TARION TR-VT77 Camera Tripod Fluid Drag Head Tripod Full Panoramic View 360 1/4" & 3/8" Quick Release Plate DSLR Photography Studio Professional Heavy Duty Tripod for Comcorder Video

As a working cinematographer, I have been searching for a tripod that has a great quality build for a reasonable price. At first glance when I pulled it out of the box, I quickly realized the size of the tripod and how high the legs could extend. I was very impressed with how sturdy my RED camera felt on the tripod. Tarion has created a tripod for anyone’s needs, whether you are a filmmaker or a photographer!For me personally, I work with a large range of Cinema cameras which can be quite heavy at times, therefore, having a trustworthy tripod can go along way. The large baseplate was one of the most promising factors of this tripod. It is able to rig up large cameras seamlessly. The Tripod performed excellently on set today. The ball head was fluid and very smooth for both the tilt and pan. The simple adjustment knobs allowed me to change in between shots depending on my needs, which help moved production faster.In practical use, the commercial shoot we had recently was shot on a very windy day. The Tripod’s spiked feet option was very useful and prevented the tripod from tipping over. With the overall build quality and reliability, and sold at half the price of its competition, you can’t beat it! I have posted a few photos of the tripod below! Very happy with the product and might be purchasing more in the future.

Please note: these are my initial observations with this tripod. Out of the box, the TR-VT770 is impressive. Well built, sturdy and huge! The head assembly is bigger then Nikon P900 I purchased it for. The P900 is a bridge camera, similar to a DSLR but, with a fixed lens. Unfortunately I ran into some minor issues attaching the camera to the tripod and with using it.When attaching the quick-release plate to the camera, both the 1/4” and 3/8” screw require either a flat blade screwdriver or a quarter to tighten. After sliding the camera onto the tripod head, I was unable to tighten the quick-release plate locking-knob because the camera grip was directly above it. I reoriented the camera 180 degrees which gave me clear access to the locking-knob, but now the pan handle was facing the lens side of the camera which makes panning and tilting awkward. Eventually I figured out I could slide the camera slightly off center to the head and completely tighten down the plate locking knob.Lastly I had some issue with the fluid head lock knob. When I tried to pan the camera it was difficult and not smooth. I had to hold the tripod steady with one hand and pan with the other. I tried to release the lock knob by turning it, but the knob was already against the head housing and would turn no further. I could only adjust it tighter which completely locked the head from moving. It was at this point I realized why they supplied a hex key. It is used to adjust the position of the knob on the stud of the lock-clamp. I loosened the screw with the supplied hex key, pulled the knob off, finger tightened the exposed stud on the lock clamp, then re-positioned the knob and tightened with the hex key. The tripod now pans easily and smooth. I’m not sure why the lock knob position could not have been set at the factory.All in all, I plan on keeping the tripod. Its worth mentioning, this is a heavy tripod…12.6 lbs. Oh and one more thing, the tripod I got came without the user manual.

A really good tripod and the fluid head is very smooth, only thing i haven't figured out is how to get a good panorama slide but i work around it right now. It's very solid and good material, i recommend!

Is a perfect studio tripod. Sturdy enough but not so heavy. Can be moved around without problem. The price is right

Really great buy if you have a big video camera or need it for a teleprompter.Size and weight dictate that it should be in a studio like setting. it is definitely not for carrying around.overall a very good buy that is suspect will last for years.

Great for the price, gets the job done! Release mechanism could be improved.

This is the only tripod you’ll ever need. SOLID construction and durable materials. Is definitely NOT lightweight !!

Good product very strong and easy to use