Balancing Professional Sachtler Tripod Heads

Professional video tripods are not just sticks to put your camera on, they are precision pieces of engineering designed to enable the camera operator to produce smooth and fluid movements. The key to achieving professional results is in the balancing of the tripod head. This guide uses the Sachtler DV8/100SB which is being set up to carry a full size Sony HVR s270 camera. The basic principles apply to most Sachtler and Vinten tripods and pan and tilt heads.

Rule #1 - When using any grip kit, such as tripods and lighting stands is:-

DO NOT OVERTIGHTEN YOUR NUTS.

All locking nuts should only ever be finger tight. Over-tightening does not make them more secure, it just strips the thread and causes them to fall apart.

Note that the handles of the tripod bag are closer to one end. This is the end that accommodates the head of the tripod not the feet. Carrying a tripod bag in which the tripod has been placed the wrong way round can cause injury to your wrist.

The “camera-to-tripod-connection-interface” consists of a Sachtler tripod plate, fixed to the bottom of a Sony quick-release camera plate. In the real world, the former comes with the tripod and the latter with the camera, but for our purposes the combined unit will live in the side pocket of the tripod bag, so there is no need to dis-assemble it. If the securing screws work loose, they can be tightened with a universal camera tool – a coin of 1p, 5p or 20p denomination.

1. Loosen the wing nut securing the pan bar in its stowaway position, move the pan bar into an approximate working position and tighten the lock nut. Try to avoid “ratcheting” the pan bar against its locating point as this will wear away the friction teeth that keep the pan bar firmly in position.

Don't grind the teeth

2) Release the retaining clip/chord that binds the tripod legs together, spread the legs and place upon the floor. (Don’t forget to strap the legs back together when finished).

3) The feet of Sachtlers tripods have a habit of popping out of position in the ground spreader. If this happens, pull the rubber strap up and over to release the leg, re-seat the foot in the correct position and pull back the rubber strap to secure in place.

4) It is usually better to extend the lower legs of the tripod first………

……..as it then becomes easier to increase the height, if need be, without bending down. The correct working height is determined by the shot required……not by the height of the camera operator. For interviews the camera lens should be at the same height as the subject’s eyes and parallel to the floor (assuming a level floor).

5) Once the tripod is at the correct height, the next step is to level the head using the 100mm levelling bowl. Slacken the bowls locking nut, adjust the head whilst watching the spirit level and lock in place once the correct position is reached

Tilt Lock

. It is easier to do this if the tilt lock and pan lock levers are each in the locked position. In dark conditions, the spirit level can be illuminated by pressing down on it.

Pan Lock

6) To fit the camera plate to the tripod head, the head needs to in its “primed” position with the plate detection pin exposed. If this pin is not visible, follow this procedure to “prime” the head.

Primed

Not Primed

Pull down the locking pin on the red release leaver that is under the camera platform.

Rotate the lever to the left and allow it to lock in position. The camera plate can then be fitted by inserting into the primed receptacle, rear end first. Listen out for the “click of success” and check that the plate is firmly attached before attaching the camera.

Note that the plate can be inadvertently fitted facing backwards. The V-shaped “wedge” should be at the front, and the small metal capstan should be to the rear.

Front Wedge Rear Capstan

As with the tripod head, the camera plate also needs to be in its “primed” position, but in this case the pin should be retracted and not be visible. Normally, this is the case but check before annoying to mount the camera.

Primed

Not Primed

To prime the quick release plate, depress the red locking tab and pull the release lever outwards and to the left. The same procedure is used when removing the camera from the plate, in which case make sure that the camera is held firmly by its handle grip.

The camera can now be mounted on the plate. Note that the bottom of the camera has a wedge that slides forwards into the wedge-shaped receptacle of the camera plate AND there is also a slotted metal bracket at the rear of the camera that engages with the capstan of the camera plate. IT IS ESSENTIAL THAT THIS BRACKET ENGAGES THE CAPSTAN!

The Wedge

The Bracket

Line up the wedge, lower the back end of the camera and push the camera forward so that the rear bracket engages the capstan and you hear the satisfying click of success as the locking mechanism pin engages the slot in the wedge.

CHECK that the rear bracket and capstan are properly engaged, and pull or waggle the camera to ensure that it is firmly attached before letting go,

7) Balance the camera horizontally. TAKE GREAT CARE when performing this adjustment. DO NOT let go of the camera.

With the tilt lock in the OFF position, and no tilt friction applied, set the counter-balance knob to #6 and relax your grip on the camera slightly whilst observing which way it falls away from the horizontal position. A camera that is front heavy will need to be moved backwards over its pivot point. A camera that is back heavy will need to go forward.

Tilt Lock Off 

Tilt Friction Control

Counter-balance Control

Release the red slide plate locking knob on the right hand side of the tripod head and slide the plate and  camera forwards or backwards in order to balance horizontally. Then lock the red locking nut.

Once the camera has been balanced properly, you should notice that when you tilt forwards or backwards, the camera should stay in position when you release your grip, without the need of ant friction. If a higher setting is used for the counter-balance, (e.g. #8), the camera will return to the horizontal position when you let go. If a lower setting is used, (e.g. #3), the camera will plunge dangerously forwards or backwards. A counter-balance setting of 6 is correct for this weight combination of camera and battery, a different camera would require a different setting.

8) Apply Pan and Tilt friction to suite the job in hand.

Once the camera has been balanced correctly, apply enough friction to give some level of resistance to push against. For most use, settings of 3 or 4 seem about right but this is a matter of personal preference, and also depends on the speed of subject movement that you are trying to follow.

9) The Ground Spreader can be deployed by releasing the three lock-nuts and extending each section. This should be done without the camera attached. This is useful for low angle shots, or when additional stability is required in high wind.

And YOU thought a tripod was just a set of sticks to put a camera on! Not at £3,000 a piece they’re not!