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Epic Tripod Kit

A

AlexJones

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Hey everyone!

So I'm upgrading my tripod kit and despite all my research, I have a tough time deciding. To start, I'm a wildlife cinematographer so I need something heavy duty, light and super smooth for my lenses. I was looking at 2 heads. The Miller Compass 20 with solo legs thats $2,600 and supports 26 pounds or the Manfrotto 526 head with 536 carbon fiber legs that is $2000 and supports 35 pounds!

I know Manfrotto doesn't have the best rep with pros but at a 35 pound load capacity and no stick with pan, It looks promising. I wonder if the only difference between these two would be the price... I love Miller though and everyone says their Compass 20 or 25 is amazing and super smooth. Thoughts and suggestions? Also it needs to withstand the elements like rain, sand, rocks and mud.
 
I would get the Miller hands down. Its aluminum construction wont rust, and its sealed against the elements, and of course incredibly smooth. If you do a lot of long lens work, i think you will want it. And the weight is great as well. We have use a bunch of the manfrotto stuff and its not all crap, and some of its worked fine for simple stuff. But our Millers are in another league. What do you plan to put on the head? Do you really need the extra ten pounds? Also, your Compass 20 can handle more than 20, and i bet the Manfrotto wont like handling 35 day in and day out. The ratings arent standardized.
 
I had to get my Manfrotto tripod legs service while they were still under warranty (the mid level spreader sheared off from one of the legs). A three dollars part (ASM Spreader Coupling) that took me over three months to get from Manfrotto. All the while the tripod was out of service (I had to buy another tripod to replace it). Anyway, this experience has made me wary of buying from Manfrotto again. I have ever own an Miller but hopefully they have a better customer service and warranty program.
 
Awesome! I plan on attaching my red epic. the epic with side ssd, red brick, backpack and a rail support from red. My heaviest lens would be the canon 100-400 IS. which online says its 3.5 pounds... It feels heavier than that but whatever. All in all, my epic kit weighs at about 15-17 pounds at the most I think. Does that sound right? Do you think a 26 pound rated tripod head would be able to hold 17 pounds or even 20? I'm happy to hear it's sealed :)
 
Be careful looking at just the weight specifications of a tripod. My epic w 800mm lens on it less than 35lbs, but I guarantee you'd see a lot of Shake with these tripods at that focal length. There is a big difference between simply being able to support or pan/ tilt smoothly carrying the weight of a camera using normal lenses, vs keeping a Long-lens steady in outdoor conditions like wind, rain, uneven ground, tree platforms, safari vehicles, etc. There is a reason most wildlife pros are using beefier 150mm tripods. I find that even a sachtler 25 or 30 shows my heart beat in the image with big lenses. Not to mention wind.

Your heaviest lens right now might only be a 100-400, but I don't get many jobs where 400mm is long enough. It's a lot to swallow the expense of a big tripod, but invest wisely and you'll be using the same tripod for years and years while you get bigger and better lenses along the way.
 
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