[Fluid Head] Bought this about a year ago. I use medium size rigs on it. built up c70 with Ninja V and follow focus and other not so heavy things. I'm guessing about 6lbs. This works like a champ!


Its smooth and the drag controls are spot on. They're tuned to each other, meaning if you put the tilt on 2 and pan on 2, you can make a nice circle movement and not notice any difference in the two resistance. Not to mention completely repeatable, unlike those friction clutch systems.


The counter balance system is great too. But if you use just a dslr or mirrorless by itself, it may be too light for the counter balance, even at the 1 setting. Some people mentions that there is no in between increments (there are only 4 settings), but I had yet to have a rig not balance on those 4 settings.


The locks are great and nothing moves once locked. but I don't like the placement of the pan lock. Its too tucked in. You have to fumble around like a teenager trying to... never mind.


I like the way the handle can telescope out. The longer handle will give you less shake, if using a very long lens or you had too much coffee.


The ball lock is good too. Never had it slip on me yet. Its not the most comfortable shaped knob but since you don't have to twist it that hard lock or unlock, its not too bad.


I wish the head was lighter, but its a video head, I guess you really can't skimp on weight. This is a couple of notches higher than your budget friction fluid heads for sure. Love it!

[Yes] I have 2 and I now use them every day. The tall height, the fluid head, and the monopod feature are all things I use regularly.

[Yes] Pan and tilts are butter-smooth. After properly balancing my camera, I do not feel any backlash at the end of a swipe. The continuous counterbalance system is amazing, which led me to choose Cartoni over the equivalent Sachtler or Miller. Frankly speaking, without continuous counterbalancing, perfect balancing is not achievable by any means. This fluid head is doing that effortlessly, even with the uncooperatively lightweight Black Magic Pocket. The only slight qualm i have is about the bubble level, which is located in a cavern where parallax error in reading is inevitable. On top of that, it gives me a feeling that its calibration is slightly off. But if you are married, this should not bother you at all!

[Yes] I had an older Cartoni that had been reliable for years. When that head broke beyond repair, this was an easy choice for replacement. Super smooth movement, and incredibly stable with my heaviest rigs, this is exactly the upgrade I was looking for.

[+90° to -80°] This an amazing tripod for the price, the tripod head feels sturdy and holds a fully kitted ARRI Amira without a problem. It's very similar to the Sachtler Video 18. The legs aren't the most intuitive (no mid level spreader available) and they won't lock without the ground spreader. But might as well grab some Flowtech legs and then you're all set!

[Yes] Have used this tripod a couple of times since I received it. Legs are very smooth rising and lowering with a weight of a camera on it. 100mm bowl with illuminated light makes it super easy to level the camera. 6 levels of pan and tilt friction gives you great creative control of how you can smoothly move the camera to capture your vision. Top plate sliding also lets you balance your front to back weight. Everything works perfectly to make it a very solid tripod purchase. I highly recommend this tripod to anyone looking to hold something more than just a DSLR.

[Yes] To me it looks and feels just like a Sachtler 18 S2 ENG 2 CF Video 18 S2 Fluid Head with ENG 2 CF Tripod and Ground Spreader except for the handle looks a little different and the Cam-TV logo, which I covered with my contact info (white text on black label stickers, which looks clean). Clients probably think it's a Sachtler. But more importantly it is buttery smooth, fully adjustable, and sturdy. There's only a few potential cons in my view. There's only the floor spreader available, but you can take it off if you're ever on rough terrain. In that case I might use something like the Oben Tripod Hammock to add stability in that rare situation. For me 95% of the time I'm on a fairly smooth flat surface. Another unknown is how it would be to have this brand serviced, but in my case I take good care of equipment and it's not getting used like a rental house. I'm ok with those downsides for the benefit of saving 5K or more.

[Fluid Head] absolute Chinese copy of Sachtler just better,yes Sachtler is made in Dominican Republic REGION this one in china,for small cameras is killer,head is extremely smooth ,only the caring case is its so,so.

[Yes] This tripod is awesome. It's such a huge step up from my previous tripod. I highly recommend this one.

[Fluid Head] I could not ask for a better tripod for the FX6 cameras I own. The Focus 12 red lock is built incredibly well and is light and very stable. I have zero complaints about its operability and build quality. Highly recommended for professional use. You cannot go wrong with this tripod and a bonus it's half the price of the Sachtler competitor.