How is this tripod?

http://www.jr.com/JRProductPage.process?Product=3988250

I'm going to shoot a full movie, and I need a tripod.. Anything wrong with this one?

It probably isn't very fluid. If your movie is going to have pans and tilts (not just static shots), it could be horribly jerky. Is there somewhere you can try it out first?

Also, 4 pounds of support isn't very much. What camera do you have?

It might be stable indoors if your camera is as light as a bird. Outdoors, however, the lightest breeze will cause it to shake, rattle, and roll.

The tripod you refer to looks similar to a backup tripod I just got from Digital InnovationsNY (http://store.digitalinnovationsny.com/) that included a small desktop tripod (that had no video head but would help with steadying a still camera mainly) and cleaning kit for a total of $12.50 plus shipping. The model number is TR60N. It's lightweight but not totally stable, so it can wobble a bit when you pan and tilt. More important is the fact that the head is friction based, so it is not particularly smooth. It comes with a case and, since it's so light (2.2 pounds), it could be a useful backup tripod for a lightweight camcorder. But I wouldn't use it as your normal, main tripod.

I've found that Velbon makes a nice tripod that goes for about $70 or less (in fact, I just looked up Velbon and found one for $45 for lighter camcorders). It's a very sturdy tripod. While the fluid damped head isn't perfectly smooth, tending to have a bit of backlash (by that I mean that when you move the camcorder it may want to move back just a bit in the reverse direction). And when you consider that heads (without tripods) can run hundreds and even thousands of dollars, a tripod for less than $100 than includes a head that works resonably well is a good deal.

Bob

Don't waste your money. Anytime it says "For Film Camera - Video Camcorder - Digital Camera / 3-Way Pan Head" you know it's not a good for video. You rarely, if ever, need to tilt a video cam over 90 degrees like you do with a still cam. And seriously, how good can a $15 tripod be?

Good luck.

Dennis