NAB 2019: Cartoni’s Sports 200 Heavy-Duty Tripod Set Stands Strong
Cartoni will roll out the Sports 200 heavy-duty tripod legs at NAB 2019 (Booth C9020), a new support that Elisabetta Cartoni, president/CEO, Cartoni, says is designed to give a long-overdue refresh to camera-support gear for sports applications.
Cartoni’s Sports 200 tripod will debut at NAB 2019 and is designed for sports production.
“The design for much of this heavy-duty equipment hasn’t been updated since the ’90s or, in the case of heavy-duty sports tripods, since the ’50s,” says Cartoni. “We created the new Sports 200 to address this lack of attention, and, in the process, we improved the traditional sports tripod in every way, including shape, material, and ergonomics, always keeping in mind the harsh weather conditions sports’ crews often encounter.”
The new Sports 200 is built with Duralumin, which is used in the aircraft industry and offers outstanding torsional rigidity with camera packages, up to 200 kg (441 lb.), in all possible large-camera/lens configurations. Duralumin is also featured in Pedestal pistons and the Lambda fluid head.
“The composition includes copper, magnesium, and manganese, which give to pure aluminum a stronger performance,” says Cartoni. “This metal is extruded at higher temperatures and ensures a great sturdiness. It is obviously more expensive, but, when you are dealing with performance, it is well worth the choice.”
The Sports 200’s innovative profile is angled and shaped to ensure maximum strength while weighing only 10.5 kg (23 lb.). Designed to withstand even the harshest weather conditions, the Sports 200 can endure severe weather conditions, rain, dust, moisture, and extreme temperatures. These improvements make the tripod both lightweight and robust. Portability becomes easier for the crew, and performance becomes better for the operator, thanks to the material and new profile.
Cartoni notes, “We also created some other features to increase safety for the camera operator while retaining a unique, very rigid form factor, which is essential for the free camera movement used in sports, where you might suddenly go from precise motion-tracking close-ups to sudden whip pans.”
Built with the camera operator in mind, the Sports 200 features a center brace and a telescopic mid-level spreader equipped with a truss structure that ensures stability in any environment. Each leg features positive rotary locking knobs and safety pins; the bubble level is located on the side of the platform for easy use. The Sports 200 also features both a spiked foot for soft terrains and a pivoting rubber pad for flat surfaces: simply twist the rubber pad to reveal the spiked foot.
The Sports 200 accepts classic Mitchell flat-base heads and the four standard bolts. It is seamlessly compatible with all competitor heads, as well as with the Cartoni HD Dolly and HD floor spreader.
“This NAB, we are launching an exciting array of innovative new products geared towards studio and OB production,” says Cartoni of the company’s overall NAB 2019 rollout. “All of these new products offer the most up-to-date technology at the most-competitive prices. For example, we just launched the new Steering P70 pedestal, a single-stage crabbing pedestal with almost twice the payload capacity as its competitors. It’s lightweight, portable, and it offers studios and OB production companies the same flexibility and smooth movement as the elite pedestals at a fraction of the price. We have more products we are launching that target everything from the ENG and EFP professional to the sports professional.”