Overkill tripod for mirrorless ?

[Alex Uzan]

Hi there,

I need to buy a new tripod head to use with a A6300 (and maybe the bmpcc 2 )

So I was looking to a Benro S8, but man, this head is big

Is that not  to big for a mirrorless ?

My main use will be at home.

 

Thanks

 

[webrunner5]

I would think it would be a bit of overkill. Might be hard to get it to balance. For my G7 I use a https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000JLO6RS/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 I even hang my 19x Fujinon B4 lens on it and it works good. Probably not a super pro head, but it gets the job done, balances well and is light to carry. And the price is right! There does seem to be a shortage of medium sized fluid heads for sure. GL.

[Kisaha]

There is a Benro kit with the S2 head, cheap and handy (very interesting levelling system too). Even the S6 I have, is a bit overkill for bigger than a6300 dSLRs, so maybe you are S2/S4 territory.

[Davey]

Have an overkill Benro S4 for a7sii but still the most sturdiest and fluid tripod I have owned, even at max height of 6'2".

[Teemu]

I have Benro S8 head with Benro topline carbon fiber legs. The legs are really nice and can handle a lot of weight! Those I'll be keeping several years in future. The S8 is overkill for my GH4 set that I use mostly. But I also use it with jib and with my huge anamorphic single focus set. Those things make weight a lot and also I can easily slap a FS700 now and then on it.

So it depends on your needs a lot. If using it just inside and with light setup don't waste money for overkill head. But if you are upgrading your kit in near future or need flexibility for other cameras it might be one to consider.

[Alex Uzan]

Thank you al for your answers.

But is overkill mean unusable ?

I don't mind to pay more for better I dont' need today, since my needs could be different tomorrow. But as suggested webrunner5, if the head doesn't work well will small weight, I can't consider to buy it.

All I want is the perfect "true fluid head" for,my mirrorless, since the one that came with the Manfrotto Befree Live is only a simple "fluid head".

[Stanley]

5 hours ago, Alex Uzan said:

My main use will be at home.

 

If your main use is at home, I think you've been given some good suggestions above. However if you ever decide to step outside and use some long lenses that require movement, I think you gonna have to consider spending more on sticks and a head and go a bit heavier.

[Teemu]

2 hours ago, Alex Uzan said:

Thank you al for your answers.

But is overkill mean unusable ?

I don't mind to pay more for better I dont' need today, since my needs could be different tomorrow. But as suggested webrunner5, if the head doesn't work well will small weight, I can't consider to buy it.

All I want is the perfect "true fluid head" for,my mirrorless, since the one that came with the Manfrotto Befree Live is only a simple "fluid head".

Alex, the S8 definetly need some weight on it to work better. So for m43 size cameras you are maybe better with lighter head. I have manfrotto 502ah for slider and jib use. It has non adjustable drag but for most stuff it's okay. But there is plenty of options out there.

[jonpais]

I would go with the heaviest duty fluid head you can afford. If you're at home, you won't be carrying it around much anyway I assume. And if you ever get a larger camera, you are all set. Don't cheap out on a poor tripod head. Actually, good fluid heads for lightweight cameras are not that common. Be sure the fluid head counterbalance can go down as far as 0 kg or you will always be struggling to balance it. You don't say what tripod you are using, but a 75mm bowl would be ideal.

[jonpais]

I just might end up getting one of the Benro heads after all. Right now, I'm waiting to see how much Vietnam customs is going to gouge me for the Manfrotto I ordered from B&H. But I'll need something I can also place on a slider, and the 504 HD's ball (or bowl) is not detachable as far as I know. So, in addition to making sure the counterbalance goes to 0 for light loads, I guess a detachable bowl is another thing to consider. It's only money...

[jonpais]

Here's an excellent comparison between the Manfrotto 504 HD and Benro S8. 

 

[Kisaha]

These are for C500 and Red and FS7. I do not thing that you need anything like this, and they cost multiple times the smaller ones. Check the S2 kit (the whole thing can be very cheap), and the S4 is just right for smaller rigs. I have S6 and it is a bit overkill, but maybe the right price/size/features if you want to buy something bigger in the near future (C100markII and LS300 are perfectly fits).

If you can afford it, and you want something medium, buy the Sachtler, better than any Manfrotto combo for the price (only the lack of lighting at the leveling bubble is just stupid!).

[jonpais]

No question Sachtler is the better fluid head, and they have three bowl head models and one flat base model for lightweight rigs to choose from. I would still buy the sturdiest available, you won't need to buy twice should you move up to a larger camera, and all three Sachtlers have counterbalance to 0, so they should still work fine with DSLR and mirrorless cameras. Even though the heaviest camera I own at the moment is a GH4 (or the X-T2, not sure!), I still bought a tripod (the iFootage Wild Bull T7) with 40kg max load. For tripods, I would divide the manufacturer's stated capacity by ten to arrive at a more realistic figure. Sure it's a little heavy, but I carry it around with me every day, and I'm 60 years old and weigh 140 lbs.  Right now, I just use a slider, but in the future, I may invest in a good jib, so I'm covered there. And if I get stupid and buy a Kinefinity or something, I won't have to get a second tripod. I went ahead and inquired about the S8 anyway, waiting to hear back from the shop in Hanoi. The S8 sells for around $260 over at B&H, which I consider cheap when it comes to camera gear. But again, I'm not sure what tripod Alex is using, he doesn't say (is it the Be Free?), and he also doesn't say exactly how he'll be using it or what other gear he might expect to purchase in the near future (monitor, slider, jib, follow focus, shoulder rig?), so pretty difficult to make any recommendation without having that information first. Even the topic heading is a bit confusing: is the OP looking for a tripod or a head?

Update: Just heard back from Hanoi, S8 out of stock (meaning will never have it). Can't even buy a decent fluid head in the third world!

[Alex Uzan]

12 hours ago, jonpais said:

I would go with the heaviest duty fluid head you can afford. If you're at home, you won't be carrying it around much anyway I assume. And if you ever get a larger camera, you are all set. Don't cheap out on a poor tripod head. Actually, good fluid heads for lightweight cameras are not that common. Be sure the fluid head counterbalance can go down as far as 0 kg or you will always be struggling to balance it. You don't say what tripod you are using, but a 75mm bowl would be ideal.

So far I have a bunch of tripod and a really good monopod (sirui 204), so at this moment I just need a head.I'm planning to buy a more dedicated video tripod next year, maybe a Benro with bol, but not decided.

My needs are pretty simple :

I'll do video reviews of consumer product in a dedicated room at home. I thought I could use the manfrotto befree live for this, but the head doesn't alow really smooth pan or pitch movements. I can see on the Benro website, that counter balance & variable control drag are only on S7 and S8 models. That's why I'm interested in those.

 

Today I use an a6300 with almost no gear around. But of course, that could change in 2017

[jonpais]

You could just slap a Crane on the tripod and pan remotely.  

[jonpais]

My Manfrotto head is still in customs hell, awaiting a Vietnamese translation of the shipping invoice or something stupid. Meanwhile, I managed to find a shop here in Saigon selling the Benro S8 for just 4,100,000 vnd, or $181.00 USD, so I went ahead and ordered it. Should arrive within the hour. At last I can toss out my leaking Weifeng  garbage head.

[jonpais]

The Benro just arrived. I think it is a perfect fit with my iFootage Wild Bull tripod. My biggest gripe is with the knob (not seen in this photo) that tightens the QR plate in place - the camera body interferes with it, meaning I must use the camera in a forward position rather than centered over the tripod.

 

[webrunner5]

1 hour ago, jonpais said:

The Benro just arrived. I think it is a perfect fit with my iFootage Wild Bull tripod. My biggest gripe is with the knob (not seen in this photo) that tightens the QR plate in place - the camera body interferes with it, meaning I must use the camera in a forward position rather than centered over the tripod.

 

So are you able to balance it without adding some extra weight??

[jonpais]

3 minutes ago, webrunner5 said:

So are you able to balance it without adding some extra weight??

The iFootage Wild Bull comes with an adjustable 75mm bowl. Of course, you can always hang some weight from the center of the tripod if you want some extra heft.

[webrunner5]

4 minutes ago, jonpais said:

The iFootage Wild Bull comes with an adjustable 75mm bowl. Of course, you can always hang some weight from the center of the tripod if you want some extra heft.

No I mean the Benro S8 head. Can you balance the GH4 and the lens shown without adding some weight somewhere to the head? Does the counterbalance go to 0 for light loads and really work?