Manfrotto 501HDV Video Head - Replaces 501

      by Damara S(Ind)
keep in mind that in the event you stick with it & increase your skills,
then you will finally hit the wall with this head's capabilities.
If you require a USEABLE "Entry Level" Liquid Head - this is five Stars all the way!!
No, seriously... for the money it cannot be beat.
But like I said, it is about the money!
& if you are looking for the most bang for your budgetary bucks,
then the Manfrotto 501HDV Liquid Head is what you require.
I got mine as a kit about four years ago, & it came with an wonderful set of
Manfrotto sticks (531MVB2) that are still going strong after A LOT of use (& abuse).
I only recently upgraded those sticks with the newly released Manfrotto 504HD liquid head.
WOW, what a difference. & now my 501HDV lives on-top of my Kessler Crane Slider.
So years later, I am still getting great mileage out of this elderly workhorse 501HDV head.

SLIK PRO 700DX Professional Tripod with Panhead (615-315)

          by Adrian M
This tripod has handy bubble levels, a max height of 74 inches (great for us taller photographers) & an optional short middle colum for low level shots.

My favourite part of this tripod technique has to be the simple but smart "Quick aShoe" it is round & pops in & out with a flick of the locking lever. Mounting the shoe to the camera is simple with the mount screw that is fixed to the middle of the shoe.. tuist untill it is tight. I have no issues leaving this mounted to my cameras on a regular basis. Some other brands stick out so that you can not set the camera down without making it unstable... & other shoes are  impossible to mount firmly to the camera.
Buy this tripod & it ought to outlast your camera.

Tripod Sprinkler

This sprinkler is great! It has a much more even coverage than pulsating sprinklers and can be adjusted to heavy coverage or a fine mist coverage. I bought mine through a mail order catalog a couple of years ago and have been looking for it on the internet for a while. I am so glad to have found it again.
This incredible bright yellow tripod sprinkler has an extendable neck for varying your watering patterns. The neck adjusts from 25" to 34", covers up to a 20' wide area. It features two-way selectable nozzles --- the adjustable nozzles can be set to various driplet sizes from stream to fine spray. The fogging nozzles are perfect for misting newly seeded lawns, bedding plants and fresh transplants.

Ravelli AVT Video Camera Tripod with Fluid Drag Head

       by Toni R
I must say, not knowing what to anticipate when I ordered this, I am impressed by this product. I was one times taking a look at a Manfrotto 501 tripod package, & saw their commercial for this in the used section claiming to be as nice at that at 1/4 the cost. Needless to say I was one times skeptical, but was willing to risk 89 dollars to see if their claims were true. The nice: The sticks are awesome & are worth 89 bucks alone. In fact, you'd must pay times as much to get sticks approaching these in quality. They are built like a tank & give rock solid stability. I put my 9 pound camera rig (FX-1,35mm adapter, rails) & felt confident running away from it. The speedy release plate is well made (& you receive a spare!), & you get fully adjustable pan/tilt handles. You also receive a pleasant bag with a carrying strap. The bad: The head is not as nice as the Manfrotto 501, which I have used extensively. The liquid motion in the tilt feels smooth & strong with no stiction, but the panning is not as nice. To get it to cease & and start smoothly I had to loosen it over I'd like. Also, the drag controls are not as fine as that on the 501. & while the description says the sticks have a non-rollback middle column this is not true, at least mine didn't. You need to screw it back tight to keep it from rolling down after raising it. Overall though I am impressed with the build quality, & for 89 bucks you'd be hard-pressed to discover a better tripod.

Fancier Professional Heavy Duty Video Camcorder Tripod Fluid Drag Head Kits by Fancier WF717 Black

      by armando S
A tiny background on my experiences. I am a professional cinematographer and camera operator. I chiefly use Bogen/ Manfrotto, Libec, and O'conner gear. I have lots of experience with nice solid pro gear. I bought this on a lark being that the cost was so nice, and I figured I would give it a try before purchasing a tripod/ head and drop close to a grand. I love it! It is light, but long lasting. a bit short, but put it on a tripod dolly and it fixes that issue. The head is smooth and actually lovely. I would say it is about on par with a 503. impressed. My only complaint is that the spreader is fixed, and on top of that it is plastic and I highly doubt it will support a nice size sand bag. If this had a nice spreader I would have given it three stars. All in all, I am happy with the acquisition and this is a great product. I would not use it for anything heavier than 8-10 pounds tho.