Sachtler And Vinten Introduce Flowtech Tripod

Sachtler and Vinten, both Vitec Group brands, today introduce Flowtech — an all-new camera tripod technology with unique quick release brakes and easy adjust levers that, the companies say, enable camera operators to set up and begin using the tripod in an instant. Sachtler and Vinten will showcase Flowtech technology with the Flowtech 75 tripod, at IBC2017.

“In the arctic, from atop mountains, on the beach, or in the sea, Flowtech has been used and tested in every single environment you can imagine. We believe it’s the next evolution in tripod technology, and it promises to transform the way camera operators work,” said Tobias Keuthen, director of global product marketing management. “Flowtech is the type of innovation that happens when two legendary brands from the broadcast, film, and video industries join forces.”

The Flowtech design offers a set of two-stage carbon-fiber tripod legs with an easy-to-remove midlevel spreader, rubber feet, and a payload capacity of 20 kg (44 pounds). Unique quick-release brakes located at the top of the tripod enable all the legs to be deployed simultaneously and adjust automatically to the ground’s surface, eliminating the need for operators to bend over or manually adjust multiple brakes on each leg.

Lightweight and easy to transport, Flowtech 75 is specifically designed to be carried comfortably on the camera operator’s shoulder, with magnetic locks ensuring that the tripod legs are stable during transport. Flowtech 75 can be deployed as low as 26 cm (10 inches) and as high as 153 cm (60 inches) without the detachable spreader, and between 63 cm (25 inches) to 157 cm (62 inches) with the spreader. A unique hinge-lock mechanism allows users to capture extremely low, ground-level shots removing the need to bring a second set of “baby legs” to each shoot. The exceptional torsional stiffness of Flowtech ensures that the tripod will not twist during camera panning movements, an extremely important consideration in all motion picture productions.

To qualify Flowtech’s performance, the tripod has been tested in the most punishing environments ranging from sludge and sand to extreme temperatures. After more than 30,000 lab-testing cycles, in which the tripod was repeatedly deployed, and 1.5 million clamp operations on the test endurance rig, the companies determined that Flowtech exceeded the stringent performance targets for both the Sachtler and Vinten brands.

Flowtech 75 is compatible with all major 75-mm fluid heads and is ideally suited for fluid heads from the Sachtler or Vinten product families.

The companies say the tripod is an ideal companion for digital cinema cameras such as the Sony PXW-FS7, Blackmagic URSA Mini, and the Canon Mark II. The MSRP of the new Flowtech 75 tripod is $1,050, £810 pounds or €960.

More information on Flowtech is available at www.flowtech-tripod.com.