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Velbon C-400 tripod
  • doczdocz

    I just bought a Velbon C-400. It is ridiculously cheap, I paid 40$ for it. It comes with a fluid head (plastic), a spirit buble level, and a bag. The tripod has a crank to adjust the center column, and the tripod itself has two height adjustment levels. The tripod is made of pretty sturdy metal, it is very light weight, and comes in a great bag for protection.

    The head itself is made of plastic, but I was amazed with how smooth it pans and tilts. It has feedback so you will have to push real hard to pan too fast. I testet it with my GH1 with my biggest lens - a Mitakon 28-200 all manual. It weighs a ton. The tripod handled it smoothly without any problem. I used to use a Manfrotto with video head, which cost 10 times more what I paid for this. I just bought this to test it out, and maybe use it for travel with my GF1. But now my Manfrotto is going to get sold, because that stand could not keep my heavy lenses level without tilting forward. This one can! I'm getting two more of these to use for travel and a backup. Amazing value, just thought I would share with you guys.

    I do not now how long this thing will last, but my was I blown away by how well it worked! If you want a good tripod, or if you are just starting out and learning, these cheap things are the ones you want. Forget about those other cheap brands, this is the good stuff :)

    Cheers

  • 16 Replies sorted by
  • itimjimitimjim

    It's a good travel tripod at best. Excellent value for money though.

  • doczdocz

    Well for DSLR video I think this is on par with a lot, you have to go quite a bit up in price to get something better. At least around this part of the world :) For instance a Weifeng costs about 300$ and a Manfrotto 701HD with tripod costs 480$. Both are much better than this offcourse, but for 40$... I don't think anything is better. But if there is, I would love to know :)

  • goannagoanna

    Velbon C-400 doesn't seem to have any sort of ball-levelling or equivalent. Which is a deal-breaker .

  • SangyeSangye

    The Velbons are pretty smooth for their price, but they're a bit flimsy and lack important features (e.g. ball-levelling). They are a good choice for cheap travel tripods for use with lightweight cameras, though. Just don't put too heavy of a rig on them, or they will break. Mine lasted about 6 months.

  • doczdocz

    No it has a spirit level on the tripod itself, and it has a mark for level on the tilt/pan scales. You could always stick a glue on spirit level on the head or camera though :)

  • Vitaliy_KiselevVitaliy_Kiselev

    @docz

    To be serious.

    This is very light and quite unstable tripod.

    Fluid head is not good, really. And with time or temperature it quickly degrades.

    And guys are talking about either ball head or ball leveling (like on new Benro tripods).

  • goannagoanna

    If you're pushed for time, (ie travelling) ball-levelling is compulsory

    Unless you've developed that spider-like, gangling ability to kick tripod legs apart with speed and precision while keeping your upper body bent over the spirit-level ;-)

  • doczdocz

    Let's stop for a minute. Offcourse this thing is no match for a real professional tripod. If you work as a videographer, filmmaker or camera operator, the you need good gear. For professionals, dropping a couple of k on a good reliable tripod is not only justified, but necessary. But for those of us, who do this as a hobby, and share our lives with a significant other, spending even 100 bucks on a tripod is enough to get you in the dog house for a couple of weeks. I have tried every tripod from 150 bucks and down to 10, and for the price, I have to say that for little league dads - filming their kids matches, this thing really gets the job done. With this thing you can pan and tilt smoothly, without jerky, jello motion. Perfect? No, flimsy? A bit, stable? Fairly.

    So for you pro film guys? No... this is not for you. For uncle dave filming christmas dinner - hell yeah!

    :)

  • goannagoanna

    Of course, the 90's music-video style of every pan ending in a Dutch Tilt may always come back into fashion.

    image

  • goannagoanna

    @docz

    It's precisely the opposite.

    A pro can get away with a cheap tripod, in a pinch. A newcomer deserves a fluid head's smooth feel and a time-saving ball-level so as to concentrate on good composition.

    But then, I guess, it's a person's very ability to recognize his own limitations which determines whether he might go on to become a pro. As with fishing, the 10% of fishermen who get the tides and tackle right catch 90% of the fish.

    We used to say, "spend 1/3 as much on a tripod as you do on your camera". That proportion has probably today become 3/3.

    Cameras come and go. You'll possibly keep your favourite tripod for your whole life.

  • SangyeSangye

    In the sub-$150 tripod + head market, I'd definitely go with http://www.amazon.com/Ravelli-AVTP-Professional-Camera-Tripod/dp/B00139W0XM

    ...unless you really need something that's more lightweight than that one. But the build quality and fluidity of motion is leaps and bounds above the Velbons.

    I don't mean to say you bought a bad tripod. For what it is (an insanely cheap, lightweight tripod with decent fluidity), it's great. But I think for most people here, the Ravelli is worth the extra $60.

  • tinbeotinbeo

    <a time-saving ball-level Any under $100 tripof has this ball level?

  • goannagoanna

    @tinbeo

    a time-saving ball-level Any under $100 tripod has this ball level?

    1) Used, yes. Unfashionable wooden legs, maybe?

    2) For $1 you place a sock-full of rice on any flat surface. Better than a rubbish tripod, and fast.

  • brianlucebrianluce

    A pro can get away with a cheap tripod, in a pinch. A newcomer deserves a fluid head's smooth feel and a time-saving ball-level so as to concentrate on good composition.

    I agree. And here are some secrets to getting great shots with a cheap a$$ tripod: -lock down all shots. No pan or tilting. -no tele lenses. -rubber band -if you have to pan or tilt, use larger muscle groups. http://golf.about.com/u/sty/golftips/putting-instruction/Drill-Use-Your-Big-Muscles-In-Putting-for-More-Consistent-Stroke.htm

    and where did you see a Velbon C-400 for $40. They're around $90 aren't they?

  • Vitaliy_KiselevVitaliy_Kiselev

    I cleared few messages including mine as they are not related to topic. Only meaningful is that he got it on sale.

  • brianlucebrianluce

    I just saw one of these on ebay for $25 so I grabbed it. It arrived yesterday. Yeah, it's kind of a piece of shit. But, it's tiny, light, and can get you through in a pinch. Not worth the $80 to $90 they cost new, but in the used market, might be worth grabbing. I don't regret the purchase. Tomorrow I'm head off to asia for a few months, and I'm bringing it. A few years ago I borrowed a friend's Sirui t-1004 tripod, those are better if you find one for sale.

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