Davis & Sanford PROVISTAGR18 Provista Grounder Video Tripod

Comments about Davis & Sanford PROVISTAGR18 Provista Grounder Video Tripod:

This tripod is much more than I expected to get for the low price. It's heavy duty and very sturdy. I've used it with my Panasonic DVX100A and a Sony VX1000 with a large fisheye lens, and it works great with both. I love that it included a carrying bag, 2 quick release plates, and a free dolly (although I haven't had a chance to use that yet). Everything seemed a bit stiff at first, but it's starting to loosen up very nicely. I'm extremely satisfied and would recommend this to anyone on a budget looking for a solid tripod.

Comments about Davis & Sanford PROVISTAGR18 Provista Grounder Video Tripod:

Excellent product. Would recommend.

Comments about Davis & Sanford PROVISTAGR18 Provista Grounder Video Tripod:

Very heavy duty but there were some chips here and there of the coating over the metal. Overall good quality.

Comments about Davis & Sanford PROVISTAGR18 Provista Grounder Video Tripod:

Has a lot of features of expensive tripods but at a great price. Definitely a Must Have for the camera man on a budget

Comments about Davis & Sanford PROVISTAGR18 Provista Grounder Video Tripod:

I bought this as a backup tripod. I normally use an Oben carbon fiber tripod with the Manfrotto 501HDV head.

This tripod is slightly heavier than my other combination, and the head is a little bit stiffer. Not my first pick for a tripod, but I think it will handle nicely when needed.

Can't go wrong with it for the money.

Comments about Davis & Sanford PROVISTAGR18 Provista Grounder Video Tripod:

I have a heavy camcorder, jvc dv500u. I believed I need to spend lots of money to get a tripod that can handle the load. I sure was wrong. I am very pleased with this purchase. The quality honestly surprises me at this price.
It sets up and breaks down quickly, it's sturdy, the head pans smoothly. It does exactly what I need it to do. It has a very simple but effective design.
To add to all the qualities I like, I can even upgrade the head if I wish to.

Comments about Davis & Sanford PROVISTAGR18 Provista Grounder Video Tripod:

Yes, its heavy.
Yes, its not amazingly fluid.
Yes, its not so easy to setup.
NO, you can't beat this tripod for the money you paid.
NO, won't find any better tripod for this amount of money.
Stop looking and order it NOW.

Comments about Davis & Sanford PROVISTAGR18 Provista Grounder Video Tripod:

I use the tripod for school and work and it is solid. I was surprised how sturdy it felt. It's a well made tripod. I've read reviews of people on [@] who say they were sold a knock off so I decided to go with B& H, and happy I did.

Comments about Davis & Sanford PROVISTAGR18 Provista Grounder Video Tripod:

This Tripod is great! It was exactly what I was looking for. I was skeptical for what I was buying, because it was a very reasonably priced tripod. I was looking at much more expensive tripods, ranging from 3 to 5 times the price of the ProvistaGR18. I was extremely surprised of the sturdyness and the quality of this one. I was also aprehensive about the head. I read reviews, and it's not a bad head, I have been used to more expensive ones, but this is a decent head that comes with it. It may feel stiff, but it is stiff for good reason, it allows for slower steady pans. The 75mm bowl allows you to bubble balance on any surface, and quickly set up your tripod legs without having to go through the daunting task of leveling the legs, rather just leveling the head which is a lock easier and a lot quicker. Also with the 75mm bowl allows for an upgraded head. And since it supports up to 18 pounds a heavier head will actually help in the long run to add weight for stabalization. I use a Cannon 60D DSLR with my tripod, it was nice that 2 places come with this tripod, and the quick release is great (Slide the plate off the tripod). In addition to this, if your using a small camera, in my case a DSLR, you shouldn't have any of those issues like some have had with the plate locking screw, and the other adjustments, just get it to the point where you just have to slightly turn it to lock it down and pop your plate on. I haven't had any trouble yet. And with that each screw has one of those pull out adjusters that allows you to move it in any spot so if you do have trouble turning it, you can get it in position to where you can turn it. Hope this helps.

It comes with 2 arms, I like using one. One of my legs came a little stiff, but I was able to loosen it with some playing around. Works great, leight enough to move around, heavy enough to feel comfortable with my camera on it shooting video. Oh and this tripod came with the Davis and Sanford Dolly, great freebe!

Comments about Davis & Sanford PROVISTAGR18 Provista Grounder Video Tripod:

build great nice black finish

Comments about Davis & Sanford PROVISTAGR18 Provista Grounder Video Tripod:

Although it was only twice the cost of my previous "piece of junk" tripod, it is 10 times better. The fluid head movement is nearly flawless, and it is much better at handling my Sony HDR-AX2000 than my previous tripod. The fluid head is a bit stiff, but I have already grown to like it in the two days that I have had it. I may get some grease for the fluid head to make it smoother, but I am getting used to the stiffness. Plus it stops smoothly when completing a pan. The Quick release plate is actually not a problem like I had read in some reviews, although I can imagine that it would be an issue if you want to remove in a hurry. But I like the stability of it.

The one issue I do have with it is with the Tripod legs. I expected they would not be as stable as others, and I was right. Unless you are on a flat, solid ground, the legs will shake a bit. I am sure in windy weather they will not remain stable unless weight is added. I do like the independent legs and the weight of the legs considering their size. The leg snaps are stiff amd a pain as well. I can see that adjusting the Alan screw would make it a bit smoother and easier, but out of the 10 Alan wrecnhes that I have, none fit. I guess I will have to find the right wrench online. I wish they had included it.

All in all, I would recommend this to any! I wish I could give it 4.5 stars because the issues are really minor in my case.

Comments about Davis & Sanford PROVISTAGR18 Provista Grounder Video Tripod:

I'm a retired professional videographer who still enjoys shooting and editing quality videos, even if they're just for my family and myself. As such, a solid tripod with a fluid head is a necessity. Spending a lot of money on one isn't. The Davis & Sanford ProVista GR 18 is the perfect compromise. It's more than sturdy enough to support my GL-2 and I'm able to get smooth pans and tilts without having to make any adjustments to the drag. Sure, it isn't perfect. The leg locks are stiff and there are just two sections. But when I factor in the price of this baby, I can't downgrade it for any of those shortcomings. [...]

Comments about Davis & Sanford PROVISTAGR18 Provista Grounder Video Tripod:

Great for steady shots but for moving shots not so well, that's because the tintion setting on the tripod goes from one extreme to the other, there is no in between. My biggest complaint is that the slits on the head that lock the panning and tilting arm break off when you are tilting, no matter how tight you have it tightened. So in all I would recommend that if you have enough money you buy something that is a little bit nicer, however, for what I paid for it, I can't complain.

Comments about Davis & Sanford PROVISTAGR18 Provista Grounder Video Tripod:

This does exactly what I need it to do. It goes high and low...works great with my DSLR.

Comments about Davis & Sanford PROVISTAGR18 Provista Grounder Video Tripod:

I have a owned a Gitzo, but I'm telling you, this Davis & Stanford can't be beat from a price/performance standpoint! The dolly surprised me as well. I prefer independent legs and this thing goes super low. It could be taller, but for the price, I can live with that. Most of my shots are from a jim arm, but you gotta have a tripod now and then, and it has a 75mm bowl!

Comments about Davis & Sanford PROVISTAGR18 Provista Grounder Video Tripod:

I really like this tripod. It is very smooth and pretty sturdy. I was disappointed that it didn't go as high up as I was lead to believe (to achieve full advertised height you need to have the dolly setup on) but overall the head is very nice.

Comments about Davis & Sanford PROVISTAGR18 Provista Grounder Video Tripod:

These sticks are more than worth the price. For the money spent, I was hard pressed to find a better set for the machinery that came included. After a little tweaking of the setup from the factory defaults, this product performs equally if not better than higher priced models. I added a little lubrication to the head for a smoother pan, but other than that there are no negtives a would associate with the tripod.

Comments about Davis & Sanford PROVISTAGR18 Provista Grounder Video Tripod:

I'm used to bulky Sachtler tripods, which are always wonderful, but this Davis Sandord is so small, easy to carry, and handles my camera beautifully. For a cheap, go to tripod, I highly recommend.

Comments about Davis & Sanford PROVISTAGR18 Provista Grounder Video Tripod:

As DIY filmmakers who lack the funds for heavy-duty equipment (and location permits), Davis & Sandford's Provista Grounder Tripod provides the perfect balance of:- Run 'n' gun design (2-5 feet, 10 lbs)- Professional performance (FM18 fluid head)- Affordability [...]Highly recommended for the guerilla filmmaker (or freelance event videographer) who operates with lightweight cameras, busy environments, tight schedules, and shoestring budgets.

Comments about Davis & Sanford PROVISTAGR18 Provista Grounder Video Tripod:

I'm a freelance Videorgapher and this tripod is a great support on my work....