Heavy Duty Aluminum Video Tripod - ESDDI VT-60 64 inch- Shooting Tripod with Fluid Head, Max Loading 11.02 LBS, DSLR Camcorder, Weight: 8.7 Lbs/3.95Kg

Your browser does not support HTML5 video.  I use my video camera all the time to film wildlife in my garden, record family events and film footage for my YouTube channel. I have a pretty good tripod that is fine for most of the footage I take, but occasionally when I am trying to film moving objects that require pan and tilt movements the video is ruined as it is very shaky and jerky. My video camera cannot be moved on the tripod smoothly, no matter what I try. Another issue is the fact that my tripod has a ball head which cannot be locked in the horizontal or vertical plane. When I am trying to film a panoramic scene the camera wanders up and down slightly and looks very unprofessional.I have been researching fluid heads for a while now and looked at several different set ups. I wanted a heavy duty tripod with a fluid head. I finally decided to go for it and try this one. It looked like it was a good quality tripod, had a fluid head and was reasonably heavy duty. As soon as I took it out of the box I was impressed. The tripod requires very minimal set up. The only thing to do is connect the fluid head control arm. It takes around 30 seconds. Please see the video for an in depth look at the tripod.The tripod has aluminium rods for the legs with plastic clamps and brackets. The spreader is also made of plastic, but the plastic components feel like they are good quality. The bowl mount and fluid head are aluminium. The feet are cleverly designed with three different modes. Rubber discs that fit flat on the ground for hard level surfaces like concrete or paving slabs, small rubber balls (two per leg) designed for use on grass or gravel or metal pins for use on sand or mud. Swapping from one to another is very quick and easy. I am happy with the overall build of the tripod and it is very firm and steady in use.Inside the box everything is stored inside a nylon holdall and as well as the tripod there is a shoulder strap for the bag, 5 allen keys for various adjustments on the tripod, two spare rubber balls for the feet, two spare serrated washers for the fluid head control arm (see video) and a set of instructions.As soon as I started playing with the fluid head I knew that it was going to produce good results. There is a spirit level designed to line the tripod head up with the horizon. This is achieved very quickly and easily using a clamping system on the fluid head ball. Panning is smooth and steady. It feels fluid and smooth. There is a fair bit of resistance, but the tripod stays put. It is possible to pan the camera easily with just a finger. The ability to lock the tilt axis means that you can easily record a 360 degree panoramic shot with the camera staying level with the horizon. The only thing that will stop a smooth shot is you moving unsteadily as you walk round with the handle. In the video I show two clips with my camcorder on full zoom. One on my old tripod and one on this one. There is a major difference.64” seems way higher than I was expecting too. Mind you I seem to be slowly shrinking as I get older. Fully extended the camera was around my eye level and I am around 5’ 10” (used to be 5’ 11”).There is a lot more information on the video, but as you can probably tell I like this tripod. It is not in the same league as Manfrotto or other high end tripod manufacturers, but it will improve your footage if you have a conventional tripod and film a lot of moving shots. I tried to film the D-Day Flypast the other day with my old tripod. The planes were around 3 miles away and I could see them with the naked eye. On full zoom I could see the planes reasonably well, but the whole video was ruined as I could not move the camera without losing the planes from the viewfinder. The footage was all over the place! This tripod would have coped very well with that situation.

Your browser does not support HTML5 video.  Recently I've been trying to improve the quality of my images and trying out new photographic techniques, so I've decided to invest in a decent heavy duty tripod that doesn't cost the earth.A decent tripod can open the door to a number of creative techniques and ESDDI VT-60 delivers on that promise.ESDDI VT-60 will not only enable me to obtain sharper images, but I will also be able to shoot in a wider range of conditions – such as when ambient light levels are too low to shoot handheld.Better still, this tripod will allow me to experiment with a range of creative techniques such as long-exposure photography, which can be used to capture movement and turn clouds, rivers and the sea silky smooth.Video enthusiasts will also find plenty of advantages in working with ESDDI VT-60. Not least because this tripod will enable a video enthusiast to capture smoother and more professional-looking footage, without the shakiness commonly associated with amateur videos shot by hand.ESDDI VT-60 is beautifully designed, highly portable, without compromising on functionality. At around 3.5 kg this tripod is probably not the lightest one out there but then heavy-duty means exactly that - designed to withstand the stresses of demanding use. And by the look and feel of it, I can predict that ESDDI VT-60 will last me for a very long time.My favourite feature of this tripod would be the broad rubber feet that make it super stable even when fully extended. Not just that but the thick rubber feet come off to reveal spikes that makes this tripod super secure in windy conditions or when used in the mountain or on the beach.

I've only had the tripod for a few days but plan on using it heavily in the coming weeks. I notice some reviewers regard it as "cheap" while still giving it high marks. Yes, compared to price tripods it is cheap, meaning far less expensive. But price is the only cheap aspect of this fine product. Everything about it seems sturdy and well-thought-out. Legs are easy to adjust, and the tripod head moves smoothly in pans or tilts. It's easy to lock it in position during pan or tilt.It's heavier than some tripods but not so heavy to be a problem. I regard its weight as a plus.I had noticed this tripod come zipped up in the lining of the quality carrying case, along with the manual.The tripod kit truly is a professional quality product at a budget price.The workflow is, you extent first section legs, and if needed second section to the degree you need it. You adjust ballhead to level. Adjust pan-handle to your requirements, mount camera to plate, and adjust sled so that camera tilt is level depending on your position over the field. The drag for the pan and tilt is medium (compared to what I tested in the store of big-name brands) and cannot be adjusted. It works very well with DSLR and tele-zoom lens. Movement is smooth and I would say slightly progressive.Tripod folds down into bag, within three minutes. It does not feel too heavy to carry, but I would not take it on long hikes. Planing to mount monitor onto head, but have not done this, yet.This review is based off of early use. Will update if anything changes.