It’s 3 stages are easy to set-up and the construction, though mostly plastic, seems very sturdy.  The Profinder’s metal mount adds a nice screw mount for your exsiting tripod head screw and taking the viewfinder on/off is done easily with the “tongue” mount (bottom-right photo). 

The Varavon Profinder goes for about $360 from their website here.

|HEE|

Canon seems to really hang it’s marketing hat onto specs with the T2i.  They obviously set out to make a camera that could match up in a side-by-side-specification-comparisonwith the 7D and be somewhat comparible to the 5d MKII.  Is it a just a marketing scheme?  I have seen the video comparisons on vimeo and I am impressed with the quality of work my colleague Kevin is producing with his T2i. 

This point of this post is to start this discussion: 

• I know it’s less expensive, but is it worth paying more for the 7D or for that matter the 5D MKII?
• Is the superior low-light performance of the 7D warrant paying +$800 over the T2i?
• Does the supperior low-light performance of the 5D MKII plus the larger chip warrant the +$800 over the 7D?
• If you are considering the 5D MKII, should the 7D or T2i even be in the discussion?

Comment below or click here.

**Here is a 35mm DOF adapter comparison chart.  The information was gathered from each manufactures website.  Remember that you still need a camera and lenses to make these work, so the price is for the adapters and accessories only.  There are many upgrade options that will add to the cost of each. 

Additional Features:

Letus Extreme
◦ Best edge-to-edge sharpness in the industry.
◦ Battery is fully enclosed and secured by 2 magnets for ease of replacement during a shoot.
◦ Optional relay offer direct mount to ENG type cameras.

SGblade
◦ Choice of 3 ROTOrazor (ground glass element) for various shooting environments.
◦ Variable speed controller for spinning element.
◦ Now offer PL mounts.

M2 Encore
◦ Rotating screen enables you to stop down to f16 without seeing the screen grain.
◦ Integrated collimating lens mount, and the adapter comes pre-collimated.
◦ Widest angle-of-view of all adapters.

Brevis35 MP.2
◦ Microprocessor controlled adapter.
◦ Interchangeable diffusers allow for a variety of looks/setups.
◦ Waterproof ABS case provided.

These numbers come from the least expensive set-up which usually includes mounts for “still” lenses like Nikon, Canon EF (OES), and Pentax K mount.  If you want to use the grossly more expensive “film” lenses, the PL mounts and others are several hundred dollars extra.  This chart is to be used as quick reference for people needing a side-by-side comparison that would usually come in the early stages of the whole process.  Please be sure to investigate before you buy so you know exactly what you are getting when making a purchase of this size.  You can leave a comment here.

|JONNYHEE|

The pan and tilt action of this head is smooth and predictable.  The controls are conveniently located were you would expect them.  The tension for the pan is below the camera plate and the tilt tension is to the side.  Both locks are located in the back for quick access.  The camera plate is sturdy and locks in place with a release button and is secured firmly with a standard lock opposite the release.  It includes two standard sized mounting screws and has a lock pin to avoid any rotation of the camera plate to the camera base.

With the advent of the palm HD camcorder and the video ability of newer DSLR cameras, these smaller pan and tilt heads will probably become a standard for many shooters in the near future.  Most of us are used to a very large, extremely expensive tripod for ENG type cameras.  The 501 HDV is a wonderful alternative to these bulky setups that usually end up being overkill.  And, for the photographer shooting video with cameras like the D90, it steps them up to a tripod that weighs about the same as their normal non-pan-tilt tripods.  Overall, if the 501 HDV is on a sturdy “sticks”, it is a solid solution for many in the industry.