. Adjustable drag.Has decent protective/carry bag. Fun to work with.
What’s Missing
I don’t like flat ground spreaders. But I rarely shoot on flat ground, so why would I?
Vinten Vision 100 Studio Rating: SOLID
Broadcast ENG/EFP, Indie film
Price: +/-$5,800.
Specs
Weight: 16.1 lbs.
Camera Cap: 15.4–44 lbs.
Features
Adjustable mid-level spreader.
90 degree tilt range
What’s Cool Backlit drag knobs are a nice touch. Wide range of camera weights that can be balanced.Mid range spreader locks legs in any position. Best spreader of the bunch, hands down. Super smooth fluid drag, with detent dial knobs. Easy to balance.
What’s Missing
I worry about durability. Many people swear by Vinten, but some parts seem like they might stress. I’m not used to carbon fiber gear, though, so don’t quote me.
Cartoni Gamma head and Cartoni Focus
Both of the systems I received from Cartoni are great and received high marks. I will mention the high-end Gamma unit first, because I only want to talk about one feature-its feet. The Cartoni folks have taken a somewhat standard spiked foot design and dramatically improved it. The bottoms of the legs have dual spikes, like the Miller and Sachtler sticks, but the angles allow for a low grip on earthy terrain, as well as an upright stance. What’s great is that Cartoni’s soikes are threaded, which means you can screw on rubber feet. The rubber feet are assembled as ball and socket joints, so they can pitch to almost any angle and hold it. All tripods should feature this design; it is simply the best I’ve seen. The sticks and head were great, too, which you’d expect to find in a high-end system from a well-known manufacturer. But the feet were where Cartoni nailed it.
Cartoni’s lower-end model, the Cartoni Focus, is a great value. For what you get for the price, this was the best tripod I tested. The sticks were OK; they lacked the second spike tip that the higher-end model sported. The best feature? The focus head. It works as good or better than many top-notch heads costing three-to-four times more. In fact, the head on the Cartoni Focus is like a small version of the top-of-the-line head. It can pan and tilt about as well as anything I’ve used. It has an innovative single lever for quick release and position adjustment of the camera and overall, it has good ergonomics. Both the Gamma and Focus heads share a rotating bezel for adjusting the fluid drag for panning; it’s an excellent design that Sachtler also uses. I have used better tripods than the Focus, but none of them go for such an amazingly affordable price.
Cartoni Gamma Studio Rating: SWEET
Price: +/-$4,250
Specs
Weight: 13.9 lbs.
Camera Cap: Up to 35 lbs.
Features
Above-ground spreader
Tripod height ranges from 30 inches to 64 inches
What’s Cool
I really liked the feet on these sticks, which were threaded for the ball-and-socket feet that contour to the ground. Brilliant! Head worked flawlessly with silky smooth movement that id almost imperceptible to see starting and stopping from pans.
What’s Missing
Needs a better spreader. With the wide-stance, inner foot positions, this tripod could be stable much lower, but the spreader prevents the tripod from getting down with its bad self.
Features:
Lightweight fluid damped pan and tilt head with 100 mm ball base.
Illuminated bubble level and tilt range of +/- 90 degrees
What’s Cool
For the price, the Focus is the best of the bunch. It functions almost as well as a top-of-the-line ENG head costing four times more. I love the ball-and-socket detachable rubber feet that seem to stick to any surface at any angle.
What’s Missing
A single-stage tripod was a bit limiting.
Miller DS10 Solo and Arrow 30 system
Miller’s "budget-minded" system is called the DS10 Solo. This great, spreader-free, telescoping tripod, almost exactly like the Gitzo pod, is made with aluminum tubes. The uppermost legs are wrapped in soft, durable foam, which was a nice touch, and the leg locks for each of the multiple stages release or lock with a light twist. Like on the Gitzo, they are rugged. The DS10 head is a pared-down fluid drag head, which balanced and tilted very competently. Still, I found the panning to be a little lacking in smooth resistance. It even felt like there might have been a bit of friction in there. Perhaps it, like the Manfrotto head, just needed more time to break in.
Miller’s Arrow 30 system is a tripod configuration any pro would love. It has a leg-lock system similar to the high-end Sachtler in that both stages of each leg can be released from one, upper position without having to bend them down to the lower leg. Unlike the Sachtler though, the Miller sticks have two levers at the top, one for each stage. This way, you can more easily choose which leg to extend. The tripod also has a handle that slides along the leg tubes—it hits the balance point of the rig when folded—making it easy to carry. Why don’t all tripods have these? The mid-level spreader features an adjustment knob similar to the Vinten; the carbon fiber legs were also very stable. My only concern with the Arrow 30 is that the extra hardware might increase failure rates out in the field. It would be interesting to see how durable the lock system and legs are during extended, hard field use; unfortunately, I didn’t have the time to test this out. Overall, the Arrow 30 is a sweet tripod featuring one finger, silky pans and tilts, easy balancing, good ergonomic placement of the controls, lighted dials and, once again, a nice bubble level.
Miller Arrow 30
Studio Rating: SWEET
Broadcast ENG/EFP, indie film
Price: +/-$4,500
Specs
Weight: 13.6 lbs.
Camera Cap: Up to 33 lbs.
Features
Above ground spreader
Detachable feet over spike tips
7 step fluid head
Multiple attachment choices on a newly engineered quick release camera plate
Has balance point handle
What’s Cool
I love the legs on this system. Fastest and easiest setup of the bunch. The feet lay flat on almost any terrain, plus there are spikes.
What’s Missing
Takes practice to close down the legs quickly. Legs are sturdy, but the clever one-point lock mechanism adds more complicated engineering and parts.
Miller ds10 Solo
Studio Rating: OK
Event, Moderate-budget broadcast
Price: +/-$1,300
Specs
Weight: 12.8 lbs. includes padded carry bag
Camera Cap: 5–10 lbs.
Features
75mm ball head with fluid drag pan and tilt, and "flick-of-a-switch" counterbalance selection
What’s Cool
I really like the sticks on this system. Bombproof, like the Gitzo rig, but with padded upper sections and really good leg locks. Balancing a camera to the DS 10 head was a snap. Light and durable system. Nice bag.
What’s Missing
Head could use a bit better fluid dampening; I could feel a bit of friction while panning.
Will Holloway owns and operates Iron Horse America, a small production firm in the Seattle, Washington area. He has been a writer, cameraman, producer and editor for over 15 years. More recently, he become a Steadicam operator. Holloway is also an instructor of Japanese martial arts and owns a studio and Aikido school called Aikido Heiwa. His Web site is www.ihavevideo.com.
The Gitzo 1380CF seems bomb proof. For such a light tripod, it is quick to set up and features reasonably smooth movement and stability. It is also priced low enough to risk losing to damage on particularly tough assignments.
The Gitzo 1380CF’s carbon fiber legs are topped with tough powder-coated hardware, which includes an extra bubble level, and the 75mm leveling bowl. The 1380 head is also powder coated and has a bubble level, recessed drag knobs and the arm can be mounted on either side.
The 1380 head can be balanced (rudimentary, but clever) for a variety of different camera weights by simply changing out the color-coded springs (they come in a supplied set of 6) inside the head.
The balancing, preload spring is easily installed.
Gitzo even supplies the tools for installing the head springs.
The Gitzo legs can get a camera very high up or way down low, but they can also adjust to odd placements, since they don’t rely on a ground, or mid-level spreader for stability. The Miller Solo functioned in much the same way. The sticks have rubber feet that can be rotated to expose spike tips for grabbing the earth. Just make sure they are tight, so they don’t shift or "roll."
The Manfrotto 526
I found that the drag settings on the Manfrotto 526 were a little heavy. On a smooth surface the #3 position (the max drag) actually slid the tripod a little while I was panning. My guess is that after breaking it in a bit more, the hardware will loosen up.
Manfrotto sent us its newest head, the 526, which worked better than any head I have seen from the company. It can support and control a wide range of camera weights and sizes. The 3193 legs are Manfrotto’s finest. The leg locks were strong, but I would have liked to have tested a unit with an above-the-ground spreader.
The Sachtler DV 4 II system was a nice budget-minded rig. I really liked the sticks a lot. This two-stage tripod was stable and easy to set up, and had the same spiked feet with stirrup floor pads that its big brother the System 18 has.
The Sachtler DV4II panned and tilted with smooth resistance, but just not enough of it. There are also only two settings for tilt or pan. Overall it’s a nice, light rig, with a great set of sticks. The head, however, could use a little more operational flexibility.
The Sachtler System 18 Plus was a joy to use. I had fun setting it up on oddly shaped surfaces. The leg locks work in a similar fashion to the Miller leg locks (a system I like) with only one point of adjustment for either stage of the legs.
I liked the dual-spike tips of the Sachtler legs, and the rubber floor feet are held securely with a stirrup-like sling. Interestingly, on crooked surfaces I found you could undo the stirrup and adjust the foot, to match the ground contour, and then re-attach the stirrup and it would hold fast.
The Vinten Pro-6 system was a nice product. It has clean lines and it functions well. I liked that it had a lighted bubble level, unusual in its class
Balance adjustment for a variety of camera weights was easy on the Vinten Pro-6 with a twist of the knob under the camera plate section of the head
Vinten uses similar locking mechanisms on both of the tripods I tested. A simple twist unlocks the leg and, by varying the pressure on the knob, one can add a little drag to hold the leg in place while adjusting setup on the terrain.
The Vinten Pro-6 worked great with the middleweight JVC GY-HD100U ProHD camcorder I was using. Though I found nothing to complain about, the Pro-6 does need an above-ground spreader.
The Vinten Vision 100 is a stable workhorse. I loved the lockable mid-leg spreader that you can position. A twist of the knob on top of the carbon fiber spreader will lock it into whatever elevation it’s sitting at. The carbon fiber legs are light and tough
Like other high-end tripod heads, the Vinten Vision 100 has a wide variety of settings for pan and tilt drag. The Vision 100 also boasts "perfect balance" with a twist of the rear knob and a few tilts. I was able to get my heavy Betacam dockable camera balanced and ready to shoot in about 40 seconds.
I loved the pan/drag adjustment ring on the base of the Cartoni Gamma head. It has seemingly infinite and repeatable levels of smooth fluid drag for panning.
One of my favorite features of any tripod I tested has to be the feet of the Cartoni two-stage tripod that came with the Gamma head.
The legs on the Cartoni Gamma grab well on uneven surfaces that would normally not be conducive to a tripod placement at all. And the foot is holding fast and stable.
On the back of the Cartoni Gamma head is an illuminated bubble level and an easily accessed balance adjustment knob.
Like its bigger brother, the Cartoni Focus also sports the fluid-drag adjustment for panning in a ring on the base of the head. The tilt drag is with the rubber sealed knob on the side.
The Focus is probably my favorite camera head, simply because of how well it worked for the price. For medium-to-low weight cameras, you can’t lose.
The Cartoni Focus head is very reasonably priced considering it performs better than many high-end heads that cost three times as much. Above, the easy quick-release lever opens to adjust the camera position.
I was very pleased with Miller’s Arrow 30. I own a much older "System 30" from Miller and it is still rock solid, but the head does NOT compare to the Arrow 30. The DS10 Solo (right) is a modestly priced unit that will appeal to event videographers
Millers leg locks are set at the same point, so you can adjust either the upper or lower stage without having to move the hands or stoop down to the lower leg. Very nice.
The Miller Arrow 30 head is a dream to operate and a single finger can create smooth pans and tilts that can hardly be seen starting or stopping when watching the footage. I loved it.
The Miller sticks set up faster than any I have used, and the feet articulate quite a bit, allowing for variance in the ground. The feet come off with a pull of the stirrup to expose spiked tips for the earth
I liked the Miller Solo tripod a lot. Like the Gitzo, this model would do well where you need some bombproof sticks to take a beating and still be stable.
The leg locks on the Miller Solo work very well with a simple twist. This tripod was easy to set up and had a nice range from tall to short on different terrain. But I had a hard time getting the right angle for the legs on really uneven terrain, like rocky ground.
Post your comments below
