It’s often said that the difference between an amateur and a professional is not the camera, but whether it’s sitting on a tripod or not. The 3Pod Orbit 3-section carbon fiber tripod can be that bridge between an amateur’s budget and the quality of a pro’s arsenal. There aren’t many substitutes for a good tripod, and video shot without one is immediately apparent. Don’t ruin those precious travel videos with shaky footage.
3Pod Orbit 3-section carbon fiber tripod
3Pod Orbit tripod and video head
The Orbit 3-section is ideal for quick setup in the field with just two quick-flip locks on each leg. They firmly grasp the legs, even under a full load. For even more flexibility, the Orbit head rises up and out of the center brace, swiveling a full 90° so that your camera can point straight down. This is great for small creatures or shots of flowers in front of a distracting background.
Another feature I love are the three leg angle locks that allow the legs to firmly extend either 35°, 60° or 85°. This is perfect in those hard to work areas like bleachers in a stadium or between pews in a church.
At the end of each leg is an adjustable foot for either indoors or out. Inside, swivel the rubber feet into position and they will protect your floors. Outside, the rubber feet spin up and reveal pointed ends that will dig into the dirt, keeping your steadfast position on grass or other uneven surfaces.
A bubble level tops off the tripod, so even before you install the head, you’ll know the base is truly level. A reversible stud allows you to use tripod heads with either ¼”-20 or 3/8’-16 threads.
3Pod Lightweight Fluid Video Head
This lightweight fluid video head has quickly become my go-to video head for all but my largest hi-def video camera. It is perfectly suited to the video cameras, smart phones and GoPro’s that most people are gravitating to these days.
It will even work wonderfully with my DSLR cameras provided they don’t have a super-long telephoto lens attached.
Right out of the box, it was adjusted perfectly for working with my GoPro and smartphones. Tilt up, let go and the head balanced perfectly. Pan and let go, smooth as silk. For any small camcorder or lightweight camera, you’ll want to give this a try.
A bubble level built into the head lets you make sure you are mounted horizontally before you start panning. Ever pan your shot, only to find your shot started pointed at the ceiling half way through? Yeah, we all have. That’s why we come to depend on bubble levels.
Built to last
Despite their relatively light weight, these guys are going to last. They are even covered by an industry leading five-year warranty. Hard to top that anywhere near this price. Check them out along with other 3Pod heads and legs at Adorama.com.
Disclaimer: The tripod and video head were provided by Adorama so we could evaluate them for this article.
http://www.examiner.com/article/3pod-orbit-tripod-and-video-head-are-perfect-together-rail