Tsuneo Azuma
LOS ANGELES—As an independent photographer providing images to Japanese television stations, I own and am responsible for my camera equipment. In the last few years a lot of my business has involved golf tournaments, so I began investigating lightweight camera support gear that would be easy to carry and deploy.
NOT JUST ANY HEAD WILL DO
I knew that I would need a well-balanced camera head in order to follow the fast moving golf balls. When capturing this sort of action, the camera has to smoothly follow the ball as it moves up in its trajectory and then very rapidly tilt down and stop without any jolts or jars as the ball drops on the green. Only an excellently balanced and controlled head would allow me to accomplish these sorts of demanding shots.
Fortunately, I had a chance to experience the Libec head at CineGear. I quickly found that the response from the Libec head was much superior to that offered by a competing product. The price of the Libec head was also attractive, about half of the head that I had originally considered purchasing. This made my decision to go with the Libec camera support system easy.
I’m currently using the RSP-750M system to cover volleyball and MLB reports and am very satisfied with its performance. I’ve found that the head is ideal for capturing all dynamic scenes in sporting events. Right out of the box, the RSP-750M system was very responsive, perfectly balanced, and easy to use, providing me with the confidence that I was going to get the sort of shots I needed. And the price point is also quite reasonable, considering the performance and overall quality of the product.
FREEDOM FROM BLUR
Libec’s balance stabilizer mechanism goes a long way to help ensure good results. The robust counterbalance system suppresses the blurring of small images that can occur when an ordinary head is tilted, thus helping to cancel out unwanted motion that can cause blurring during such movements. The RSP-750M is very easy to use due to its quick and easy setup. The pan-and-tilt control location is well thought out, making for easy access. I was really amazed at how easy these controls were to operate, providing smooth operation throughout a shoot. Also, I don’t have to worry about stickiness and jerkiness in cold weather assignments, as the operational temperature range of the Libec head extends all the way from a sizzling 140° F all the way down to a very cold −40° F, extremes way beyond my personal comfort and operational range.
I also need to call attention to the durable carrying case for the Libec RSP-750M. It provides a lot of protection for the package and gives me a little more peace of mind when I entrust the gear to airport baggage handlers.
I’m very pleased with my RSP-750M and given its construction and durability, I’m planning on a very long-term relationship with it.
Tsuneo Azuma is a Los Angeles–based photographer and has been involved in motion picture and commercial production work for 30 years. He may be contacted atazuma@zumamoon.us.
For additional information, contact Libec at 310-787-9400 or visitwww.libessales.com.
