Unsung Heroes: Camcorder Support Systems

Brian Peterson
September 2007

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Choosing the wrong support system can make the video from even the best video camera look amateurish, so we've put together this guide to help you make the best decision in casting this key role.

Several types of stabilization systems fall into these categories: tripods, dollies, jibs and cranes, and motion stabilizers. For each of these types, getting the right one for your style and level of production is not necessarily just a matter of spending more money. If you are a budding videographer, you'll be looking for a slightly different set of features, benefits and price ranges than someone working on a second documentary. So, we'll suggest qualities to look for in both basic and advanced support systems.

A solid tripod is nearly as important as the video camera itself. Every one has two basic parts: the head and the legs. You commonly buy these parts as a unit, but you may find them listed individually. If you do your research, you can even mix and match, but it's best to do this within the same brand.

A solid tripod must do several things well. It must stay where you put it; it must not bend or vibrate when you use it; and it must give you smooth and consistent resistance for tilts and pans. Starting from the ground up, look for feet that get a good grip on the surface you'll be shooting on. This usually means rubber or soft plastic for smooth surfaces and spikes for soil. Some designs have feet that screw up and down to reveal both types of feet, while others have removable components.

Next, look for legs that resist twisting when you tilt and pan, even with higher drag settings (more on this later). Design, materials and height all influence this property. Given the same weight and materials, legs with split-leg or "crutch" design can often resist twisting better than those with single legs. But don't avoid looking at single-leg designs, particularly if you need a compact and light set of "sticks" for travel. Material and its associated weight are considerations if you'll be toting your tripod any significant distances. Leg materials include everything from wood to carbon fiber, but the most common material is aluminum. Some experienced shooters still swear by wood designs, claiming that they absorb some vibrations better than metal or synthetics. One last leg design feature to look for is a way to limit how far the legs will spread or splay. Some legs include devices called "spreaders" that limit the splay, while others use a ratcheting system, where the legs join at the top. If low-angle shots will be in your repertoire, getting legs that allow the head to get as close to the ground as possible will be critical.

The most important factor to consider when choosing a tripod head is matching the weight of your camcorder with the rated load capacity of the head. For those of you in the More-is-Better crowd, you do not want to get a head that is designed for a heavier camcorder, even if you have plans to get a bigger camcorder sometime in the future. You simply won't get balanced performance throughout the range of the head's motion. If you are considering a bigger camcorder or have more than one type you'll be using, look for heads that allow you to install different gauges of counterbalance springs.

A big difference you'll see in price and performance is between fluid and non-fluid heads (see sidebar). For much of the work by beginning and intermediate producers, a smooth-action non-fluid head helps to provide some great-looking video. Look for true drag settings on both the tilt and pan axis, and be careful that these are not simply locking mechanisms. Using locking knobs to increase drag resistance can ruin the head over time. If you will be doing much work outside, where the wind can ruin a lengthy pan, look for heads that offer higher drag settings.

Finally, the way the head mounts to the legs can give you an added degree of flexibility and speed. The head can be secured by a ball and socket, or "bowl," or by a solid plate. The bowl design is faster to set up if you are on uneven terrain, usually requiring you to twist one knob and reference a bubble level to fix your position. This design also gives you the ability to get those artsy "Dutch" angles quickly. The solid plate design is very stable, but it requires you to adjust the legs to fix your level. In most cases, this will require more time to set up.

While anything with wheels and a camcorder mount can loosely be called a "dolly" (we've seen professional video producers successfully use a skateboard), getting truly stable moving shots, consistently, requires special design and manufacturing. Because of recent innovations and lower prices, dollies are no longer reserved for big-budget productions. The two major types of dollies include those that the operator rides on and those where the operator walks beside. Both types will often need special track for the smoothest shots. Most dollies in an affordable price range will have an aluminum base, hard rubber or urethane wheels and perhaps a seat for the operator. These configurations often require you to use your existing tripod. Tight-fitting connections at all points of contact between track sections, dolly base and tripod are critical for not only smooth, but also quiet operation. Oh yes, with a riding dolly, you'll also need a push.

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