CF vs Aluminum, 4 vs 3 leg

[Drew Wiley]

Ordinary plumbing snap-on pipe insulation can be put on anything round to create a thermal cushion, but might affect how
tightly a tripod folds. But one thing I have learned about ultra-light carbon tubes per se is that, although they might be
just as stiff as three-ply tubes, they are far more susceptible to impact. In other words, they might hold almost as much
dead-weight load, but the leg might fail if seriously dented. A friend of mine learned about that the hard way last summer
when two of his Gitzo 2-ply legs outright broke off. By contrast, my older 3-ply Gitzo CF has survived many such incidents
with no issue, and is only half a pound heavier.

[Lenny Eiger]

Love my Gitzo. The way the legs lock while extending or putting them back is great.

I carry my tripod and camera in my hand so I like it light. Putting it in the backpack makes taking a shot much longer.

Lenny

[Noah B]

Thanks for all the input guys, I decided to go with the Induro AT213. .8 pounds isn't a lot, plus I got a lightweight ball head to go with it. Should be a good setup!

[nonuniform]

You might look at feisol CF tripods. I've had one for several years and I like it a lot.

I had a Feisol. It lasted about 3 years until one of the legs came unglued at the base. Bought a Gitzo, as I should have done in the first place, except I paid an extra $350 to find that out.

[evan clarke]

I had a Feisol. It lasted about 3 years until one of the legs came unglued at the base. Bought a Gitzo, as I should have done in the first place, except I paid an extra $350 to find that out.

Yep, I have a Gitzo 3540xls and if I had bought it first I wouldn't have spent money on around a dozen others. I have the same Gitzo in aluminum (should have gotten the cf) and the Varbon is much more rigid. I use it with everything up to my 11x14..

[Brian Ellis]

I had a Feisol. It lasted about 3 years until one of the legs came unglued at the base. Bought a Gitzo, as I should have done in the first place, except I paid an extra $350 to find that out.

I've had a Feisol for about 3 years and a Gitzo 1325 for about 15. One of the legs on the Gitzo came unglued at the top several years ago. The Feisol is fine (though obviously not nearly as old as the Gitzo). I don't mention this to argue with you but rather because your experience with your Feisol may not be a typical problem.

[Ari]

Even the best companies crank out the occasional dud.
I've had great luck in buying tripods, all of them have performed admirably, and never broke or needed repair.
I've owned cheap Chinese CF tripods and top-of-the-line Gitzos, and they've all been great.
Just wish I had similar luck when buying cameras; I always find the problem ones.
My wife always tells me "You really love to tinker"

[Shootar401]

What about a Manfrotto 3001 or 3011? its aluminium so its much, much more durable than carbon fibre, and won't shatter if you drop it. They can be had rather cheaply and are great sticks.

[Drew Wiley]

There are a number of types of carbon fiber tube. Some of it can be remarkably tough, but given the topic of tripods, there
is always a tradeoff between durability and price/weight. If you've been following any of the news leading up to the America's
Cup races, you might have noticed how they kept trying to get those yachts lighter and lighter for speed, until one outright
collapsed. I've been marginally involved in all that per the fabrication equipment. I purchased the very first Gitzo CF tripod
model they ever offered, modified it for view camera use, and it's been thru hell in the high country and will probably last
the rest of my life. I notice the newer models are generally thinner tube stock, so lighter but less durable. My big Feisol CF
tripod for 8x10 is also quite thin, so I'm careful not to get the legs seriously dented or gouged. If I want to fend off a Sasquatch, I'll use my big wooden Ries!

[C. D. Keth]

I had a Feisol. It lasted about 3 years until one of the legs came unglued at the base. Bought a Gitzo, as I should have done in the first place, except I paid an extra $350 to find that out.

My feisol is on 6 years and counting with no signs of any problem. I don't know which experience, yours or mine, is typical.