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  • Hey all, just changed over the backend after 15 years I figured time to give it a bit of an update, its probably gonna be a bit weird for most of you and i am sure there is a few bugs to work out but it should kinda work the same as before... hopefully :)

Is an OConnor fluid head really worth it?

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Frank_L

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The OConnor 1030HDSPKG fluid head can support up to 53 pounds and costs over $5,000... Are other fluid heads equally as good for a lot less money? Do you think an Epic user ever needs to go over 50 pounds on their rig?

Thank you in advance.
 
Frank_L said:
The OConnor 1030HDSPKG fluid head can support up to 53 pounds and costs over $5,000... Are other fluid heads equally as good for a lot less money? Do you think an Epic user ever needs to go over 50 pounds on their rig?

Thank you in advance.
Click to expand...

If the question is ... "Is an OConnor fluid head really worth it?"

The short answer is "Yes"

If your question is "Do I need an OConnor head?"

The answer is probably "No"

However, I got a chance to shoot with an ancient 2575 in Death Valley. It was a rented head, and I'm sure it had seen more DPs than a Hollywood actress.

However, I fell in love with it. It was as solid as a tree trunk and as smooth as butter. As you can see from the picture, I was shooting a Canon 5D with a 600mm lens. I had to track a subject was about a half mile away, and it was as smooth as silk.

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They can be heavy, and expensive, but they will last forever.
 
Frank_L said:
The OConnor 1030HDSPKG fluid head can support up to 53 pounds and costs over $5,000... Are other fluid heads equally as good for a lot less money? Do you think an Epic user ever needs to go over 50 pounds on their rig?

Thank you in advance.
Click to expand...

Yes. 1030 Should cover 98% of your needs on the Epic, with the exception of perhaps a huge zoom lens or big 3D rig. If it's in your budget, go for it.
 
+1 for O'Conner.

You might want to double check the payload capabilities though. The rated loads are based on the distance of the cameras center of gravity from the top of the head. A dovetail and bridge plate add a few cm on their own. Add a viewfinder, onboard monitor (especially a Panasonic), battery(s) etc etc and the center of gravity gets pushed way up and reducing the maximum payload of the head.

I have a 17+ year old 1030 that I bought brand new when I still had jet back hair and it's served me well but I only use it for documentary or run n' gun work. It's lightweight and works well with a stripped down camera. The rosettes for the handle don't have the best bite and I've replaced them twice since I've owned them as a slightly loose handle can ruin subtle moves. The lightweight legs are also good for doc's but have flexed on me at the wrong times while on a long lens. The Mitchel base for the 1030 uses 8 tiny hex nuts instead of the four large ones from the larger heads and it makes conversion from Mitchel to 100mm ball a real pain. The counterbalance adjustment works like any other O'Conner head but instead of the side crank of the larger heads the 1030's counterbalance is a ring under the head itself which makes adjustment a chore. It's fine for doc's where the camera configuration doesn't change much but for production it's bruuuuutal.

With all that said it's still a great head I'll likely be using it for documentaries until I drop dead.

If you're building your Epic up to more of a production configuration I would suggest looking at the 2065 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rp9XDrjCUTQ) or better yet the 2575. The 2065 is a totally different head than the 1030, it's a real production head. Personally I bought the 2575D as it was only little more $$$ , weighs almost the same (200g more), is the defacto standard for production fluid heads and I figure I'll be buried with the thing so amortizing the cost difference over the rest of my life makes it a no-brainer. While it's not my prefered lens I have had the monster 24-290 Optimo on the head on many occasion and I'm glad I went with the 2575.

Should you spend the money on an O'Conner? I'd say yes, but make sure you're getting the right model. For myself I spent the money on great gear and will amortize the cost over the rest of my natural life since it will outlast me.
 
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Thanks for your responses, everybody.
 
O'Connor Fluids heads are the Industry standard for a reason, even so for my self I much prefer the Precision control
of a Gearhead, and loved the Arri Head since its birth, but now moved to the Gearnex.

If you want to buy a new O'Connor let me now Frank, I'll get you a good discount.
 
Why do you guys prefer O'Connor over Sachtler? I usually find Sachtler controls and adjustments much more user friendly. Specifically I've never liked how O'Connor tilt locks usually spin clockwise, which is counter-intuitive for me.
 
I'm not fan of o'conner heads. I also don't like the tilt lock. In general for most things I prefer a gear head, but I don't think the o'conner is any better than a sachtler of cartoni. In general I think the design of most fluid heads is flawed. You put ll this energy into a system to overcome resistance and spring tension. I prefer a system like a gear head where the energy that goes into the system is used to move the camera, or a system like the f-7, or weaver steadman. Of course I am a bit of a nut so go figure ;-)

Nick
 
I prefer my Sachtler video 25 over my Oconnor 2065 IF I need to carry it more than 25 meters from my car, and as long as I don´t use really long lenses or really need ultra precise control.

I really love my Oconnor 2065 though, it´s heavy, but it´s extremly precise.
 
+1 for our O'Connor 1030. . . we have the HDS model and really love it. It will be perfect for Epic-X unless you're doing 3D work.

Stephen
 
Eirik Tyrihjel said:
I prefer my Sachtler video 25 over my Oconnor 2065 IF I need to carry it more than 25 meters from my car, and as long as I don´t use really long lenses or really need ultra precise control.

I really love my Oconnor 2065 though, it´s heavy, but it´s extremly precise.
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Eirik,

Frank's original ? was about using the head with an Epic. Wouldn't the Video 25 be too much as the Epic is so light?

I might be wrong, but I think the Epic is probably going to mean using heads more like those in Sachtler's 100mm and even 75mm bowl lines.
 
I think the Epic is probably going to mean using heads more like those in Sachtler's 100mm and even 75mm bowl lines.
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Not with any kind of zoom lens on it. Or a long lens for that matter. the body may be small, but nothing else got any smaller. a 24-290 with a 6x6 and 3 filters, and all the other crap that goes on there is still a big old package.

N.
 
Nick,

But what do you do when you're not using a big ol lens? According to Sachtler, the minimum payload weight for a Video 25 Plus is 18 lbs. For a Video 60 and Video 75 it's even more. Oddly, for the Video 90, it's 0 lbs.

But I just don't think the big 150mm bowl Sachtlers will work w/ a stripped down Epic. Could be wrong of course.
 
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