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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 :)

Tripod group buy?

J

Justin Anderson

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Are there any tripod head or sticks group buys going on? I'm building a RED package and need to purchase one.
(don't know if this is the right place, but I'm asking here anyway)

Thanks,
-J
 
pod group

pod group

what is that?
 
Abel still has a number of special REDuser deals on various tripod systems. More info in our RED store at abelcine.com.
 
Mitch Gross said:
Abel still has a number of special REDuser deals on various tripod systems. More info in our RED store at abelcine.com.
Click to expand...

No prices though. (I hate that crap)

I'll probably give you guys a call within a couple of days. Thank you.
 
Dave Blackham said:
What Tripod and head are you looking for ?
Click to expand...

That's something else I'm trying to figure out too. At least if I could find some group buys going on, I could compare the tripod they're selecting.

I was thinking about the OConnor 1030, but I was waiting to see what's available.
 
We use Ronford 2 stage legs, 100mm bowl here with O'Connor 1030 Heads. The bigger O'Connors are too big for our type of work but are great for heavier set ups. The Ronford 2004 heads are very nice too.

Some of the guys here prefer the Sachtler Heavy Weight Carbon legs and big O'Connor heads.

If budget is an issue there's some Ronford Legs on ebay at the moment. They are very robust and parts can be always be sourced from Ronford if needed.
 
Do you have any problems with the Ronford heads?
Are there any RED rigs that the O'Connor 1030 can't support? (I've heard a lot of good things about that head)
 
I was looking at the 1030 but ended up going with the Miller Arrow 55 with the Heavy Duty CF 2-stage legs. James at AbelCine hooked me up with a great deal. I'm been extremely pleased with this setup, and we fly a fairly full rig (haven't weighed it, but it currently has Red 18-50mm, LCD, EVF, 18" @ 24" steel rods, Red cradle with red drive and battery, Red Rock mattebox).
 
I have a Vinten Vision 100 and it is one of the best heads I have ever used. I think they cost about the same as a 1030. Everyone who tries it loves the perfect balance and it is pretty light weight.


Mahalo,
Dusty
 
Justin Anderson said:
Do you have any problems with the Ronford heads?
Are there any RED rigs that the O'Connor 1030 can't support? (I've heard a lot of good things about that head)
Click to expand...

The Ronford heads are very good. Time proven. Some of the older ones look a bit agricultural but are very well engineered.

The 1030 heads like all heads to have a recommended weight range, depends what you want to put on it. If you are wanting to put a heavy set up on it you may need to go to a larger head.
 
Just saw a special sale on FilmTools on a 1030S (studio) fluid head, seems like there are some good savings, though that's only the head, no sticks.

http://www.filmtools.com/oconnor-ultimate-1030s-studio-fluid-head-package.html

There are some limitations in the tilt abilities on this head, and regarding your question about any Red configurations that will max out this head, I would venture to say there are a few... Any larger lenses will push you towards the max, maybe even over the top. Ideally, you don't want to get too close to the max weight capacity of your head, as it will wear it out much faster, maybe even risk failure (and I'm sure no one wants to see their investment fall to the ground). Aside from those risks, you'll find that the fluid head won't operate nearly as efficiently as it would under lighter loads.

I would highly recommend you weigh your camera in it's heaviest configuration, and maybe just for safety's sake, add another 10 pounds to that weight to address the possibility of heavier future configurations. At that greatest weight, if you are even close to the max capability of the 1030, then you may want to move for a beefier setup. I was considering the Sachtler Video 20 and the Miller Arrow 55, both with a max weight tolerance of 55 pounds (please also bear in mind that these max amounts are judged using a given Center of Gravity height from the head, meaning that the lower the center of gravity of your camera setup, the heavier the load can be for any given tripod). I eventually opted for the Video 25, which is slightly larger than the Video 20, much lighter than the Video 30, but can handle 77 pounds. That way, with a heavier zoom (Cooke 20-100) and whatever else needs to be mounted to camera, I'm pretty much always in the clear, well below the max weight threshold and well within the ideal operating weight.

That said, if 95% of your shooting will be with still lenses or smaller primes, you could probably get away with the smaller 1030, and whenever you need to go for bigger setups with heavy lenses, you can rent a bigger tripod with all that gear.

Personally, I think you can get a little more bang for your buck with the Miller 55 (probably for less than a 1030 setup). I know people here love their O'Connors, but if you haven't been a lifelong user of O'Connor and are willing to test out alternatives, I would do exactly that.

Another quick note: though I posted that link for FilmTools, I've spent a lot of time in the NYC Abel showroom, where everyone (Steve Cohen, Mitch Gross, Andy Shipsides, etc) have been consistently helpful (and patient!) as I made my way through a very slow and tedious decision making process for the bulk of my accessories. Whatever you decide to go with, I think it would be worth your while to contact Steve and see if he can make you an offer you can't refuse...

Happy Hunting!
 
get a quote from Ketch Rossi person
http://reduser.net/forum/showthread.php?t=6850

they carry most heads/tripods .... send email to Ketch ... he'll send you contact info ..
i say you then CALL ( email is much slower) ... when i was looking Dec 2007 they had the lowest prices on filters & O'conners ... just bought some more filters in Dec 08 and again they were the lowest ( including filmtools 10% off sale) ...
 
O'Connor rocks

O'Connor rocks

The Filmtools deal on the 1030S should serve you well unless your kit includes large zooms. One key tip - the weight ratings are highly dependent on height of the COG (center of gravity). The ET slide plate that slips right into the 1030(s) head will drop the COG and give you at least 5 more pounds of capacity. Other strategies like not mounting the batteries/drives/etc way up on top helps to - check out some of the pics people have posted of their rigs for ideas.

If you generally only use big lenses when you are dealing with a rental house anyway then just rent a bigger tripod/head that suits those set ups.

BTW - if budget for legs is tight I have the Cartoni A303s which are lightweight and low cost, if you have the coin the Ronfords are fabulous.
 
Abel has deals on O'Connor and other gear as well.

The 1030S will work for most small setups (primes or small zooms, not a huge pile of accessories).
 
Blair S. Paulsen said:
If you generally only use big lenses when you are dealing with a rental house anyway then just rent a bigger tripod/head that suits those set ups.
Click to expand...

Would the RED 18-85mm count as a big lens?
What about the RED 50-150 or 18-50?

These would probably be the lenses we'll be using except in the cases where we'll rent a prime set, which then won't be a weight issue.
 
RED 18-50 & 50-150 -- not big.
RED 18-85 -- big. That one might be pushing it.
 
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