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What Fluid Head is this!?!?
  • fotosiamofotosiamo

    So my friend bought a Davis & Sanford 7518 tripod recently off Amazon, but instead of getting the popular FM18, she got a V18 fluid head, a model I've never seen before and can't even find any info on Google, Amazon, or B&H.

    Anyone heard of this? Someone said that it's a rebadged fluid head, but he doesn't know which one. It does seem smoother than the FM18, though.

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  • 3 Replies sorted by
  • tupptupp

    The tripod is the Davis & Sanford Provista 7518b. Evidently, the D&S V18 head is part of the package. Here is a one-sheet (PDF) on the combination.

  • fotosiamofotosiamo

    So is this a new item or something? My friend actually ordered the normal one with the FM18, but they sent the V18 instead.

    It also looks like a rebadged Magnus VT-3000, but with supposedly 75mm bowl and 18lb capacity instead of 65mm and 6.6lbs. I mean, that's a huge difference!

    http://www.amazon.com/Magnus-VT-3000-Professional-Performance-Tripod/dp/B00AE1LFDG/

  • tupptupp

    The V18 and the head on the Magnus VT-3000 definitely look similar.

    I am not crazy about the lack of drag adjustment on the tilt and pan, nor about the lack of counter balance adjustment. Also, some of the reviews on the VT-3000 Amazon page seem to point out other cons.

    If both tripods originate from the same manufacturer, I wonder if Davis & Sanford has enhanced the design/performance.

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