Common among video professionals (and technology users in general) is the "keeping up with the pack" syndrome. If you want to stay competitive in your market you must continually upgrade or purchase newer gear. Anyone who uses computers knows that by next year you won’t love your system as much as the new "WidgetX2010" on the market. Luckily, the "keeping up" syndrome is not quite as contagious in the grip world. New support gear is always entering the market, but the changes are usually not dramatic enough to make us whip out our checkbooks to replace the tried-and-true, functional gear we already own. I’ve been using the same two tripods now for about 16 years and, although they occasionally need service to keep them panning smoothly or locking tightly, they have served me well. Why replace them?

Sachtler’s latest has given the grip world something brand new to consider, however. Two years of development paid off last fall at IBC in Amsterdam, where shooters lined up to get a look at the Sachtler SOOM system. Not just a tripod, the SOOM’s three components can be arranged to make four tools, hence their canny "1+1+1=4" advertising campaign that introduced the launch.

The SOOM has 75 mm bowls that rest on top of both the tripod and the mid-level leg spreader, making it possible to mount a variety of fluid heads from Sachtler, as well as other manufacturers, to either component. The spreader can be disconnected from the legs and used on its own on the ground as a low-level, "baby tripod." Sachtler calls this the SOOM TriSpread. The spreader legs are dual-stage with little rubber feet. An integrated bezel around the bowl can be rotated to lock the legs in a tall and narrow stance, or a wider and lower footprint (which is much more stable). The height range is approximately 8 to 19 inches. The spreader’s "feet" have small ball-type joints for attachment to the main tripod’s legs. A spring-loaded locking pin on the mounts snaps through a milled hole in the ball to lock it to the tripod. The system is very solid; however, I found it a little difficult to get the ball aligned properly in order to easily re-attach the spreader to the tripod. This is probably a matter of practice and wouldn’t likely impede quick tripod setup, since most of the time you wouldn’t be removing the spreader anyway. The TriSpread is easily removable for fast set up on the ground.

The mini tripod/spreader concept is one of the best ideas I’ve seen in a tripod in a long time. I originally had concerns the little spreader might not hold up with frequent use, since it’s made from smaller metal pieces, but it felt quite sturdy during testing.

Sachtler’s long history of engineering translates to high-quality components. When used as a spreader, the tripod was more rugged than most I’ve tested. From my experience, it’s advisable to purchase a trio of rubber canes or crutch tips to cover the feet. This will keep the ball joints on the tripod mountings clean and unscratched.

The single-stage tripod was very sturdy, with positive-locking levers. This tripod is based on Sachtler’s time-proven ENG design; the aluminum legs allow setup from roughly 27 to 56 inches off the floor. Twin-tipped spiked feet can lock onto the earth at just about any angle, and the stirrup-style snap-on rubber "shoes" stably gripped the floors of my studio without sliding or scratching the surfaces. A carbon fiber version of this tripod is also available.

The third part of the SOOM system is the SOOM Tube. The Tube looks like a small, automotive drive shaft with a universal joint on one end. It’s a telescoping mono-pod with a retractable foot that the shooter can trap with his or her foot providing slip-proof operation. The "u-joint" on the top is actually another 75 mm bowl where you can mount the tripod’s pan/tilt head. The range of the mono-pod is about 34 ½ to almost 62 inches, which is great for getting solid shots in places where a tripod just can’t go, such as into a crowd.

The best thing about the SOOM Tube is that it can socket right through the tripod’s and the TriSpread’s bowl to become an integrated pedestal-type post for the tripod, creating what the company terms the HiPod. The HiPod can extend to more than 8 feet high, easily clearing a crowd and yet still providing a stable shot with pan and tilt. I found that when fully extended, the post amplified bumps and unintended movements a bit more than a tripod alone would, but was still very functional. The extension made shots possible that could never be achieved with conventional tripods, increasing its value. You can set the head very high, even when the tripod is set in a low stable stance, which lets you get in close to the post. When you release the clamp to drop the head of the telescoping post down, air is trapped inside the post and bleeds off as the post compresses. The air cushions the descent so that the expensive tripod head and camera can’t slam down or pinch your fingers- a great design feature.

The ball-mount head with the system was the new FSB6. The pan-and-tilt head has three levels of fluid drag that are pudding smooth. The 10-step counterbalance mechanism works far better than balancers I’ve seen on far more expensive heads. When I clamped on my HDV camcorder, set the knob to "3," then tilted the unit back and forth and let go, it slowly tipped forward. When I repeated this process at the "4" setting, it locked in and held regardless of pitch, still tilting effortlessly and smoothly! An integrated battery provides bubble-level lighting. The quick-release plate on the unit is a side-load system that positively locks with a single click.

Sachtler sent the system to me for testing in the new Petrol brand tripod bag (also owned by parent company, Vitec) which was designed specifically for the SOOM system. It features cushioning for all the parts, integrated wheels for towing and shoulder straps should you want to carry it as a backpack. Ample pockets and big self-healing zippers for the heavy duty fabric round out this nicely crafted case.

I didn’t get to test the FSB battery system that Sachtler introduced at NAB last year (see www.studiomonthly.com/8267.html), but it sounds intriguing. The 7.2 volt battery mounts to the bottom of the camera like a tripod plate and has the same quick-release hardware integrated into its bottom. Sachtler claims that with the FSB battery weight kept under the camera, a lower center of gravity and better head balance is achieved. The FSB should provide “all-day” shooting, too.

Sachtler has hit this one out of the park. And since the SOOM System is aimed at the HDV and mid- to lightweight camera market, the company has also managed to deliver budget-minded producers a higher-end product at a very attractive price. The time to lead the pack with a new support system is here.