OConnor is a name that’s been held in high regard in Hollywood for years for their fluid video tripod heads. In fact, their inventor, Chadwell O’Connor won Academy Awards for them in 1975 and 1992. Now part of the Vitec group, OConnor has been able to combine their heads with Flowtech legs into a single package. The OConnor 1040 Flowtech. It costs $10,260, and we had to see it for ourselves. So, while we were at IBC 2019, we did. And oh boy, is it a nice tripod.
There are no two ways about this, the OConnor 1040 Flowtech tripod and head is an absolute beast. Of course, for over ten grand, one would hope so. This thing is absolutely rock steady whether it’s at its maximum height or low to the ground, and it can get extremely low.
The kit includes OConnor branded versions of the Flowtech 100 legs, also available under the Sachtler and Vinten brands, along with the OConnor Ultimate 1040 fluid head. The head on its own costs close to $7,500 and supports up to 45lbs and offers full tilt from 90 degrees straight down to straight up. It’s designed for big heavy rigs but is light enough itself to easily transport and adjust, thanks to the carbon fibre construction of the legs.
Like I said, it’s an absolute monster, and likely out of the budgets of 99% of us reading this, but it’s always interesting to see what makes kit like this worth so much money. If you do happen to have ten grand burning a hole in your pocket, though, and you’re looking for a new tripod, the OConnor 1040 tripod head and Flowtech legs are available to pre-order now for $10,260 and are shipping soon.
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We are giving away over $5,000 of cinema gear: http://bit.ly/2LQE6gw
DIYP’s coverage of IBC2019 is sponsored by Syrp, Manfrotto, Zhiyun, and Spiffy Gear.
