Sachtler Gs Off-e-Grid for Mountain Men Shoot

Sachtler Goes Off-the-Grid for Mountain Men Shoot 30 Apr 2013

The crew at Warm Springs Productions might be laid back and friendly, but when it comes to producing their outdoor reality television and hunting shows, it's all professional. We use only the best equipment, and only the best tripods to keep the cameras stable, says equipment manager Mike Schweizer. That's why we use Sachtler tripods and heads on all our shoots. They've been to the deepest swamps and the snowiest peaks. We trust our tripods to keep a steady shot in -50 degrees, in waist-high water and in torrential downpours.

For the second season of, Mountain Men , which follows men who live in extreme environments, off the grid--the team will go to Northwestern Montana, the Alaskan Wilderness north of Fairbanks and the Appalachian Mountains of North Carolina. What gear do they trust to work in the middle of nowhere? Two Panasonic HD P2 cameras with Fujinon lenses, a Canon EOS 7D for specialty shots, and the FSB 8 fluid head with Speed Lock CF tripod from Sachtler, part of Vitec Videocom, a Vitec Group company.

We use Sachtler because their products are lightweight, durable, and sturdy enough to safely support our production cameras, says Schweizer. We spend a lot of time outdoors in extreme environments where we need our equipment to work properly in conditions that can be hazardous to most equipment. With Sachtler's versatility and durability we are able to get the shots we need to make good TV.

Recently, the camera team paired the Canon 7D with the FSB 8 fluid head/tripod with a slider to capture a shot of their subjects right above the water line. It is so nice to use a tripod that we can place in the water and not have to worry about it failing and soaking our camera equipment, says Schweizer. Not to mention that we can just pull it out of the water and keep shooting.

Often, Warm Springs Productions must travel into what Schweizer terms, the middle of nowhere, with cameramen perched on the ridge of mountains. If the tripods weren't as lightweight as they are, we wouldn't be able to carry them with us to remote locations.

The FSB 8 fluid head is designed for a range of payloads from 2.2 to 13.2 pounds (.99kg- 5.98kg) so it deftly handles whichever camera/lens configuration Schweizer chooses. Its Touch & Go side load mechanism with a sliding range of 4.7 and 10-step counterbalance offers even more versatility. The lightweight, two-stage carbon fiber Speed Lock CF tripod is speedy to set up--a simple release of three clamps and it is ready for action.

The second season of Mountain Men , is now shooting. It is slated to begin airing on The History Channel later this year. Warm Springs Productions based out of Missoula, Montana, also produces Making Monsters on The Travel Channel and On Your Own Adventure on The Sportsman Channel. All projects use Sachtler supports.

For more information, go to www.sachtler.com, become a fan on Facebook, follow the company on Twitter or contact Sachtler: 16 Progress Drive, Shelton CT 06484, Phone: 1 203-929-1100, Fax: 203-925-2684, Email: info.videocomamericas@vitecgroup.com

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