TECHNES Encyclopedia Database

While friction tripod heads were rapidly embraced by camera operators in the late 1920s and early 1930s, they were not suited to all situations. They were not, for instance, an ideal match for the extremely heavy blimped cameras used for sound studio films. For these challenging shooting conditions, camera operators often relied on heavy-duty tripods featuring geared heads. The wheels controlling the tilts and pans on these units required many hours of practice to master, but could produce extremely smooth camera movements in the hands of skilled operators.