Ravelli AVT Professional 67" Video Camera Tripod with Fluid Drag Head

by Ravelli

Product Details

• Item Weight: 9 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 9 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• ASIN: B00139XOCI
• Item model number: AVT
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (81 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank:
  • #32 in Electronics > Camera & Photo > Tripods & Monopods > Complete Tripod Units
• Date first available at Amazon.com: January 29, 2008

Product Description

The Ravelli AVT is constructed of pressure treated aluminum and is unrivalled in stability. This geared tripod incorporates a unique center brace strut system, reliable quick-action leg locks, non-rollback center column, and rubberized feet with retractable metal spikes.

The Ravelli AVT is a high performance fluid drag video head that provides continuous drag control and operates on both pan and tilt axis with independent pan and tilt locks. The Ravelli AVT tripod head features finely machined parts for greater positioning with smooth, definite action. An easy to use fluid head comprised of titanium-line components for up to medium format and utilizes full two-way action allowing you to isolate the plane of motion and make precise adjustments to your compositions.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

38 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Pro quality tripod. Much better than the price suggests., October 17, 2009

By 

B. Sanders (Champaign, IL United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Ravelli AVT Professional 67" Video Camera Tripod with Fluid Drag Head (Electronics)

This is a professional-quality tripod that far exceeded my expectations. I was ready to spend up to $300 on a viscuous-damped semi-pro quality video tripod. The Ravelli AVT cost a small fraction of that amount, and has every feature on my wish list.

The Ravelli AVT's materials, machining and finish are high quality. The ergonomics are excellent. *Everything* on this tripod is adjustable! The handy carrying case (with shoulder strap) and *extra quick release plate* were unexpected bonuses.

A few details: The legs do have turf spikes and nice large rubber feet. The geared height adjuster works smoothly; but it needs to be manually locked or it will back off. Not too surprising. The tripod I received was labeled "ASSIA", not "Ravelli." That's fine - I assumed it was made in Asia, not Italy. Just take a look at the price.

But you want to know: "How's the fluid damping? Can I pan smoothly?" Yes; but with a slight caveat.

I agree with others that the Ravelli AVT's tilt damping is smoother than the pan damping. Here's why: The AVT's legs are fairly lightweight, and twist slightly under the load applied by the viscuous damper as you pan the camera left and right. This can be alleviated somewhat - at the expense of some damping - by backing off the pan damper adjuster a bit. There is a sweet spot, and it's pretty good. I also tried holding onto one of the legs with one hand, and doing the pan with the other. It worked nicely - silky-smooth pans every time, even in telephoto. I can live with this, no problem.

The solution to the twisting problem is simple: Get heavier tripod legs. There is a Ravelli model with stiffer legs. It probably has the same video head. If you do a lot of panning at extreme telephoto range, buy the heavier Ravelli model. If you want a (relatively) light, totable, highly portable tripod with a pro-quality oil-damped head, lots of adjustability and an unbeatable price, get the Ravelli AVT. You won't find a better deal. I've looked.

At this price, it deserves a 5-star rating all around. There are better tripods out there. Some of them cost 30 times what this one does.

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good for a "my first tripod", October 19, 2010

By 

Woz - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Ravelli AVT Professional 67" Video Camera Tripod with Fluid Drag Head (Electronics)

Not a bad tripod by any means, but, not the greatest, either. Works good for my needs. Had to make some adjustments after receiving it- had to grease up the pan and tilt more, as well as ever so slightly loosening the main screw in the bottom of the head to make the pan more smooth (it was grinding on the center column and had "bumps while panning). The tilt, while tight (usually always tight, even when loosened all the way), is smooth, but it's not smooth to start.

It's a good tripod if you're looking to start with something. Just wish the pan and tilt had more resistance and was more fluid. Carrying case isn't too bad, but will definitely get beaten and zipper will probably zip right off if you're not careful. Buy with confidence, friends, and take care of your equipment!

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A great product, but... [UPDATED], February 10, 2010

By 

Daddy V - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Ravelli AVT Professional 67" Video Camera Tripod with Fluid Drag Head (Electronics)

[UPDATE]
More praise for CheetaMounts! I was able to return the original Head which I believed to be defective. I spoke with the service rep and he was very help and understanding. I RMA'd the Head and got the replacement very quickly... now for the important info:

The replacement head is much, much better at panning than the original. It is as smooth as the Pro model (AVTP) that I also own. However, the Tilt action did suffer from a "bump" almost right at the level position. But, I did work the head for about an hour to break it in and the "bump" seems to be gone or at least very minimal.

Both the AVTP (Pro) and the AVT models have very good fluid style Heads, especially for the price range. I will say though, that there seems to be a consistency issue with the Ravelli heads. I have 2 AVTP tripods plus this AVT model and they each require a different tension setting to get an approximate/same panning & tilt action. Not a problem, just not consistent.

Again, for the price you get a very, very good value. I would highly recommend either model to anyone looking for a bargin - great bang for you buck!

[ORIGINAL Review]

First, major praise for CheetaMounts for their really, really fast delivery! WOW! I don't know how they do it, but they get their orders out fast!!!!

What's in the box:
* Tripod
* 2-way fluid head
* 2 handles/arms (to attach to the head)
* 2 base mounting plates (one already in the head and an extra one)
* 1 carrying bag
* 1 hex wrench

Fit & Finish:
* The Head: It is solid and very heavy, not what I expected at this price. The only plastic piece is the handle used to adjust the tension for the tilt. Looks like other "pro" heads and has the same features. The two included handles attach to the head and can be adjusted for proper angle.
* The legs (sticks): They are a mix of metal, aluminum, and plastic. The overall construction is metal & aluminum. The plastic pieces are used in the locking sections to secure the position of bolts in the flip-locks. (I'm a little concerned that with heavy use, these may not last... but with care, I'm sure I'll get a lot of mileage out of them.) The feet could have used a bit more design improvement, but they do provide basic function - rubber or spiked, just spin the foot assembly to expose the spike. There is no locking nut so if you pickup and move the tripod there's a chance a foot will spin out of position, thus requiring a re-leveling. (I solved this loose-spinning problem w/ some generous amounts of plumbers tape to give the threads some bite to allow the foot assembly to stay in place.) Speaking of leveling, there's one circle-bubble level at the base of the head.

Form & Function:
Once all pieces are assembled and the legs are locked off, the stance of the tripod is very solid. (I only have a Canon HF-S100 w/ all the accessories, so I can't say if it can support heavier rigs...) The tension of the pan and tilt is very stiff. On mine, the tilt is very smooth through the whole range. It is consistent and I'm very pleased with its capabilities.

[UPDATE: I've since recieved a replacement from CheetaMounts for the AVT Head. After a short "break-in" period on the new head to try to get rid of a "bump" that is evident right at the level position, I'm now able to pull very smooth pan action and almost the same level of smoothness in the tilt as the Pro version (AVTP). I'm not sure why the heads are different between the 2 models - they look the same other than handles & the bubble level, but I suspect the internal mechanism must be different some how. The problems I describe below for the pan action of the AVT head are no longer present with the replacement.]

The pan, however, is not as consistent. There are times when I get very smooth starts, stops, & continuous pans. Then there are other times when it feels like a bargain head. I've tried all the adjustments without much success. If your constantly moving the head, like following a sport from the sideline, it works great. However, the moment you stop the head and try to start again, your taking a gamble whether or not you hit a "sticky" point. This is probably fixable, but I haven't it figured out yet...

Summary:
For all the features you get, you can't beat the price. If you are looking for a bargain on pro features and you can live with what you're getting, then this is the tripod for you. I like mine, I added the Ravelli tripod dolly as well. The combination is great and makes the tripod even more sturdy yet portable. I can live with the panning issues especially for the price. It's a good buy for amateurs!