DVCAM

Tripods and Heads

The tripod and head are perhaps the most essential camcorder accessories. A fluid head adds elegance to moves and stabilizes telephoto shots. The operator can pan, tilt and zoom (assuming the zoom control is attached to the pan handle) with one hand, leaving the other hand free to operate a Dutch head, tweak focus, grab a cell phone or a cup of coffee. Viscous fluid in the head, usually silicone, smooths your pans and tilts. Mechanical heads look, well, mechanical.

Most tripods have three pointed tips at the bottom of each leg assure a firm grip on soft ground as well as the certain wrath of the homeowner whose wooden floor you have just scratched and perforated.

A spreader protects precious floors, and also prevents the embarrassment ...