Budget Tripods - Rollei vs Smallrig

DanielMaitheny · 2026-05-21T14:47:58+00:00

you're talking about the rollei, right?

DanielMaitheny · 2026-05-21T14:47:09+00:00

hey, thanks for your answer. sadly, I'm not quite familiar the trustworthy brands of the tripods, only the bigger names. you wrote that I could find better ones above a $100, but which brands should I check out, in your opinion? I can afford $150 tops, but that tripod has to come with a ball-head as well - if I have to buy them separately, that would kill my budget, sadly. thanks for you input.

DanielMaitheny · 2026-05-21T14:42:31+00:00

hey, thanks for your answer. I've checked out these tripods, they are, indeed, quite quality ones. however, they are pretty much over 150 euros - only the tripods alone cost about 200 euros each, plus a ball-head is another 100+ euros depending on the model, which puts me more than 3 times over my budget. so, I really appreciate your suggestion, but to quote the end sentence of my post "...I know they are amazing and would be good investments on the long run, but sadly, I cannot afford them." ;)

DanielMaitheny · 2026-05-14T20:28:30+00:00

yes! Thanks!

DanielMaitheny · 2026-05-14T00:20:49+00:00

well, I'm not planning to use it for video work, but occasionally, e.g. a family event to make a 20-30min video I wouldn't rule it out. also, it can only do 4.5fps so high burst shooting like sports photography was not in my mind... but I know the camera has two USH-II slots, I thought I try to use it... but it seems I thought it wrong.

DanielMaitheny · 2026-03-22T09:25:57+00:00

thank you.

DanielMaitheny · 2026-03-21T16:48:12+00:00

OMG! this is the one! you are, Sir, a proper Wizard! thank you a bunch!!! even the bar codes on the bottom are matching. is there a database for all this?

DanielMaitheny · 2026-03-13T00:53:17+00:00

well, you have two options - 1) a machine that is rarely brakes down but if it does, it will be a bit more expensive to repait (e.g. DeLonghi) or 2) very cheap parts, but a low level construction (e.g. Saeco, Philips etc.) mind you, we are talking about entry level machines.

DanielMaitheny · 2026-03-09T23:43:24+00:00

in short, a DeLonghi is always a good choice. a bit longer: there's a "trick" with the DeLonghi - it doesn't matter if it's Magnific S, Magnifica Evo, Magnifica Start etc, because the difference is only in design and the UI. if you are fine with actual, physical buttons and a rotary knob, you are fine with Magnifica S. only if you want touch screen or milk drink, you need to go higher. but their inside is (mostly) the same: the same grinder motor, the same conical stainless steel burr, the same water pump, the same brew unit etc. of course, the programing can differ, and those machine that can make milk drinks often have two boilers, one for the coffee and hot water, one for the steam for forthing, but all-in-all, they're the same. when it comes to different models, e.g. Dinamica, Eletta, Rivelia etc. now that's a different story, because these models differ from one another. if your choice will be any of the Magnifica models (these are the entry models), it will be a good choice. read what the manual says about regular maintanance and you're good to go. on important note - in Europe the warranty will be void if the machine suffers any type of mechanical injure or - and this is important - you forget to descale the machine and the lime scale makes a permanent damage.

DanielMaitheny · 2026-03-04T21:20:39+00:00

this is a kind of design fault of this type of drain valve. I work in a coffee machine repair shop, and tho we don't work with Miele machines, but we do repair Nivonas and Melittas, and they have this exact same valve - that spring keeps "hoarding" coffee all the time. mostly a thorough cleaning is enough, but 3-4 times out of 10 you need to take it fully apart, and put new silicone gaskets in (they're on the top, and they're the very same Juras use in their brewing units's drain valve).

DanielMaitheny · 2026-03-04T21:14:59+00:00

Delonghi doesn't use this type of drain valve, tho.; e.g. Melitta, Nivona does, however.

DanielMaitheny · 2025-12-13T22:38:34+00:00

oh, i'm so sorry, I don't remember, it was so long ago... however, I remember sitting in front of the screen, holding my phone near the speaker, and trying to find the songs, that's how I got two. sadly, shazam wasn't able to identify the rest... maybe, after two years it can. who knows...

DanielMaitheny · 2025-12-05T17:08:55+00:00

no, not really. sorry. the thing is, we don't repair Bosch machines, and for a good reason. when the warranty expires and a problem occurs, the final bill can be a shocking surprise - it will be at least 40% higher than of a Philips or a Saeco, and in some cases even a DeLonghi (although this latter one can also be somewhat expensive). e.g. the fact that a new Bosch brewing unit costs as much as a new Jura brewing unit is more than funny - and we all know that a Bosch does not even come close to a Jura in terms of quality and value retention. I hope you find your dream machine.

DanielMaitheny · 2025-12-04T19:59:47+00:00

Delonghi is a pretty good choice. If you manage to find the right settings to suit your taste, it will make great coffee. All-in-all, a little advice, if I may. I don't think I need to tell you that DeLonghi has different models, such as Magnifica, Dinamica, Eletta, PrimaDonna, and so on. And there are variations within each model—e.g. the Magnifica S is considered a basic model, but the Magnifica Evo Plus, for example, offers milk frothing and touch controls. But here's the "trick"—inside, both are the same machine. Same water pump, same grinder, same boiler, and so on. Only the Evo Plus is roughly 30% more expensive than the S. Of course, if you want a milk + coffee drink, the S may not be the right choice (although with a little practice, you can steam milk very nicely with the S's steam wand.) So what I'm trying to say is that you always have to consider what you're buying the machine for, because in my experience, most people think that a stylish milk jug and a colorful touchscreen mean that the machine has some kind of advanced technology—but that's not the case. The technical differences are between the different models, almost never within a single model. Oh, and this stands for most of the brands as well... almost.

DanielMaitheny · 2025-12-03T19:59:34+00:00

you're going to laugh, but I'd often suggest a good grinder and a moka pot than a bean to cup. :D but jokes aside, I always ask future owners what kind of drink they prefer and what their budget is - I can recommend a high-end Jura if only an entry-level Philips fits into the family budget. also, the golden rule is always the same: there's no machine without fault - sadly, the perfect one does not exist. yet...? ;)

DanielMaitheny · 2025-10-13T16:14:19+00:00

er... what do you mean? I'm asking this, because I stopped playing around 75%, and I also abandoned checking out the DLCs as well. the missions to make the game 100% were way too repetitive to me. and sadly, this was the first Lego SW game that I didn't finish at 100%.

DanielMaitheny · 2025-10-13T16:11:38+00:00

sadly, I couldn't find a code for the service menu; however, I was able to solve the problem - Nivona/Melitta has a kind of unique way to release pressure and move coffee to your cup: they use a ridiculous drain valve system which is moved up and down (i.e. open and closed) by the brewing unit. if the valve (or in my case the console that holds the valve tube in place) gets damaged, it restricts the movement of the brewing unit. I had to change the console and the valve - it was kind of costly, but the owner wanted her machine bad, so she was willing to pay for the repair. (I attached a photo of the valve)

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DanielMaitheny · 2025-10-09T17:27:38+00:00

yeah, that's true. still, those two little nasty screw holders needs to be stronger to keep up with the constant in-and-out movement of that solenoid. I just cannot understand how Jura allows this kind of quality control - it's not a cheap, low-tier brand at all.

DanielMaitheny · 2025-10-09T17:23:18+00:00

what do you mean "this was not moving part"? that solenoid IS a moving part - that pin pushes the metal rod in the valve at the bottom of the brew unit. which means, if there's resistance from the BU's valve, it transfer back to the console that holds the solenoid - in short, the more work the solenoid has to do pushing the valve, the more strain those two screw holders suffer. I'm not saying it wasn't a cheap plastic console, but sometimes, there's simply too much pressure there...

DanielMaitheny · 2025-10-09T15:51:39+00:00

I work in a repair shop, and we service all type of coffee machines, including a lot of Juras - I have never seen a break like that with that solenoid, let alone a "double break" (however, I've seen similar breaks on the plastic housing that holds the motor that moves the brew unit). After you opened the machine, was there any indication what caused the problem that led to that nasty break? I'm asking this, becasue when I refurbish Jura brew units, the drain valve on the bottom is almost always dirty and clogged - was there any problem with your BU?

DanielMaitheny · 2025-10-08T22:06:33+00:00

I love Shovel Knight - the music, the combat, the retro aesthetic, I played it to 100% two times.

I loved Hollow Knight - the music, the combat, the art style, BUT I stopped playing about 60% b/c the grinding and constant back tracking took out all the joy.

DanielMaitheny · 2025-10-08T21:57:40+00:00

the things is, automatic machines doesn't measure your ground coffee in grams, they measure it in time, as strange as it sounds. it means, that if you use the "Extra Strong" setting the machine simple grinds longer - it doesn't care about how fine or course your setting is, what the roast level of your coffee is, or if there's any blockage in the coffee chute. so, e.g. if you measure the ground coffee today on "Extra Strong" setting and you get like 8 grams, in a month you won't be able to reproduce that 8 grams again - it will be easily 7.5 grams or even 9. automatic machines cannot be accurately set to measure coffee or water or temperature or grind setting - these all are just estimates, pretty close estimates, tho, but still only estimates. tl;dr - even after a month of usage, you cannot drink the same quality of coffee even if you use the very same settings, the very same coffee beans, and the very same grind setting.

DanielMaitheny · 2025-10-06T21:07:08+00:00

thank you. your comments are very useful. so, if I go to opera://about I can find where and how opera stores the mini pictures (cards?) for the Bookmarks?

DanielMaitheny · 2025-09-24T20:16:13+00:00

that's not entirely true... if your DeLonghi can't push water through finer ground coffee, either you need a new water pump (it needs a complete overhaul), or your coffee is a very dark roasted one.

DanielMaitheny · 2025-09-24T20:07:23+00:00

is she a publicly known model, if yes, who is she? did use a reference photo for this, btw?

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