I finally did it! I upgraded to a real tripod and head! Last week I accidentally broke my crappy old $14 tripod. In the following video I bust open my new Manfrotto 501HDV head and my new Slik Pro 700DX tripod legs. I go over some tips on how to set this stuff up and use it:

This system was recommended to me by David Flores, a New York based photographer and film maker. This isn’t a blog post by someone who has tried every tripod and head under the sun, and slowly come to the realization that this is the best combo in the world for under $300. I was simply lucky enough to pick the brains of some experienced people who pointed me in the right direction.

Thanks David! I totally love this set up! This gear is really solid. I’ve already done two shoots with it and my quality of life has vastly improved. That’s the thing about buying good equipment. It really does make your life better. Shooting instantly becomes easier and more enjoyable. This is the kind of purchase that gets you these perks.

One of the reasons I needed a quality tripod is that I’ve been putting together a video about using on-camera external microphones with video-enabled DSLR cameras. It’s called The Great On-Camera Mic Shootout 2010. In the video I use a Nikon DLSR with a big ole’ honking lens on it. The camera was a loner, so there was no way I was going to stick it on a cheap $14 tripod. That’s just asking for trouble. The Manfrotto 501HDV head with the Slik Pro 700DX tripod legs handled the weight of the camera, mic, and big lens wonderfully. I highly recommend this combo. Plus it just looks legit. That’s important too for some reason. :)

Published by Sam

Writer, musician, photo taker and video maker. When not writing somewhat longish articles for this blog, I write incredibly short things on Twitter: @SamMallery

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12 Comments

  1. So, I purchased this combination, and I’m not sure if I’m doing something wrong, but the head does not lock properly to the tripod legs. The Manfrotto head uses a secondary threaded bolt, I assume present on Manfretto tripods, to lock the head in place. However, the Slik legs assume the head has a tightening mechanism to clasp the primary thread in place.

  2. Hey Sam – first up, great video, and fantastic tripod and head recommendation! I just got both and set them up. Your video was super-helpful, especially with the set-up of the plate, it would’ve taken me a long time to figure out that I needed to slide out the bigger screw after popping out the rubber gasket – extremely helpful tip! I love the feel, weight and overall set-up. One question – I’ve used another pro set-up (Manfrotto legs + head-503, I think) at work, and really liked that I could set-up the height first, get the legs locked, and then quickly use the leveling center-column to get the head’s bubble to get smack in the middle. With the Slik 700 DX Pro legs, and it’s fixed center column, the only way to get the head’s bubble to level off is by extending or shortening the height of the legs, right? Not a big deal, but wanted to check if there’s a right way to do the leveling without having to change the height that we lock it to. Appreciate any insights. Again – great site, love your shoot-out videos too. Keep up the great work!! – Sharath

    1. Hi Sharath! Thanks for the encouraging comment! As far as leveling the Slik legs go… yeah. That’s the way I have to do it too. I lock the legs, look at the bubble, then guess which leg has to be shortened and how much. Relock the leg, look at the bubble again to see if it improved the situation. It’s a little bit of a drag, but until you posted about how this was easier with the Manfrotto legs you used to use, I had no idea there was an easier way! Ignorance is bliss… You get what you pay for… I’m sure there’s a few more trite sayings that apply. :)

  3. Thanks for responding Sam. I can’t really complain about the overall package’s (legs + head) value for money. I looked up the price of the Manfrotto legs that allowed a center-column leveling of the head’s bubble – it’s over $500! Don’t need it, can’t afford it!! :) Much to learn with what I do have right now. Look forward to more insights from you on your site – Cheers!

  4. I too followed your advice and purchased both. But cannot attach the head to the tripod. How did you solve this please?

    Thanks!

  5. Hi Sam

    I like to know is this combination work for photo shooting also or only good for vedio?

    1. It’s a bit heavy for a photo tripod. Plus, the head of a photo tripod can be switched so you can shoot in portrait or landscape. So yeah, this combo is really a video thing.

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