Tripods

Again a topic where I found it really hard to decide who’s right when reading reviews and discussions on the internet.

My take on it:

• Yes, you will see the difference between using a 100$ tripod and a 800$ tripod when panning and tilting
• Yes, you will see the difference between using a 800$ tripod and a 8000$ tripod when panning and tilting
• Your 100$ tripod will probably be very sensitive to vibrations and therefore not be usable for things where you have to apply force to the camera while filming (e.g. manually turning the focus wheel) or where vibrations come from another source
• There will be situations where your 100$ tripod will simply be good enough (depending on shot and on the lense used and on the amount of practice you have operating your tripod)
• For using stuff like small cranes you will probably need a tripod in the 800$ league, because it simply has to carry more weight than the 100$ one can handle

My advice: Don’t go out and buy an expensive tripod for your first film. Play around with a cheaper one, find its limits, use other techniques to achieve your shots (e.g. use a shoulder rig for shots where you need panning and tilting) and then make an informed decision.

I own one in the 100$ and one in the 800$ range and still most of my shots I do using a should rig or a crane but maybe that will change. IMO the value of expensive tripods for the kind of movie I like making is overrated.