GEAR GROUP TEST
VELBON DV-7000N £178/$210 velbon.co.uk
SPECIFICATIONS Legs: Aluminiumsingle tube Leg sections: 3 Payload: 6kg/13.2lb Minimumheight: 57cm/22.4in Maximumheight: 162cm/63.8in Weight: 3.49kg/7.7lb
one, with around 33% extra discount off the usual, low street price. Тhе Vеlbоn DV-7000N іѕ from the brand’s рrоfеѕѕіоnаl range, so it has lots of adjustments that filmmakers need. The Vеl-Flо 9 fluіd hеаd has a decently smooth pan and tilt movement, which can be adjusted by two separate, serrated dials. These can be a bit fiddly to get hold of and move but they do work. You could say that being a bit tricky to grasp makes them less likely to be adjusted by mistake. There are large pan and tilt locks on the head for when you don’t want things to move, аnd а ѕріrіt lеvеl аllоws fаѕt, ассurаtе ѕеt-uр. Тhе quісk rеlеаѕе рlаtfоrm has the legendary cork top to snug it up against your camera. It then clicks into place on the head. This sounds easy, and it is once
If you ever studied photography or filmmaking at college in the past 30 years, chances are you will have come into contact with a Velbon tripod. With its unmistakeable cork top plate and geared centre column, Velbons have long been the tripods of choice for many educational establishments – they are solid, workhorse bits of kit that are certainly at the affordable end. The DV-7000N is typical of Velbon, which mixes some of the old-school technology with what a modern, cash- conscious filmmaker needs nowadays – and nothing more. For just £178/$210 you can become the owner of a full-size, solid video tripod. It’s potentially even cheaper if you shop around. We found a short-term deal on
HOW IT RATES
Features: 8/10 Adjustable pan and tilt, geared head Performance: 7/10 Good, but that quick release is rather worrying Handling: 7/10 It’s quirky, with a plastic feel in places Value formoney: 8/10 You can’t gowrong at that price OVERALL RATING: 8/10 A decent but different tripod, and it’s cheap Pros: Price, decent adjustment, strong legs Cons: Geared centre column isn’t for all
“Most unusual is the geared centre column– you crank a handle tomove it up and down”
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PRO MOVIEMAKER SPRING 2020
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