Cheap Tripod to shoot straight down

[plangevin]

Hi folks,

I am making a few instructional videos for my work. I am using a Sony HDR-CX580V and I was looking to mount it on a tripod that can shoot straight down.

To get into detail, I will be making instructional videos on how to use an iPad and Blackberry for work purposes so I need to have a shot of the iPad and my two arms while explaining.

My budget is as low as we can go. Heck, if I were smarter, I'd figure out a way to McGyver this at home to avoid any cost at all. Being Canadian, I have been searching on www.Amazon.ca and found a few tripods under 30$ that can go upto 70inches, which would also be ideal so that I can provide an explanation prior to the instructional videos, but I'm not sure if they actually shoot straight downwards. Being a beginner, for all I know, the option to shoot straight down could be standard on every tripod.

Hopefully someone has a cheap solution or a good recommendation! The important thing is that it can shoot downwards. It doesn't need to be a standard 70 inch tripod, though that would be a huge plus.

EDIT: Here's an example of a tripod I'd love on Amazon but uncertain if this would work for my needs:

http://www.amazon.ca/Professional-72-Inch-Strong-Tripod-Carrying/dp/B002MTU5C0/ref=sr_1_13?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1364173942&sr=1-13

Cheers,
Pat

 

[amuffin]

That should be fine, heck my ambico crapo tripod can go straight down.

 

[plangevin]

That should be fine, heck my ambico crapo tripod can go straight down.

Perfect, thanks.

 

[henryfsee]

Hey I have the HDR-CX580V and I'm happy with it. So I needed to shoot straight down and at lots of different angles. I'm using a camera clipper. It has a bendable arm and a clip. I actually clipped the cam to a ceiling fan to get the straight down shot I needed, but I suppose you could clip it to just about anything. I like using it for the odd shots where my tripod isn't the best solution.

I found it on Adroama. Here are a few links.

http://Adorama.com/iPhonetoolshed
http://cameraclipper.com

Hope that helps.

Did you every have your 580 battery drain like in 1/2 the time every so often? Mine does but then after a charge it's okay. Not sure.

Jose

 

[USAFRet]

Hi folks,

I am making a few instructional videos for my work. I am using a Sony HDR-CX580V and I was looking to mount it on a tripod that can shoot straight down.

...

Hopefully someone has a cheap solution or a good recommendation! The important thing is that it can shoot downwards. It doesn't need to be a standard 70 inch tripod, though that would be a huge plus.

EDIT: Here's an example of a tripod I'd love on Amazon but uncertain if this would work for my needs:

http://www.amazon.ca/Professional-72-Inch-Strong-Tripod-Carrying/dp/B002MTU5C0/ref=sr_1_13?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1364173942&sr=1-13

Cheers,
Pat

Most tripods will allow straight down orientation.
Also, look into the Pedco Ultraclamp. Clamp to just about anything, at any orientation.

 

[patrickwilson86]

There are two basic tripods to consider. The first is the pan and tilt. These were the ones I always broke. In addition, I found their range of motion to be limited, and awkward. The alternative is to buy a set of legs, and then pick up a ball head separately. This is more expensive, but in my experience, a much wiser long term investment.

http://www.photographytalk.com/photography-articles/how-to-photography/2688-how-to-photography-finding-the-perfect-tripod