Magnus VT-4000 Tripod System with Fluid Head

I am not a professional. I am barely an amateur! I bought an inexpensive tripod at a big box store about 8 years ago and it finally broke on me. It was by a manufacturer that isn't around any longer so I needed to find something that would meet my needs. I shoot video for my wife's middle-school band concerts (she's the teacher.) I pan across the students during the concert. Now, I realize I'm shooting for a DVD for some middle-school students to watch and it doesn't need top quality panning, but I want quality. I also do some video shooting here and there for my kids, for my work, etc. Again, I don't need perfection, but I want it! So I have been searching a zillion reviews trying to find a decent tripod for video and all the reviews here on Amazon are all over the board! So I finally took the plunge and bought a mid-priced tripod for around $75. Although it claimed fluid head, it didn't have it. So I returned it and decided to spend the big bucks (for an amateur) on this one. First of all, this thing is sturdy. Very sturdy. It feels solid and is not some cheap plastic thing. I enjoy the height. It does not have a telescoping middle piece like so many of the other ones do. I thought I'd miss that, but it just adds to the stability and ruggedness of this. I'm 5'10" and it stands at about my mouth/nose level. My little Sony Handy-cam can barely be seen on the top of this thing! The tripod is a monster size for my little camera, but I'll tell you what, it is so smooth panning. Vertical and horizontal panning is the smoothest I've seen! I love this tripod so much! Pros: Very smooth panning vertical and horizontal. Easy to setup. Comes with an allen wrench to adjust tightness of leg closures. Quick connect is easy to use. Multi-positions available for panning arm. Rugged! The carrying case is a decent quality one! (Imagine that!) It's a monster! Cons: It's a monster! Large footprint for my tastes, but needs to be because of its height and ability to hold a decent camera. The price is high for someone who doesn't take lots of video, but it is worth it especially compared to what else is out there. I realize that many of you reading this are probably not the novice I am. But if you are a novice who wants quality in their videos, then get this tripod. I love it. Read more

Hello Everyone, To start off my review I just wanted to mention that this product was not provided to me at a discount or free and I purchased it with my own funds. =========================================================================================== So what comes inside the box? ------------------------------------------ (1x) Magnus VT-3000 Professional High Perform Tri-pod (1x) Adjustable lever (1x) VT-QRP300 Quick Release Plate (1x) Carrying Case (1x) Instructions ========================================== The Design & Overall Functionality ----------------------------------------------- I bought this tri-pod to do You Tube videos as a tech product reviewer. I found out, the hard way, you really need a fluid head tripod if you want to get solid B-roll on a product and this tripod is all around fantastic for such projects and the like! To begin, the legs are made of anodized aluminum which makes it really sturdy and durable. It also looks amazing. The three retractable legs are easily adjustable with tightening flip locks. The feet of the legs have adjustable rubber pads that can be screwed down to use metal spikes just in case you're shooting outside or in the grass. The height can reach up to 61 inches and as low as 28.6 inches. It supports up to 6.6lbs or 3kg and it weighs slightly less than 8 pounds. It can support just about any Cannon DSLR or Camcorder. Note - it is a bit tiresome to lug around due to its weight. The main reason why I purchase this tripod was due to the fact it had a tilting and panning fluid head, but not only that but it comes with a 65mm ball base so you can adjust the head even if the legs are uneven. This is done magnificently well due to the fact that the fluid head is counter-balanced which gives yields some resistance when panning and tilting resulting in a more fluid shot.There is a level right under the fluid head and it comes with a release plate so you can interchange between cameras easier. The panning and tilting lever is adjustable and can be attached to either side of the fluid head. This tripod has increased my level of professionalism by leaps and bounds. I film with a Galaxy S7 & S7 edge and they work fine with the Magnus. Mind you the tripod head itself is not removable so you can't take it off and put it on another tripod or slider. ========================================================================================================== My Opinion ----------------- This is the best tripod in terms of affordability, durability, and functionality. It's in between cheap tripods to manfrotto tripods. I have nothing but praise for the Magnus VT-3000. This is made for the intermediate photographer, or You Tuber. The only thing that could have made this tripod better was if the fluid head was detachable. My verdict, if you're looking to step up your quality and professionalism this is a must. If you're a novice I would recommend a cheaper option until you are fully dedicated to your craft. If you feel you want to make an investment right off the bat than this would be the time to do it. Axiom Brevity ========== If you found this review helpful please hit the helpful button. You can also check out all my other reviews on You Tube @ Axiom Brevity. Thank you for your time. Read more

I really didn't expect much at this price level. I am a 30+-year TV broadcast veteran and I spent a lot of years in the field using tripods such as Sachtler and other broadcast-level tripods. I am very, very pleased with this unit right out of the box. Every component appears to be meticulously manufactured and has a quality feel to the touch. I was forced to mount a 200mm lens on my DSLR for my first take - no vibration in the image (hands off) with full leg extension. Hands on with pan & tilt there was a slight bit of vibration when starting movement - moving the head with a more normal-range lens mounted and the legs at 1st stage there was no vibration. Pan & tilt were smooth - this model didn't have a control to completely release head pressure, so absolute balance couldn't be verified, though with the sliding QR adapter a tilt range in the 30-degree zone worked OK - because of this, not sure if this is a true fluid head or friction head. I would compare this fairly close to the performance of some $3,000 tripods I've used. Read more