Hi,
I have found that the Manfrotto 501 head 547 tripod is good for supporting Sony HVR-Z7u cameras. It is not as good as the one mentioned above, but it is quite a bit cheaper and for me – lighter. I do rock the head back and forth and up and down a bit to loosen it up if it’s cold. This gets rid of any sticking.
As far as wireless mics go, you get what you pay for. In weddings, I use them on the groom and the minister, not on the bride. But, I also have wired mics in use so if a wireless fails, I still get the sound. Weddings are very tricky because you sometimes run into a nazi coordinator at a church who won’t let you place mics or cameras in any useful locations. I have never had a groom or officiant refuse to wear a wireless, though.
Here’s a few things I’ve learned about wireless usage: Lectrosonics are great, but you have to take out a second mortgage to buy them; I find Sony to be a good brand and a lot cheaper; UHF is less likely to have RF noise than VHF, the higher the frequency, the better; Receivers with spacial diversity (two antennas) are way less likely to experience drop outs as the subject or camera mounted receiver move; batteries only last half as long as the mic manufacturers say so be sure you select equipment that uses inexpensive, readily available batteries and finally, mounting the little tiny mic to avoid fabric and jewelry noise is more important than anything else.
Jaimie
