Jump to content

$4,000 Tripod


jonpais
 Share

Recommended Posts

Thought you might find this amusing. I was so impressed with the iFootage Shark S1 slider that I decided to go ahead and purchase one of their carbon fiber tripods, the Wild Bull T7, from Hong Kong. The price came to around $575. Well, it arrived here in Vietnam, and customs is saying I have to pay 85,893,694 Vietnam dong, or around $3,770 USD in customs fees. My math isn't very good, but I think that's something like a 700% tax. Normally, there is a 10% tax on camera equipment, but I've usually paid somewhere between 10-20% for other gear I've bought in the past, because I didn't want to argue with customs. I'll be sure to let you know the outcome once this is resolved.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

EOSHD Pro Color 5 for Sony cameras EOSHD Z LOG for Nikon CamerasEOSHD C-LOG and Film Profiles for All Canon DSLRs

Update: Vietnam customs has kindly agreed to reduce the fees to 20% duty and 10% VAT, even though camera gear and electronics are supposed to be 10% duty and no VAT. I'll probably give in. So, I'll end up paying something like $175 instead of $3,770... What would you call an arm of the government that uses tactics like these?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think it either smells of a calculation error, or corrupt staff trying to take advantage of foreigners who quote outrageous prices because they think foreigners have exponential amount of money.

If you don't mind me asking, you mentioned you had an edelkrone before.  Are you looking for something better?  I got the edelkrone medium slider with the works (action and targte module).  I like it but the sound of the motor sounds like an industrial copy machine so that limits the use quite a bit.  I'm kinda wishing I saw the Rhino slider first.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Michael Ma said:

I think it either smells of a calculation error, or corrupt staff trying to take advantage of foreigners who quote outrageous prices because they think foreigners have exponential amount of money.

If you don't mind me asking, you mentioned you had an edelkrone before.  Are you looking for something better?  I got the edelkrone medium slider with the works (action and targte module).  I like it but the sound of the motor sounds like an industrial copy machine so that limits the use quite a bit.  I'm kinda wishing I saw the Rhino slider first.

I go with option #2... :( I have the Edelkrone small, v.2, but I already picked up the iFootage Shark S1 a couple of weeks ago... A phenomenal piece of kit. thanks...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi Jonpais, if you want to order camera stuff from the US there are services that take care of shipping and customs for you. You just deposit 50%-100% of the value and wait for the item to be delivered to your door. The total cost will be item value plus US sales tax plus local US shipping fee plus 3-4% in FX fees plus $5 per pound of the actual package's weight.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well, glad you managed to get a slightly more reasonable price. Let us know how you like the T7! I'm in the market for a more serious tripod myself, and the Wild Bull may just fit the bill.

@Michael Ma, that's too bad about the noise on the Edelkrone. Has anyone tried the Konova with motor attachment? Is it any good?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

14 hours ago, TheRenaissanceMan said:

Well, glad you managed to get a slightly more reasonable price. Let us know how you like the T7! I'm in the market for a more serious tripod myself, and the Wild Bull may just fit the bill.

@Michael Ma, that's too bad about the noise on the Edelkrone. Has anyone tried the Konova with motor attachment? Is it any good?

I tried to do my first unboxing video, but it was a mess - color balance was off (the light in the room changed when the sun went behind the clouds) and I forgot to plug the Rode mic in. :) Plus, I shake a lot and move so quickly, the viewer doesn't have a chance to even see what I'm holding... Anyway, I've only ever owned one serious tripod in my life, a Gitzo I used back in my school days, which was built like a tank. But I have to say I'm impressed with the build quality, lightness and general appearance of the Wild Bull. The red metal latches that unlock the legs are a welcome touch, compared to the plastic latches found on some other tripods. I watched a video online (there aren't many), where Nitsan Simantov pushes against the T7 with his entire body weight to show that it can flex, and the legs can slide on the floor - but, try as I might, I couldn't get the thing to budge an inch (I only weight about 140 pounds soaking wet). The tripod comes with a plastic spreader which can be attached at the bottom or at the middle. The unit comes housed in an attractive waterproof carrying case (black with red accents around the zippers), just like the slider does. I bought the tripod to support my iFootage Shark S1 slider, and I'm certain it will perform like it should. But until I've actually used it, I can only give a qualified recommendation, though it appears to be a very well made piece of kit. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

  • EOSHD Pro Color 5 for All Sony cameras
    EOSHD C-LOG and Film Profiles for All Canon DSLRs
    EOSHD Dynamic Range Enhancer for H.264/H.265
×
×
  • Create New...