Solid Sticks

The Vinten Vision Blue features a solid construction with a very smooth action. Fitted with a standard 75mm ball mount, the Blue supports an 11lb. payload with a near 90-degree tilt capability. I like the illuminated spirit level (in blue of course), and the raised spreader that stays mercifully clear of dirt and debris. My main areas of concern include the protruding the pan/tilt wing adjusters that seem unnecessarily prone to impact damage, and the lack of a zero drag resistance setting, which complicates routine camera setup and balancing. Still, at only a few hundred dollars more, the Vision Blue is a significant move up from the cruder, more ubiquitous Manfrotto 501 and 503 models.

Over the years, we shooters must make every effort to perfect our craft. We put a frame around the world and embrace those elements that impel our story forward, and exclude those that may be distracting or unhelpful.

This is why we also understand when we shake or weaken the frame walls, we seriously affect our story. Whether that impact is ultimately helpful or hurtful of course depends on the story we are trying to tell. Suffice it to say since 1980 and the advent of MTV, we've seen quite enough of the gratuitous destruction of frame integrity. Shaky-cam is gone, over and done with, and so once more, when the frame moves, it moves for a reason.

Our choice of support gear is again so critical. It's the most efficient tool we have to preserve the sanctity of the frame.

I'm a huge fan of investing in high-quality camera accessories including a substantial tripod. The reason is that such first-class accoutrements will likely last us a lifetime, while that shiny new camcorder du jour will typically exit the frame in less than three years.

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For a long time, there has been a notable lack of professional tripod systems in the $1,000-to-$1,500 price range. Many of us are familiar with Sachtler's offerings in the $2,500 realm; I'm thinking of the DV 6 and DV 8 models, for example. The Vinten Vision Blue comes in at approximately half that price, at roughly $1,375 for the complete package—legs, head, and spreader—and is thus a practical option for many corporate and event shooters. There is no groundbreaking new capability inherent to the Vision Blue (despite the blue illuminated spirit level); it simply offers solid professional performance at a very economical price.

Perhaps the world's best medium-duty tripod legs. The rugged, ease of use, and simplicity of the Miller Solo makes it a stellar addition to the documentary shooter's toolkit. The street price for the Miller Solo Model 1505 is under $1,000.

One can seldom get truly excited about one's legs. I did two decades ago when I adopted a rare set of sticks with a 5-meter vertical elevator. It was an impressive beast but far too complex and perilous with its many potential finger crushing pinch points. The Miller Solo belongs to a much gentler and kinder class of support gear. Extremely rugged and simple, with a vertical range of nearly 2 meters, the 100mm version in three-stage carbon fiber just may be the best pair of legs on the market today for itinerant wildlife and documentary shooters. Forget the ground level spreader, clumsy wing adjusters, and dents and dings that typically accompany traditional support systems. This baby is impervious to the elements, stiff as hell, and can support full-size camcorders like my Panasonic Varicam AJ-HPX2700 with ease.

Miller also manufactures a popular 75mm two-stage version so shooters can take advantage of a more compact unit with their lighter-weight heads from Sachtler, Manfrotto, Miller, and other manufacturers. At the National Geographic years ago in the early years of my careerm the Miller F and Pro models were standard issue. Today, Miller has since seen its fortunes rise once more in products like the Solo that offer obvious and practical advantages to the solitary run-and-gun shooter.

The Genus VCT-14 camera adapter with a built-in slider adjustment securely fits your smaller camcorder (like the Panasonic AG-HPX170) to larger more professional tripod heads. Speaking of which, the new Miller Compass 25 (shown) is new to the market. The Compass models like other Millers are still manufactured in Australia. They feature indexed drag settings and robust manual controls and are blessedly free of feeble plastic components.

Many of us would prefer to use the same tripod and fluid head to support a variety of cameras. Full-size cameras and diminutive camcorders—we use them all in the course of our daily work. So of course it makes sense to be able to pop off one camera, big or small, and snap on another. The Genus adapter bar, with a 1/4-20 mount and sliding adjuster affixes to a standard VCT-14 camera plate, is an absolute must for every shooter who utilizes a range of cameras and configurations in his daily grind. Its street price is approximately $125.

This versatile support moves decidedly upscale with a range of heavier duty more professional units. The Gorillapod (shown here) and Ballhead X (below) from Joby can support cameras up to 11lbs. (5 kilograms) and attach itself to almost any post, pipe, or car body member.

Regardless of our preferred flavor of camera— P2, XDCAM, or DSLR—our means of support is critical to our craft. This craft that makes us efficient and prosperous shooters requires constant vigilance to the sanctity of the frame. For those of us shooting ENG and nonfiction genres, the appropriate legs and fluid head is absolutely critical. If properly selected and used, our choice of camera support will continue to serve us long into the future, wherever our storytelling may take us.