12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
Pro quality tripod. Much better than the price suggests.
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...
Ravelli AVT Camera Tripod Fluid Head is a DRAG
The tripod is heavy and doesn't provide the smooth and fluent movement expected from a fluid drag system. Requires constant adjustments when needed for 180 degree panning, difficult to keep level. For simple tasks a simpler system would do just as well. Can't rely on this system for high end events. If you own a high grade camera, I do not recommend this camera. It...
This review is from: Ravelli AVT 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.
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This review is from: Ravelli AVT 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!
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This review is from: Ravelli AVT Video Camera Tripod with Fluid Drag Head (Electronics)
I got this tripod because i had a cheap 20 dollar one before that constantly broke, i debated saving up for a fm18 head and legs, but then i found this. In my media arts class we have a fm18 head and a manfrotto 501, if i was blind folded i would not be able to pick out the difference between this and them except for the manfrottos single handle.
I'm a skateboard filmer, so portablity is a must, at least until i can drive (im 14), the bag it comes with is great, i throw it on my backpacks skatestraps with my non filming board over it and it works great. This head is the smoothest i have even used for the price, other plastic pan heads with legs that cost 50 more than this preform worse. My only pet peeve is the pan adjustments, you cant have them too tight or you run into bumps when panning, but thats it.
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This review is from: Ravelli AVT Video Camera Tripod with Fluid Drag Head (Electronics)
I like some other people was a little hesitent about buying this for the fact that it is so cheap.However,I am totally impressed with this tripod.Yeah,it might not compare to a $400.00 tripod,but it's a quater of the price.The construction is pretty solid and the tilt/pan are very smooth.As far as holding weight,I have a SONY HVR-HD-1000u that weighs around 12 lbs with all accesories and the AVT holds it easily.Bottom line is if your on a budget this tripod will do the trick.
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This review is from: Ravelli AVT Video Camera Tripod with Fluid Drag Head (Electronics)
Its a very good tripod, the panning is very smooth, not perfect but awesome at the price. The build quality rivals far more expensive models, the head is built like a tank! Above all the customer support is beyond anything you would expect... It is a small company, they manufacture in china but are based in the US and they are fully responsive to an issues you might incur. I had a manufacturers error on an early model , thought I was just going to live with it considering the company I bought it from, and left a review reflecting the error within the next day I was contacted and they replaced it, payed for shipping and were extremely courteous on the matter. Will buy from them again, cant wait to see there next generation tripods- They will be amazing
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This review is from: Ravelli AVT Video Camera Tripod with Fluid Drag Head (Electronics)
For the money, I know of no better panning head tripod. The head alone is worth more than the price of the tripod and the inclusion of a second mounting plate and a bubble level sweeten the deal. There's one thing you should know about to make this tripod work properly. There are three set screws in the circular plate at the top of the column that attaches the tripod legs to the panning head. After attaching the head to the tripod, tighten these screws with the included Allen wrench so the head doesn't loosen and fall off when you pan horizontally. If you don't tighten these screws, you may think the tripod's defective when it's really not.
The tripod came double boxed and shipping was very quick. Cheetah Mounts provided me with prompt, personal service and they answer their phones. They're a pleasure to do business with.
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This review is from: Ravelli AVT Video Camera Tripod with Fluid Drag Head (Electronics)
I have to say, not knowing what to expect when I ordered this, I'm very impressed by this product. I was looking at a Manfrotto 501 tripod package, and saw their advertisement for this in the used section claiming to be as good at that one at 1/4 the price. Needless to say I was skeptical, but was willing to risk 89 dollars to see if their claims were true. The good: The sticks are awesome and are worth 89 bucks alone. In fact, you'd have to pay two times as much to get sticks approaching these in quality. They're built like a tank and give rock solid stability. I put my 9 pound camera rig (FX-1,35mm adapter, rails) and felt completely confident walking away from it. The quick release plate is very well made (and you get a spare!), and you get two fully adjustable pan/tilt handles. You also get a nice bag with a carrying strap. The bad: The head is not quite as good as the Manfrotto 501, which I have used extensively. The fluid motion in the tilt feels very smooth and strong with no stiction, but the panning isn't as good. To get it to stop and and start smoothly I had to loosen it more than I'd like. Also, the drag controls aren't as fine as that on the 501. And while the description says the sticks have a non-rollback center column this is not true, at least mine didn't. You have to screw it back tight to keep it from rolling down after raising it. Overall though I'm impressed with the build quality, and for 89 bucks you'd be hard-pressed to find a better tripod.
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This review is from: Ravelli AVT Video Camera Tripod with Fluid Drag Head (Electronics)
I can see why people gave this 5 stars. It is what it say's it is and it's a good value for the money. But you do get what you pay for. This tripod will not take heavy usage, the legs are lose and looks like it's made in China. The head works well and is the best thing about the tripod. I plan on putting it on a Bogen tripod for a bit more support and ease to open.
For casual use it would work well.
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This review is from: Ravelli AVT Video Camera Tripod with Fluid Drag Head (Electronics)
I cant believe i paid 79.95 for this,this amazing tripod! 79.95 is well worth it.I recommend this to anyone looking for a well built,amazing tripod. I love it.
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This review is from: Ravelli AVT Video Camera Tripod with Fluid Drag Head (Electronics)
Needed a tripod for our school. Used mostly for video. Not real heavy use but around 1-2 hours per week so we wanted something substantial. But some of the professional video tripods are soo expensive. Anyway we opted for the Ravelli AVT at a price under $100. Very happy with what we got. We use three or four different cameras and the heaviest is maybe 10lbs. The legs on this tripod hold the 10lbs with no problem and I would say could hold a lot more. The head pans nice and smooth and the extra long handles give you adequate leverage to make small movements. Despite the price, this is not a light flimsy tripod. I can easily see this lasting us for several years. Nice bag too. When we bought this, Ravelli was also selling a "Professional" version, but to be honest I think this is all the tripod we needed.
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