And the truth was I was just being cheap for too long. But after freezing my hands off on the heavy metal Gitzo I'm ready to convert.
Are the new features that Gitzo promises for it's 3-series worth an extra $100 or so? Non rotating legs and perhaps easier twist locks and easier leg folding (no more click stops up on top)?
What precautions do you take to prevent the CF from getting banged around in transit, especially air travel? I like to toss all the light stands and stuff into a large Lightware cargo case -- if I put the CF into a sleeve will that be enough or do I just regain the weight I just shaved by having to use a padded tripod case inside a larger case?
And finally, for someone 6' tall, is a 50" tripod really tall enough? I've never had one so short! Don't you guys ever shoot down?
I'll axe the ballhead questions later... you know it's coming
Frank, I would PM Rich (naturephoto1), since this is the type of tripod he uses. He speaks highly of them. I may have to make the change to CF myself shortly, so I am remembering his advice to me on the subject.
Frank:
I have two Gitzos and IMHO they are easily the best tripods made. I use a 1257 with a Markins ballhead for 35mm and a 1325 with a Manfrotto 405 head for LF. They are very solid and almost seem "dead" in comparison with metal tripods. By "dead" I mean they do not ring or vibrate when you bang on them. The CF absorbs mechanical noise in a way that metal or even wood does not.
I travel with them a lot and have found them to be pretty hardy. I wrap a piece of cheap, light foam around them and check them in my duffel bag-you can't take something like a tripod on a plane as carry-on these days. The CF tripods are pretty hard objects. Metals will bend and get dents. These tripods (at least for the kinds of abuse I've given them) are quite robust and don't bend or get dented. I quess that at some level of abuse they will fail in a catastrophic way but the baggage claim folks have not yet found that point.
There are a bunch of things that we all buy many copies of. Tripods, exposure meters, camera bags, tripod heads, etc..... Eventually after a buying a pile of cheap stuff you get something that works so well you say, "This is perfect, I'm done. I wish I hadn't wasted a lot of money on all the inferior crap before I discovered this one." The Gitzo CF tripods are in that category of perfectly designed objects.
Cheers,
Dave B.
I have 3 of the Gitzo Carbon Fiber Tripods. My most current and most recent is the 1257LVL. This is the replacement of the 1227 with the leveling adjustment. My first Gitzo Carbon Fiber was the original 1228 which is a 4 section tripod. This was the first of the Gitzo Carbon Fiber tripods and 3 section tripods and larger units were not available at the time. My second purchase is the equivalent to the 1325. All 3 of the tripods were purchased with the center columns. However, I only keep the center column attatched to the 1228. That is because soon after its release, Kirk made a 5" column for the tripod. With the Kirk center column, replacing the longer column locked to the tripod the center column could be screwed to the bottom. The other 2 tripods had the center columns removed. The 1st 2 tripods that I have are the Mark 1 versions and the last one is the 6X version.
The 2 older tripods have tripod sections that rotate as the legs are extended. The newest one that I have has the legs that do not rotate as you extend or telescope the leg sections. That is a real plus and makes the tripod much easier and enjoyable to use. I use the 1257LVL now (with the 3 3/4"? short column) as my lightweight tripod but it can support a good amount of weight particularly when you attach weight to the hook at the bottom of the short or the long columns. I really like the tripod however, the 13XX series tripods are nicer in some ways because they do not have the large wingnut lock above the base of the tripod. My 13XX series tripod has a flat plate that I use or the leveling base which I standardly leave installed. The 13XX series tripod alone (without the leveling base) weighs about 1 1/4 pound more than the 2 smaller tripods.
I use ball heads on these tripods however, I am on the lookout for a used Linhof 3 way leveling head. My favorite ball head that I use is attached to (but is easily moved to the other tripods) is my Markins M20 L (left rather than the right version - my Arca B1 is an R version- only available in this version). I purchased the Markins without a QR clamp and opted for the Kirk 2 1/2" bubble level Arca type QR clamp.
I normally carry the tripods in padded cases to protect them. These are expensive tripods that I like to protect. For shipping (as by air) I have a Pelican "rifle" type case that I use. I am not even sure of the model number any more.
For the 1257LVL tripod I now use a Think Tank Bazooka Tripod case to protect and carry the tripod. This is the only heavily padded tripod case that can telescope from 15-30" in length.
If you need more information I will be happy to supply it.
I am including the link and a photo of the Think Tank Bazooka Tripod case:
The main reason that I want to go to CF is to save some weight, not for backpacking but for air travel.
My situation is that I use a 33-inch (x12x12) Lightware Cargo case with a half dozen stands, lot lights, light modifiers, make-up kit, etc... and have gotten used to tossing a metal Gitzo in loose with the other gear. When I used an Arca-Swiss ballhead I would put a padded Kinesis cover over it but otherwise the metal light stands were free to mingle with the metal Gitzo legs, and there are a few battle scars...
Going to CF helps me stay under the 50lb limit the airlines are enforcing. Considering that I used to be able to take three 70lb bags and a folding cart as a matter of course, it is pretty frustrating. And since half my trips are self-funded, if I can avoid $250 per (I have to puddle jump from Rochester) trip for overweight baggage I can easily justify spending money to save some weight.
But if I have to wrap the darn CF tripod in 4-5 lbs of protection it negates the weight savings of CF... I suspect that I won't need all that protection, and that probably I can pack a bit more carefully -- but on one recent trip the TSA was so thorough that my light stands arrived dissassembled... they had taken them apart to check inside. So even if I pack carefully there is no accounting of how the TSA will repack for me.
So, Walt says he just tosses his CF into the case with the other gear and that is good enough for me. Although it does give me a moments pause...
I think the tripod I want is the "GT3540XLS SERIES 3 SYSTEMATIC 6X CARBON FIBER TRIPOD" for $745 or so, not yet in stock. I think it is similar to the 1348 only a foot taller, which are being sold for $600 in clearance. So my other question is it worth $150 not to have the legs spin around? (I think I know the answer )
If you carry a 13XX series CF tripod without a head or a 12XX series tripod with a head they will fit into the Think Tank Bazooka. If you need a larger tripod with the head attached I know that when asked at Photo Plus, Doug Murdock, President and lead designer indicated that Think Tank would be coming out with a larger version of the Bazooka.
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All these workshops tell one to get down with an ankle perspective.
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