Ravelli AVTP Professional 75mm Video Camera Tripod with Fluid Drag Head

Comments

1. Some Day I'll Have a Boat says:

   September 16, 2010 at 9:19 AM

   Review by Some Day I’ll Have a Boat for Ravelli AVTP Professional 75mm Video Camera Tripod with Fluid Drag Head
   Rating:
   I have always been a Bogen fan and I think Bogen makes the best tripods. Was shopping at Amazon for a Bogen 501 and saw this model at the bottom of the ad. The text said it was comparable to the 501. The 501 cost $499 and this model was $169. Given that price difference, I decided to give it a try but to be honest I wasn’t expecting much. But this is actually a very good tripod.

   My video setup with lens and accessories weighs about 20 lbs. That weight is not a problem for these legs – very stable. And the head is very smooth. At one point in the middle of a pan from right to left there was a slight “bump” in the panning movement. But I was able to fix this by adjusting the tensioning screws. It is true that the head is not as good as a Bogen 501, but for 1/3 the price it is more than good enough. You would really have to be a high end user to appreciate the differenece.

   Comes with a decent bag too. You could get a nicer one, but this one should last for at least a couple years of road trips.
2. Daddy V says:

   September 16, 2010 at 9:36 AM

   Review by Daddy V for Ravelli AVTP Professional 75mm Video Camera Tripod with Fluid Drag Head
   Rating:
   As an owner of both the AVT and AVTP (Professional) models, I can say that the Pro model (AVTP) I received has a much, much better Fluid Head. I’m not sure why. Physically, both Heads look the same and seem to be of the same construction quality. The only visible differences are cosmetic: the handles on the Pro model are longer w/ different grips which are longer as well; the level bubble color on the Pro model is white, while the non-Pro model is yellow. The obvious difference is the way the Heads are attached to the tripod. The Pro model has a bowl attachment and the non-Pro has a traditional screw-mount attachment point connecting to the top of the center shaft.

   Although the differences seem obvious and minor, the quality of the pan movements are significantly different. For some reason, the AVT (non-Pro) model exhibits random “sticky” points during the pan. I’ve tried everything to get it to smooth out, but because of the inconsistency, it is an exercise in frustration to get a nice smooth pan for every shot – it’s a gamble! The Pro model (AVTP) is a completely different story.

   First impression of the AVTP was, in a word, “Stiff”… both the pan & tilt were really, really stiff. In particular, the Pan was actually difficult to move without grabbing hold of the tripod legs first. Even with the tension knob completely loose, the Head would not pan with out putting some serious force into it. I’ve since fixed it by loosening the large retaining bolt that runs through the pan mechanism. (Looking at the underside of the Head, you’ll see hole which shows the top of a large slotted bold. I loosened this by a 1/4 turn – which was really tight and required lots of force to budge it…) This act made a significant difference. The pan action is now glass smooth! It now matches the tilt action and I’m able to pull off really consistent & smooth pan & tilt combinations with very little or no backlash at full zoom!!! (Practice, Practice… I’m not a pro at all, but I really impressed with how easy it is to pull off professional looking pan & tilt moves now with the AVTP… Wow!!!)

   The non-Pro model (AVT) is probably going to be returned. I’ve been emailing CheetaMounts and they are trying to help resolve the “sticky” problem with the AVT Head… but I don’t think it can be fixed.

   Here’s what’s in the AVTP box:
   
   * 1 set of Sticks/Legs (the tripod)
   
   * 1 2-way Fluid Head
   
   * 2 Handles/Arms (attach to the head)
   
   * 1 Canvas Bag

   Summary:
   
   After making an adjust to the pan mechanism, the Head on this model is really, really good. I was surprised with the difference between this model (AVTP) and the non-Pro (AVT) model. Personally, I’d skip the lower-end model and avoid the spotty performance – just get this model instead.

   Great features at a great price!
3. photoscrooge says:

   September 16, 2010 at 10:25 AM

   Review by photoscrooge for Ravelli AVTP Professional 75mm Video Camera Tripod with Fluid Drag Head
   Rating:
   Bought this to hold a 4×5 calumet, weighs about 10 pounds, an SLR with large zooms and an 8×10 plate camera.

   LEGS:
   
   I find the legs to be more than adequate for my 4×5, and also the 8×10 which is a hair heavier, around 12 -14 pounds. I think it would be stable up to around 20#. If you don’t extend the legs all the way – you can probably get quite a bit more. No place to hang a sandbag. When extended all the way, the legs have a slight wobble, about the same as the $200 model made by another manufacturer. Not extended all the way = totally rock solid.

   HEAD:
   
   As stated in prior reviews, the pan is stiff. Take care if you disassemble the head to adjust the slip ring, as there are steel screws into cast aluminum, which makes it easy to strip out the screw holes. The tilt is fine for still photography. The bowl – leveling knob turns easily and tightens fast and tight easily. The tilt adjustment lever was in an odd place as shipped, it takes about 45 seconds to move, so no biggy. The bubble – and – ring level is adequate. For stills, it’s important that errant vibration settle down quickly and this tripod dampens vibration quite nicely. It does weigh 14 pounds.

   Any gripe I have with build quality is a little picky. There are some plastic pieces I would have preferred to be metal, but nothing I’m worried will break. I generally get irritated with steel holes in threaded aluminum, but if you are careful in disassembling it, then it will not matter.

   All in all, I’ll buy another if this one gets stolen. I recommended it to freinds who shoot LF. I think it would work fine with an XL1. Probably overkill if you are shooting an SLR unless you are using a big telezoom (probably good for MF). Heavy, stable, tall, and a great buy.
4. Drew says:

   September 16, 2010 at 11:12 AM

   Review by Drew for Ravelli AVTP Professional 75mm Video Camera Tripod with Fluid Drag Head
   Rating:
   Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R2462U7TYXDKP8 Here’s what the tripod looks like. The head is disassembled. I show how to adjust it. Cheetah Mounts customer service is great.
5. R. T. Crabb says:

   September 16, 2010 at 11:40 AM

   Review by R. T. Crabb for Ravelli AVTP Professional 75mm Video Camera Tripod with Fluid Drag Head
   Rating:
   The tripod seems to be reasonably made and not too much plastic. The fluid head works like you’d expect it to. The bag holds the tripod with the head atached.Lets see how it lasts over time but so far so good.
   
6. Dvestore says:

   September 16, 2010 at 12:13 PM

   Review by Dvestore for Rode VideoMic Directional Video Condenser Microphone w/Mount
   Rating:
   Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R1M50PPV7VB5CK Here we test the RODE Videomic against the traditional “expensive” solution. A BeachTek XLR adapter with a Sennheiser XLR based shotgun mic. Learn more about achieving high quality sound from Guy Cochran at DVcreators.net.
7. orange-man says:

   September 16, 2010 at 1:08 PM

   Review by orange-man for Rode VideoMic Directional Video Condenser Microphone w/Mount
   Rating:
   The introduction in the owner’s manual states it perfectly. Rode said that when looking for a good camcorder microphone, they were either horrible pieces of junk or super expensive professional models and so they decided to design a mic for this purpose. This model strikes a perfect balance. The quality of this mic is excellent. It is very sensitive and has good directional properties so it rejects noise to the side quite well. Although not meant for picking up sound from long distances it can do quite well from 20 feet away and maybe more.

   The mount is attached to the mic so this is the only way you can use it and it is made to mount to the standard “shoe” that is on nearly all camcorders. It is a mono microphone but it has a stereo miniphone jack that plugs in the camcorder mic jack and feeds the audio into both channels. After trying several inferior microphones I was delighted to stumble upon this mic. It is a good value and an excellent microphone for camcorders.
8. R. Pena says:

   September 16, 2010 at 1:59 PM

   Review by R. Pena for Rode VideoMic Directional Video Condenser Microphone w/Mount
   Rating:
   After spending many days combing the internet and reading review after review I decided to give the RODE VideoMic Directional Camcorder Microphone a try. I wanted something that was good, light, somewhat short and inexpensive. I have a small mini dv camcorder that is only about 5 inches long and didn’t want a mic that would get in my viewfinder’s shots. The mic sticks out about 5 inches in front of my lens, but manages to stay out of my shots.

   First let me comment on the sound. This little bugger picks up sounds very well. In a quiet room I can be 40 yards away and still pick up the conversation. The quality is outstanding. The audio compared to the built-in mic in my camcorder is night and day. The Rode is so clear. The price is great. I’m guessing the quality would compare to other mics in the $300 range.

   My Rode came with a Dead Cat wind screen which resembles a cat’s tail. It really saved me some money! At first I didn’t use the Dead Cat, but then I ran into a little wind which interfered with gathering good audio. After using the Dead Cat, I always keep the wind screen on the mic. It does not interfere with the clarity of the audio and works incredibly well in breezy conditions. I will mention that I had to trim the hair on my wind screen because I could see the hair in my videos. After trimming the hair a bit, the wind screen is still effective and no more hair dangling in the top of my video screen.

   The shock vibration design is cool and they even gave me extra rubber band thingies. This mic sits high off the camera and stays out of my shots. Since the mic is somewhat far away from the camcorder, I don’t pick up any camera humming noise that can happen with other mics that are too close to the camera. Even on my hotshoe, I don’t get any humming.

   I wish I could say that I have used $300 mics and above, but I haven’t. I will say that you won’t be disappointed with this microphone. I’m a photojournalist by trade and I have begun to shoot video for our newspaper’s web publication. This mic is perfect for my needs.

   If you buy it, don’t forget to turn off the mic. I accidently left mine on. There is no auto shutoff.
9. reader23 says:

   September 16, 2010 at 2:15 PM

   Review by reader23 for Rode VideoMic Directional Video Condenser Microphone w/Mount
   Rating:
   I like the sound I get from the mic and it is very good valuue for the money for prosumer cam owners, but consumer-level camera owners should beware.

   I bought this mic and found that it was way too sensitive/hot for consumer cameras like a Panasonic gs200 which has no audio input level control. It picks up too much background noise and overwhelms the camera’s automatic gain controller when things get loud. I’m not sure if the gs200 had a mic attenuation setting or if turning it on would have been a sufficient answer. I put a cheap radio shack in-line volume controller in between the mic and the camera (which can introduce crackle if you adjust it while recording).

   On prosumer cams with input level control like the Canon GL2 it works fine, even without turning on mic attenuation. If you have a camcorder with input level controls I might get this.

   Another important caveat: You cannot run this mic through a the 1/8″ connection of a Beachtek mixer box. You’ll hear nothing on the beachtek’s output because of an impedance mismatch. I don’t know if putting an XLR adapter on the mic cable would work.
10. Dmoneymaker says:

    September 16, 2010 at 2:28 PM

    Review by Dmoneymaker for Rode VideoMic Directional Video Condenser Microphone w/Mount
    Rating:
    i bought this mic online for $150 new. i researched for a while and decided this was the best option. i use a canon GL2 and this is a nice addition to my rig.

    at first i didnt think the audio was all that great, however, when i turned on the microphone attenuate feature of my camera and switched to the manual audio controls, i found that this mic has a lot of potential. with the attenuate on, you can really get clear audio without outside noise messing up your tracks. i pointed the mic at an actor on screen, then pointed the mic away from the actor and you could definetly here a difference in audio detail.

    note: the mic has two different posistions to mount the hot shoe mount, a standard tripod mount, and an addition threaded hole which rode claimes to be a microphone stand mount. my mic stand doesnt thread into this hole, and i consider my mic stand to be pretty standard. however their may be some adapters at my local music store. not a big issue to consider, as there are plenty of mounting options available.
11. E. Ladd says:

    September 16, 2010 at 2:51 PM

    Review by E. Ladd for Opteka X-GRIP Professional Camera / Camcorder Action Stabilizing Handle with Accessory Shoe for Flash, Mic, or Video Light (Black)
    Rating:
    like many who purchase this, i film skateboarding. i have a nikon d5000. for a dslr, this helps a lot with stabilization because you have to hold a dslr differently than a camcorder. i recommend this if you have one. also id your camera has bad sound quality you should buy an external mic and put it on top.also obviously a good fisheye with a wide angle close to 180 degrees. its very high quality and worth themoney i definately recommend buying it for a dslr
12. M. Sacks says:

    September 16, 2010 at 3:30 PM

    Review by M. Sacks for Opteka X-GRIP Professional Camera / Camcorder Action Stabilizing Handle with Accessory Shoe for Flash, Mic, or Video Light (Black)
    Rating:
    My son was looking for a stabilizing handle for his video camera. This was the perfect price and an awesome purchase. Very easy to use and store. Would definately buy from this seller again.Opteka X-GRIP Professional Camera / Camcorder Action Stabilizing Handle with Accessory Shoe for Flash, Mic, or Video Light (Black)
13. James Prine says:

    September 16, 2010 at 4:16 PM

    Review by James Prine for Opteka X-GRIP Professional Camera / Camcorder Action Stabilizing Handle with Accessory Shoe for Flash, Mic, or Video Light (Black)
    Rating:
    I bought the X-Grip for camcorder use. It was shipped fast and arrived in perfect condition. I appreciate the simple, uncluttered, straightforward design which was executed with quality materials. Attaching it to the camcorder is swift and easy, and the X-Grip can even be attached to a tripod or other mount when operating the camcorder. The heavy-duty accessory shoe can be detached. The grip of the unit is heavily padded and comfortable to use. Small built-in ‘loops’ at the top and bottom of the mount can be used to attach additional accessories via zip-ties or other field expedients. The X-Grip is constructed from very heavy duty plastic and is robust enough to withstand many years of service. I heartily recommend this unit to all active videographers who want bang for their bucks.
14. S. Steele says:

    September 16, 2010 at 5:10 PM

    Review by S. Steele for Manfrotto 503HDV Professional Video Fluid Head
    Rating:
    I purchased this item because I was so frustrated with the 501 video head which would not pan smoothly. Already having a Bogen tripod, I did not want to purchase a whole new system.
    
    It is not perfect, but I am much happier with this one. The 503HDV will pan smoothly. However, the tilt is not as smooth as the 501. But at this point the pan functiion is more important to me.
15. HMMWV says:

    September 16, 2010 at 5:51 PM

    Review by HMMWV for Manfrotto 503HDV Professional Video Fluid Head
    Rating:
    
    This must be the most adjustable and free moving fluid head on the market. for tiny to mid size pro cameras (all the big stuff is obsolete now) it works fine. The head could hold a 40 lb camera, but nobody uses those any more in the field. Here are the important parts.

    #1 pan fluid adjustment – this one is hidden – tilt the head down to 90 degrees like you want to shoot a copy of a document on the ground and lock it there. (set the return spring I mention later to OFF so that it does not fight you) The pan adjustment knob can be used with gloves on as it faces the ceiling once you tilt the camera down.

    #2 tilt fluid adjustment – this is easier – the knob is on the left side is also clearly marked and multi-turn.

    #3 zoom fluid adjustment – Heh. Just kidding ya. Gotta have some fun somewhere.

    Both fluid adjustments are clearly marked as + to – and have several turns. I use this with a very lightweight carbon fiber tripod and at no time does it try and bend the tripod if the fluid adjustments are made correctly for the camera on top.

    Both pan and tilt have BIG (again glove usable) levers for locking your settings if you want it held on a point, both of which unlock fast if the action starts.

    The camera is a ‘slide in’ plate design with a lens forward spring loaded stud, and both 1/4 and 3/8 screwsets on the slider. Storage is provided under the head for the unused screwset. A dime or a flat screwdriver is best to set these on the camera, then it slides in from the rear until it clicks. At that point, rotate the lock lever 180 degrees (again with gloves on if needed) and you are set to go. I’ve used it to hold audio equipment with the 3/8″ stud and video with the 1/4″ stud so it is nice to keep the unused one handy.

    You can buy extra plates for other cameras for 20 bucks or so.

    HINT – you may want to supply your own lockwasher so the screw doesn’t back out on you over years of use and suddenly you cant find it when you need it to hold an audio boom.

    The handle is telescoping from 1/2 to full extension with a (again – gloved hand) unlock lever.

    Finally there is a “return to level” spring. If I were forced to find fault with this head here is the one part that is a little weak. It has 4 detent settings “Off” 1, 2, and 3.

    I use 2 or 3 with a 14 oz AVCHD camera. Now granted this is for return to level so it’s not super critical as you can tighten up the tilt fluid a bit – but its the only thing remotely wrong. Basically they are scaling the heads down for modern small cameras and it shows – but the quality has improved from the older bogen trademarked units. The reason I’m nitpicking here is that I use a setting of 2 or 3 with a camera that weighs less than a pound. My 3-ccd cameras need a 3+ setting or else I just add drag on the fluid knob for tilt but that is not the same as return to level. The control is opposite the tilt on the right side.

    The lock to the tripod is a 3/8″ stud. I used a dab of oil on mine to make the threads engage properly as there was some manufacturing ‘gunk’ in the brass receiver. On my tripod I removed the 3/8″ screw and set it firmly with a locking nut on the head, then screwed the head onto the tripod.

    Setup was fast, then adjusting to to the camera for equal tension in all direacions was easy.

    CRITICAL PART: Instructions make no mention of you removing the insulator from the battery on the backlit bubble level I tried to get it to light up several times before pulling it out to go find a battery from my camera bag’s coin cell collection when I found the paper insulator – yank it and the backlit level is really bright (more later)

    Anyone shooting with a modern 2000+ year camera will absolutely love this head. If you have a betacam laying around, its going to feel light.

    Oh yes, for us southpaws out there the handle is ambidextrous and can be moved to the left side if you wish. And one last thing, the bubble level has a backlight for darkened rooms, press once for 10 seconds of light, hold down for more than a second and get 60 seconds. When replacing the battery press one side firmly until it clicks, then press the other side in until both sides click. My tripod has a level and compass set into the top of it where the legs come together and it agrees perfectly with the head’s level so they matched up perfectly.

    I’d also mention when moving the handle for lefthand operation, it can also be re-aimed for right hand use with the same lever.

    That’s it – I have not found a better tripod head for HDV systems. With the incredibly shrinking camera, this head weighs in at more than many cameras do, so a strong tripod is critical.
    
16. Patrick J. Cassidy says:

    September 16, 2010 at 6:35 PM

    Review by Patrick J. Cassidy for Manfrotto 503HDV Professional Video Fluid Head
    Rating:
    For all you people that say this head is sticky you need to read the instructions and learn how to use this head. The only time it sticks is if you use the lock down lever as a drag. If you use the drags properly this head has a smooth and reliable pan and tilt. I have had three Manfrotto heads and this one has been the best. I am using a 10LB Pro camera and this head is a dream to use. The handle is a bit big and it was hard mounting my LANC remote to it but it was done with little modification. I can set the camera 8FT in the air and adjust the handle down to a comfortable level to still pan and tilt comfortably. I would recommend this head to anyone but you would have to be 10% smarter than the head to use it.
17. brandofan says:

    September 16, 2010 at 6:53 PM

    Review by brandofan for Manfrotto 503HDV Professional Video Fluid Head
    Rating:
    Awesome. Had the 501. Got this for a heavier camera and I am impressed. Looks cooler too, because of the 503 HDV model.
18. Christy L. Meek says:

    September 16, 2010 at 7:24 PM

    Review by Christy L. Meek for Manfrotto 503HDV Professional Video Fluid Head
    Rating:
    I have one and am getting another I use it with my XH-A1 and am very happy with it. I first had the Tiffan and this on is much better.
19. whitemcfta says:

    September 16, 2010 at 8:16 PM

    Review by whitemcfta for ePhoto Professional compact Dimmable 112 LED VIDEO CAMERA CAMCORDER light panel Hotshoe Mount Camcorder Video Light Lighting panel by ePhoto INC DV112
    Rating:
    The light came undamaged and has since worked quite well. I was unable to find a manual in the box nor one online. However the product is pretty straight forward, put batteries in and turn on.
    
    There are a couple pro’s
    
    -very bright
    
    -dimmable to nearly nothing
    
    -four hot shoe mounts
    
    -only take 5 AA batteries
    
    -light

    cons
    
    -no manual included
    
    -light doesn’t dim out totally there is still some existing light at the lowest setting
    
    -when the dial is turned all the way up the light turns off at 100% intensity (I think it’s a bad pot dial)
    
    -there isn’t a spot to drop in gels.
20. Leroy D. Young says:

    September 16, 2010 at 8:30 PM

    Review by Leroy D. Young for ePhoto Professional compact Dimmable 112 LED VIDEO CAMERA CAMCORDER light panel Hotshoe Mount Camcorder Video Light Lighting panel by ePhoto INC DV112
    Rating:
    I was a little leery about this LED light because of price but decided to buy it on description. I was very pleased with this product as I think better then described. It had a decent range of up to and over 30′. My order was processed quickly and delivery was fast. I am very pleased with Ephoto and will use them again. In fact I did read my review on tripod. Oh yes I also tried it with my Canon 50D camera.Took pictures of night blooming cactus. With this light you can see what your taking and the blooms looked great.

    One small drawback it does flicker a little on dim but doesn’t seem to affect video. If taking Close up portraits a diffuser will come in handy as light is very intense.
21. stephenghowe says:

    September 16, 2010 at 8:35 PM

    Review by stephenghowe for Flip Video Action Tripod
    Rating:
    I’ve tried making videos with a bicycle helmet and a Flip Ultra. Using a little foam rubber between the helmet and the stand, I can strap down the base tightly. The plastic is flexy, Flips are elongated and don’t have image stabilization, so videos shake even when things are not particularly rough. VirtualDub and the Deshake plugin do a surprisingly good job of mitigating the shake and rolling shutter jello, although with reduced quality and black edges. I like the design, hopefully it will be improved: a little metal here and there would help. A Flip standing on top of a helmet looks terrible; the Amazon pictures artfully minimize this (by placing it at the front of the helmet, extending the arm downward, and photographing the edge, not the face, of the Flip).
22. southern boy says:

    September 16, 2010 at 9:10 PM

    Review by southern boy for Flip Video Action Tripod
    Rating:
    The word “action” in the name is misleading. I have strapped the tripod to my bike, my helmet, my arm, my bag, my rack, everything, and the picture is extremely jumpy and shaky. This seems like a great tripod for securing your camera to something that is stabilized, but it is far from being an “action” tripod. I ride my bike on roads and even on the smoothest asphalt, the image is jumpy. This could be a design flaw in the camera for not having some kind of internal stabilizer, but since this tripod is made by the same company that makes the camera you would think they would have somehow figured all of this out.
23. Miles Gwyn says:

    September 16, 2010 at 9:51 PM

    Review by Miles Gwyn for Flip Video Action Tripod
    Rating:
    I really like this tripod, The action mount it is a lot bulkier than another version that flip had produced. The tripod legs make this harder to mount in tight spaces and the plastic bits don’t absorb shock at all so be careful if you want to use on something like a bike or skate board. For the price it is good and still versatile.