Tripod for video on a budget

[marco_de_biasi]

<p>Hi there,</p>

<p>my old Slik came to an end right when I bought a slider. Now I need to buy a new tripod, but budget is very tight, maybe $80 at most.<br>

Considered I should use it for video and that, at this point, I could probably combine the new tripod with the Slik in order to have a steadier solution to hold the slider, is there any recommendation within that budget?</p>

<p>Thanks for any help!</p>

[User_6502147]

<p>I haven't spotted a decent quality fluid head for less than $180....and of course you'll need some stable sticks.</p>

<p>You need to pair up the weight of your equipment with the head that you wish to use. Conventional friction head may be OK for still photography, but it will never give you smooth pans and tilts that video requires.</p>

<p>I mean, you'll get what you pay for.</p>

<p>Les</p>

<p> </p>

[lex_jenkins]

<p>Look for a good used video tripod - used tripods tend to sell at a fraction of their original new retail price. Bogen/Manfrotto and Slik used to sell legset/fluid head combos that originally retailed for under $200 and were very good values. These weren't the cheap, flimsy still/video combo rigs you see at K-Mart for $50. I bought one of the Slik video combos for around $25 or so in a pawn shop. The fluid head was very good for the money, and far better than any still camera pan head. I misplaced the fluid head several years ago during a move but still use the legset with a Velbon ballhead.</p>

<p>Incidentally, the Slik U212 Deluxe combo still/video panhead isn't bad. Not great, but not as bad as most of the plasticky combo still/video heads. I still have an use my U212, mostly for video and as a makeshift light/reflector stand. But if I'd known I would eventually get digicams with HD video I'd have kept track of that Slik fluid head - it was much better than the quirky, plasticky combo video/still panhead on the Slik U212.</p>

[JDMvW]

<p>Lots of tripods for still work might be minimally usable at your $80 price, but I think not for video -- unless, you get lucky, as Lex says, with a used one somewhere.</p>

[marco_de_biasi]

<p>Thanks for your advices,</p>

<p>this seems a tough one then. I'll look for used tripod, I guess I need to find some good Pawn shop as well.</p>

[GerrySiegel]

What camera? What specs on the slider....length and stiffness and does it have a mount that acommodates a quick release?

I am using a heavy duty Manfrotto, with their smallest fluid head (micro head) on my mirrorless camera which is light. Your mount should slide easily on rollers to get smooth tracking.... You may also experiment with a parallelogram style bar (has counterweights like home made barbells or super clamps for balance) that allows the camera to glide as well as track....this could be homemade from heavy aluminum stock (even hard wood like oak with teflon spacers) or get something used for big binoculars, the heavy duty binos. Good luck friend. Find a machinist backyard mechanic and offer six pack bounty if you are not handy and have tools....gs