GEAR
BUYERS’ GUIDE
BENRO A373FBS6PRO £470/$449 benroeu.com
suitable for most mirrorless cameras and many cinema cameras, too. The kit reaches a maximumheight of 163cm/64.2in, but the minimumheight is just 31cm/12.2in, which offers a real advantage. Very few full-size tripods can get your kit this low. The S6Pro head offers a five-step counterbalance, there is a large anodised aluminiumdial to adjust the fluid drag on the pan axis, and a large knob on the left side to adjust the tilt. There are also independent pan and tilt locks, which are easy to get to and very obvious. The tilt range is a wide 90° to 75°, and the pan range is a full 360°.
Benro’s A373FBS6PRO kit uses the A373F aluminium single-tube tripod, features a 75mmbowl and includes a 75mmhalf-ball adapter, as it’s paired with the S6Pro Fluid Video Head, which has a 65mmflat base. The head supports up to 6kg/13.2lb, so it’s
VELBON DV-7000N £119/$220 intro2020.co.uk
Velbon’s DV-7000N uses traditional technology and a no-frills approach to keep its prices low. For just £119/$220, it’s a full- size, solid video tripod from the brand’s professional range, whichmeans it has lots of adjustments that filmmakers need. The Vеl-Flо 9 fluid head had a decently smooth pan and tilt movement, which can be adjusted by two separate dials. There are large pan and tilt locks on the head for when you don’t want things tomove and a spirit level allows fast, accurate set-up. The quick-release platformhas the Velbon trademark cork top to snug it up against your camera. It then clicks into place on the head. The plate attachment is made of plastic, though. There are sturdy, 29mm aluminiumupper legs and a central brace, which can be adjusted with a locking knob. This gives extra rigidity when compared to non-braced tripods. Most unusual is the geared centre column. You crank a side handle and the centre columnmoves up or down in a controlled way. It adds weight and complexity, but does give an extra bit of height and you can adjust the head height far more precisely. This may be important to you for close-up work. There are heavy-duty rubber feet for grip and stability on virtually any surface, and they shouldn’t mark floors. The official payload is 6kg/13.2lb, so it’s a very affordable system that has an old-school look and feel.
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PRO MOVIEMAKER
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