Ravelli AVT Video Camera Tripod with Fluid Drag Head

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by: Aaron (United States)
on: Sunday, 31-October-2010

Just bought this tripod and received it the other day. As far as tripods go, this one is great for the price. Unfortunately, I bought this for my new Canon T2i HDSLR camera that I am using primarily for video. The way the mounting plate slides into the main head, the tightening screw wont rotate all the way around to fully secure the plate to the head. The camera base extends out and blocks the tightening screw. You are able to partially place the quick release plate onto the head and partially tighten the main screw while the camera screw is exposed over the back of the head. If you then place the camera onto the quick release plate and tighten the camera screw you can fully engage the quick release plate onto the head and finish tightening the screw to fully secure the camera to the tripod. This pretty much defeats the purpose for the quick release, but if youre not in a hurry and you can play around with it, go for it. As I said...great tripod for the money, but if you plan on using this with a DSLR, you will need to play around with it a bit.

by: Woz (United States)
on: Wednesday, 20-October-2010

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 its not smooth to start.

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

by: B. Barthrop (Minneapolis, MN, USA)
on: Wednesday, 29-September-2010

Pros: I am very impressed with the quality of this tripod. Easily has the quality construction of tripods in the $200-$300 range. I highly recommend this product for a person on a budget.

Cons: It is very very heavy. I wouldnt want to use this for outdoor videography. Its like carrying a car fender.

by: REVid (United States)
on: Monday, 27-September-2010

The construction of the legs and mount on this are pretty robust but I cant get the fluid panning that I thought Id get. There is very noticable bump when you begin to pan and the resistance is enough to lift one of the legs if youre not holding the tripod down. My video is usually stationary so the panning isnt a big deal but was hoping that it would be better that it is just in case I needed it.

by: reuben kanoho (United States)
on: Saturday, 25-September-2010

As good as advertised and anticipated. Best tripod I have ever owned. Superior construction quality, and free shipping too. Couldnt be happier!

by: Joshua Freedman (United States)
on: Friday, 24-September-2010

This is a great tripod... except if you want to pan. I assumed that the problem couldnt be THAT common so I ordered... and its like the head is loose from the fluid head. You move about 3° before the fluid head engages, so theres a terrible JOLT at the start of a pan. Yuck. Cheetahmounts said they could tell me how someone else fixed, but Im returning and trying something else. I hope they open all these and check em. Then itd be a great product. Sigh.


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Updated: I got a call from Cheetahmounts saying they had a fix for this problem and they were solving it - so I changed my review to 4*s. Good service!!

by: Danny Dan (United States)
on: Thursday, 19-August-2010

Great Great Great Great Great to deal with this campany.Is your stuff not wirking?pls tell them and theyll give the best customer relation attention to you with a UPS 2day shipping.WOW!!!!...GREAT

by: FuManChew (United States)
on: Friday, 6-August-2010

The tripod is heavy and doesnt 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. Cant rely on this system for high end events. If you own a high grade camera, I do not recommend this camera. It will become your systems weakest link.

by: J. Alaniz (Mt.View, CA)
on: Saturday, 20-March-2010

Set up in minutes. Perfect for making my projects easier to produce. Would recommend.

by: John A. Williams (USA)
on: Tuesday, 16-March-2010

Wow what can i say! This thing is a tank! Well made!!! I got it for my digital camera because i was tired of weak flimsy tripods that couldnt support my camera. My Camera weighs 4 pounds with lens and battery grip. So I am extremely happy! Its soooooo sturdy and well built. You will not be disappointed!

by: Ric Barrios (florida,usa)
on: Wednesday, 3-March-2010

Very good appliance. Great for moving camera between shots. Not so smooth for panning, wheels are a little hard and there is some vibration

by: Josh (Minnesota USA)
on: Tuesday, 2-March-2010

Simply put this tripod is excellent. I half expected to receive something way too lightweight. I was a little shocked when I hefted the box. This is not a $20 tripod. The fluid head makes tilt and pan silky smooth (if you have the settings adjusted right.) I dont think anyone could be disappointed with this tripod. I will say that my cam is fairly lightweight compared to some, and it might have made my ability to pan a little easier, another reviewer mentioned that you may have to hold the tripod while panning. My cam is about 8 pounds or so. I can see that with a much heavier camera this might be true, but I cant confirm it.

The construction on this is just solid. The price on this is unbelievable.

by: Daddy V (United States)
on: Wednesday, 10-February-2010

First, major praise for CheetaMounts for their really, really fast delivery! WOW! I dont know how they do it, but they get their orders out fast!!!!

Whats 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

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 legs (sticks): The 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. (Im a little concerned that with heavy use, these may not last... but with care, Im sure Ill 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 theres 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, theres 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 cant 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 Im very pleased with its capabilities.

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. Ive 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 havent it figured out yet...

Summary:
For all the features you get, you cant beat the price. If you are looking for a bargain on pro features and you can live with what youre 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. Its a good buy for amateurs!

by: Ethan Illfelder (NY, NY USA)
on: Monday, 1-February-2010

i like the build quality, and aside form its plastic handles and adjustments screws on the head which are hard to get at with a canon 7d on top my only big complaint is the fact the tripod is covered with a oil that gets on your hands and smells, like grease... the bag is nice but also saturated with the stuff.

by: Raven (United States)
on: Saturday, 30-January-2010

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. Theres 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 doesnt loosen and fall off when you pan horizontally. If you dont tighten these screws, you may think the tripods defective when its 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. Theyre a pleasure to do business with.

by: kdphoto (Florida)
on: Monday, 25-January-2010

I can see why people gave this 5 stars. It is what it says it is and its 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 its 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.

by: Dale (United States)
on: Friday, 22-January-2010

Let me say that I ordered this a day after I ordered a lot of videography equipment, and it arrived not only before the others... but its been 3 days and I still havent received anything else. Great job Cheetah Mounts.

The tripod has far exceeded my expectations. Its built like a $200-$500 tripod. None of the metals seem brittle like the ones on well-known brands that offer affordable alternatives to Manfrotto. Only complaint is the notches to release the plate get in the way of the camera (Canon 7D) and you have to pull it off the screw to turn it, which gets tedious. If it were shaped more circular that problem would be fixed.

The actual use of the fluid head is very smooth has the right amount of resistance for me.

by: Timothy Purington (sunshine state)
on: Monday, 21-December-2009

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.

by: Ryan n. (United States)
on: Wednesday, 4-November-2009

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.
Im 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.

by: B. Sanders (Champaign, IL United States)
on: Saturday, 17-October-2009

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 AVTs 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. Thats fine - I assumed it was made in Asia, not Italy. Just take a look at the price.

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

I agree with others that the Ravelli AVTs tilt damping is smoother than the pan damping. Heres why: The AVTs 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 its 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 wont find a better deal. Ive 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.