Reddit reviews Davis & Sanford PROVISTA7518B Pro Video Tripod with V18 Fluid Head

Congrats on the job!

[Tiffen Variable ND filter] (http://amzn.to/2mw8AY7) is a necessity to me, especially when outside.

This shoulder rig is really an impressive tool for the price.

Husky Multi-tool is my favorite multi-tool

A good tripod like Davis & Sanford model is probably one of the best purchases I've ever made (it's great as-is, and is even better when you upgrade the fluid head to a Manfrotto Video Head).

Pelican SD Card case not only provides protection, but also helps you keep organized.

Pelican 1510 with Padded Divider Case has been my main camera case for well over a year, and has saved my life on multiple occasions (downpours, falling down stairs, etc). I use the top organizer on it as well quite a bit.

This Apurture light is a great run-n-gun LED light that i prefer over costlier alternatives.

Joby Gorillapod is always in my camera bag for random uses. I use it mainly for a makeshift hair light mount, but I've gone as far as mounting my b-cam on it for timelapses.

Merrell Moab Waterproof Shoes are the best shooting shoes I've ever worn.

This Foldable Cart is incredible for me... I never go to a shoot without it. It folds up and fits in my small jeep along with the rest of my gear without an issue, and it gives me a workbench when deployed on location.

A watch with a compass is very important to me if I'm doing exteriors and have no idea where the sun is at due to cloud cover.

Anyway those are some odds and ends I could think of that I use on a day to day basis.

This obviously depends on who you ask, what they need it for, and their budget. For my video production purposes, I started with a Davis & Sanford Provista 7518b [referral link] and upgraded the head to a used Manfrotto 501.

The Davis & Sanford is the way to go. I did a complete review of the tripod already. Check it out here.

50+ weddings here. The subtle jerks in the camera motion is most likely due to in-camera image or lens stabilization. It’s meant for slowing down movement to capture a better still frame, but fails when being used to stabilize video since your usually performing camera motions beyond what the software algorithm can handle. The result is these little bumps in the shot like the camera hit some invisible wall. I recommend turning these functions off as they conflict with any other attempt by the user to get a stable shot.

A solid drag head tripod is essential for getting smooth pans and are not too spendy if your shooting DSLR. Davis and Sanford have a great product on Amazon here

Don’t use gimbals if they are not properly balanced. the shot looks worse if it sways too and fro. Gimbals are only worth is when they are optimized and the shot floats, and glides through a scene.

Other than that, I would shorten up the title splash. It displays for too long and was noticeable.

Color, composition and exposure looks great!

If you're just getting started, their products are good enough. The head has independent leveling bowl, the fluid pans move smoothly, legs and head are more than strong enough for your camera and lens. Have a cage and rails on one, so more weight still.

Their Pro Vista 7518B on rare occasions has fallen to $99 on Amazon, sometimes rises to as much as $400, though is usually around $150. A good value in the $150 range.
https://camelcamelcamel.com/Davis-Sanford-PROVISTA7518B-Video-Tripod/product/B00111V2Y0

A bit rough around the edges (literally), had to file the sharp edge of the plate mount as it was so sharp it could cut. Only on one end though, the other had been smoothed in the factory.. As with most tripods, made of aluminum, so took all of five minutes to round off the sharp corners with a file. Well worth the savings.

Also converted it to arca swiss, as the plate mount it comes with is not standard. Coneverting to arca swiss is easy, buy a $13 arca swiss clamp and screw it into the D&S plate. Use cheap arca swiss plates from then on, which on ebay are as little as $3.

Once you have paying jobs and are using a tripod daily, you might consider something something better. Until then, in the sub $200 range, haven't seen much better.

I got this one http://amzn.to/1idzFuc not too bad I really like the how the legs lock in place with a single tab, although the fluid head seems a tad stiff but it's my first tripod so maybe that's how it's suppose to be.

I use the Davis and Sanford Provista 7518 and it's a surprisingly solid fluid head tripod for the amount of money that it costs. I haven't used it specifically for astrophotography, but I've used it to shoot both stills and video with zero problems.

I second getting a Rebel. I got a T3i for $275 this summer with the lens. I took the savings and got a Davis & Sanford Provista Fluid Video Tripod. That way I could do smooth panning and tilting while recording.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00111V2Y0/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1412041969&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX110_SY165_QL70

Really durable tripod.

Sliders
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B007OWQGTG?cache=83e56ed2cc25f43e918365285c5f8f7d&pi=A C_SX110_SY165_QL70&qid=1412042111&sr=8-4#ref=mp_s_a_1_4



http://www.revolvecamera.com/products/revolve-camera-dolly-video-slider

The glide gear has good reviews. I haven't used it personally. It's good for the price.

The revolve is good too but you need two tripods if you're not on a flat surface. The revolve is good because you can use pvc to make your own track or other pipe.

I just got this one: http://www.amazon.com/Davis-Sanford-PROVISTA7518XB-Provista-Tripod/dp/B00111V2Y0

I like it a lot!

/u/jrener - [here] (https://www.amazon.de/Davis-Sanford-PROVISTA7518B-Provista-Stativ-Kugelkopf/dp/B00111V2Y0//ref=as_li_ss_tl?ref_=nav_signin&&linkCode=ll1&tag=hybrcamerev02-21) it is from Amazon Deutschland for 256,11€.

Hope that's close enough to the B&H price to be helpful!