Bescor MP101 Video Motorized Pan Head

So here was my dilemma... I use my Canon 60D to film my son's basketball games continuous video using Magic Lantern. I set it on my 6' tripod on the bleachers or in some corner to capture the entire court... hence my problem... people walk by or worse yet STAND in front of the camera constantly. I needed a tripod that is higher than most, able to get ABOVE people standing around...So I bought the PBL Pro Heavy Duty Air Cushioned 10ft Light Stand to act as a tripod... it gets my camera up to 10 ft in the air! With the camera so high, I needed a way to adjust the view from my height... and this is where the Bescor Remote Controlled Motorized Pan/Tilt Head is the perfect solution...I put this on top of the stand... put the camera on top of that... and with the fully articulated screen on my 60D pointed to me on the floor, I can adjust the pan and tilt of the camera from 6ft using the remote control, while the camera sits on it's perch 8-10 ft high! The whole setup is plenty strong enough to hold the Bescor AND 60D with absolutely no fear of falling. (I use a common 18-135mm lens, so nothing too long and out of balance, all the weight is straight down the stand)I adjust the Pan and/or Tilt for the perfect view, and set it and forget it.The Bescor weighs about 3 lbs... and camera about 3 lbs... and the stand supports up to 15lbs, so I feel very comfortable with this setup.The camera attaches directly to the top of the Bescor with the screw head and sits high and tight on top... Once at full height, I adjust my view of the basketball court, left, right, up, down... all from my height of 6ft when my camera is 10 ft high!I'm thinking about going wireless with the whole setup using the CamRanger PT hub... but there are some battery limitations with the hub and router that only last 1-2 hours... and I use this for hours at a time sometimes... but this setup is working perfectly for what I need and the design is perfect for me right now... for weekend use... a lightweight... strong... camera tripod setup... getting my camera OVER the heads of fans for clear video... using the remote controlled motorized Pan Head for minor adjustments... perfect.

The first thing I did when the MP101 arrived was to take apart the base and modify the head so I could get a full 360 degree rotation (plenty of info on the web for this.) That took about 10 minutes. Sure, the cable is attached, so you have to be cautious about winding it too tight. If I plan on anything than 360 degrees, I'll actually counterwind the cable around the head so it unwinds as I pan. Yes, this disables the automatic panning, but I never intended on using that feature.The slider provides some slow to fast control, but you can modify this (again check online) by playing with the power source. Doing so can increase or decrease the overall speed. This is important if you're using a telephoto / zoom lens. Lowering the voltage will slow the head down considerably - too low and it won't power up. Again, just search the web.You can use the head as is, or easily modify it for your own use.99% of the people who buy the MP101 are happy with it as is, but some want more control over the speed and rotation. It's an easy head to modify and customize, or of course just leave as is. It's one of the most versatile heads out there.

Big, bulky, somewhat heavy, with a solid build, the Bescor MP-101 executes smoother pans and tilts (or a combination of both) than I can accomplish with my fluid head - keeping in mind that my fluid head is not an expensive one.To perform pans, the Bescor has a rather large circular "turntable" base onto which your tripod head attaches by way of the standard-sized screw. Once secured, the Bescor and your camera now turn together entirely as one unit - that is, when the bottom "turntable" base starts turning, everything above it - the Bescor's upper case (body) with your camera attached - turn to create the pan.Up to 180 degrees pans can be made either manually with the remote control or with the Bescor's auto setting. The remote features separate direction and speed controls on a 3 feet cable.Performing tilts - With the Bescor's base secured to your tripod head, the Bescor acts as an extension of your tripod's head. The Bescor's top portion provides a standard-sized screw and pin in which to engage your camera. This is the upper-most area of the Bescor, and it tilts independently of the Bescor's case.I gave the Bescor a 4 star rating because of its limited tilting range which can be inconvenient in some scenarios.Other than that, for its price, it can make an astounding difference in the look and feel of amateur videos. It's capable of transforming a simple handycam's output into a production seemingly created by much more expensive equipment.The Bescor MP-101 is made in China (so, what else is new?), and has a 90 day warranty.Catch my real-world demonstration videos, "The Bescor MP-101 Motorized Pan Head - In Hollywood" on YouTube. Type in "thehwdykedemos" to find them quickly.