Sachtler Tripod

[caseyhayward]

Would my Sachtler Video 18II tripod be enough for a basic red setup (camera, basic production pack, battery, red drive and SLR lens)?

[Justin Kirchhoff]

i just got a Sachtler Video 18 SB ENG 2 and it will handle it, trust me. It's rated at 35lbs. the basic pack is probably around 15-20.

[Steve Sherrick]

Remember, it's not only about weight it can handle, it's also about the distribution, balance of that weight. It can affect the performance. I almost went with the 18P as my run and gun tripod, but with my zoom, matte box, etc, it wasn't going to cut it. If you have a really stripped down rig, it will probably work fine. Mitch at Abel set me straight on that one. I thought I might be able to push it a bit, and I could pick up the 18 for a pretty good deal, but if you plan on doing a lot of shooting and you can only get one tripod system, make sure you try it out with the heaviest rig you would shoot with.

Steve

[Matthew Rogers]

Remember, it's not only about weight it can handle, it's also about the distribution, balance of that weight. It can affect the performance. I almost went with the 18P as my run and gun tripod, but with my zoom, matte box, etc, it wasn't going to cut it. If you have a really stripped down rig, it will probably work fine. Mitch at Abel set me straight on that one. I thought I might be able to push it a bit, and I could pick up the 18 for a pretty good deal, but if you plan on doing a lot of shooting and you can only get one tripod system, make sure you try it out with the heaviest rig you would shoot with.

Why would you not have the camera center balanced? If you don't have it center balanced, then ANY head is going to have issues with performance! I've used my 30+ year old Sachtler Video III with a 35 lb Beta camera, and with it balanced properly it was like having a 10 lb DV camera on it.

I think one issue people are having with weight is they are putting on parts they don't need. I can't count how many pictures I've seen with the camera on a tripod, but had the handheld handles on the bottom rails. Why?!

Matthew

[Dominique Grenier]

I think one issue people are having with weight is they are putting on parts they don't need. I can't count how many pictures I've seen with the camera on a tripod, but had the handheld handles on the bottom rails. Why?!

Maybe because they like to be able to switch between the two quickly without having to put accessories on and off.

[donatello b]

if you already have a 18 then you can use it .. however if you do not have one - FORGET IT ... IMO the sachtler quick release plate on the 18/20/25 is too small ( all 3 use same size) ... the Red dove tail tripod plate is about the same size as the QR plate and the sachtler may have a little wobble to it ( you can temp fix with electrical tape on bottom of QR plate BUT ....
i have a 20plus , if i was buying today i would not buy a 18/20/25 ...

[Mike Prevette]

I have a 30 that I love. It looks great with the red on it.

[Steve Sherrick]

Big lens, matte box, follow focus, LCD, EVF, Red Drive, Battery, Side Handles, possibly small sound mixer attached with an 18 probably won't cut it. Not that it won't hold the weight, but we're talking about smooth pan and tilt action, not pushing the tripod to its brink.

Everyone will have different rigs, so it's not to say the 18 or 20 aren't capable of supporting the Red. It's what you'll be throwing on the camera that starts to impact your choice in a tripod system. For me, the 18 wasn't going to cut it.

Steve

[Jason Mitchell]

My rig with camera, drive, battery, 18-50mm, lcd, ET Arri plate, FF and matte box was 33 lbs. You may "need a bigger boat."

Jason

[Mark Pedersen]

So what about an OConnor 2060 on a Sachtler 150mm EFP 2CF?

Getting the mitchell and ball heads on the OConnor.

M

[Ivan G]

I would personally recommend the aluminum (11lbs) version vs the carbon fiber 9lbs and holds 100 lbs more.

[Mark Pedersen]

If the CF supports a payload of 209 lbs, I'm having trouble understanding why I would need sticks that would support 300 lbs!

M

[Mark Pedersen]

BTW, the aluminum version supports 198 lbs according to the catalogue.

m

[Fredrik Callinggard]

So what about an OConnor 2060 on a Sachtler 150mm EFP 2CF?

Getting the mitchell and ball heads on the OConnor.

M

Excellent choice! I have an 2575 and will use that with my bigger zooms etc but will get an 2060 because it's slightly smaller but will handle the RED with full package together with most of the lenses out there.


fred

[Mike Prevette]

I have the 150mm EFP 2CF they are fantastic sticks

[Dominic Jones]

No problem with the 2060 on CF legs - you'll love it.

As for the need for heavy duty legs, not an issue for tripod work but if you want to mount a jib arm on them then you start to need serious weight bearing capability (think weight of Red rig and 2060 head, plus maybe 2-3x that again for the counterbalance, plus the weight of the jib arm itself...).

[Ken Willinger]

I'm using the Sachtler Video20II head with the heavy duty CF sticks. The head is rated for 55 pounds.

[Mark Pedersen]

Great,

Thanks guys. The idea with the CF legs was to have a lighter rig for quick field setups and moving around with a lighter rig (primes, small zooms). I'm getting the Mitchell base as well for dollies, jibs, cranes, and for heavier setups like an Optimo, I'll rent heavier aluminum sticks with a mitchell head.

Thanks again for the feedback,
M