Wildlife videographer Terry Shiels relies on Sachtler’s aluminum tripod and fluid head as he shoots around the world — from the Cameroon Elephant Project to the “Cross River Gorilla” show. He used the gear most recently to complete an episode of “The Zoo Filez,” his North Carolina-based wildlife program.
Shiels uses a Sachtler FSB6 head and aluminum sticks with a Sony PMW-EX3 camera wherever he travels throughout the world. For wildlife shoots, a photographer needs a tripod that can be set up quickly. Sachtler fits that bill and has a locking mechanism that’s easy to use, he said.
Shiels said the fluid movement and pan and tilt of the Sachtler head, even under the worst environmental conditions are reliable. The balance and drag is important, and when Shiels walks away from his equipment he knows the camera will be in position when he returns.
The Sachtler FSB6 head was designed for small video camcorders from 2.2lbs to 13.2lbs. It’s the only head in its class to feature Sachtler’s Snap & Go side load mechanism, which has a large sliding range of 4.7in and 10-step counterbalance. This ensures extremely fine and fast balancing.
