Tripods: Is Carbon Fiber worth the extra cost?

[r_a_feldman]

I'm looking to get a small tripod, mainly for a Fujifilm X-E1 APSc digital camera used with old 35mm lenses, but also for use with a light half-plate Japanese field camera with a 4x5 back. In the tripod models I have been looking at, the carbon fiber version is almost twice the price of the aluminum version. All other specs except material and weight are the same (e.g., same size, extension, ball head, rated weight load).

In your experience, is a carbon fiber tripod worth the difference in price over an aluminum model?

Thanks,
Bob

[Keith Pitman]

If you’re using a tripod in winter in Chicago, CF will be much more comfortable.

[Jim Andrada]

Pretty much just a matter of how much weight you want to schlep around. If you were shooting ULF or even 8 x 10 I suspect the weight differential wouldn't be that significant for your pack mules,but for MF or half plate maybe as a % of the total weight it might be worth it. In my case I have a couple of CF tripods and I like them - on the other hand I have a 30 pound Majestic that I love - but it pretty much stays in one place. I have a "three legged thing" CF pod that I like to use with my Hasselblad because it's short enough and light enough - not the sturdiest tripod ever but it fits in my carry on suitcase - not that that's so important right now. When we went to Europe a few years back I took the little CF tripod because it left more weight for cameras and film. And the cost of the tripod was essentially zero compared to the cost of the trip, and since I didn't have any pack mules (or even a cooperative wife who really wanted to carry camera gear) it made sense. YMMV

[otto.f]

It might be a psychological thing, but for me CF is worth the extra money. The simple idea that I have to carry a heavy tripod along with all my LF gear, where it can be done more lightweight, sets me off. However, I did several days hikes and in the end your muscles get trained just as well with a few pounds more or less. So I don’t know. The most important thing is how you carry, not so much the weight itself. I bought a tripod that I can pack inside my backpack which is much more convenient than outside. I own a Leica SL which is quite heavy, but it’s amazing how much more comfortable a PeakDesign strap carries than its original strap, it really feels lighter.

[Daniel Casper Lohenstein]

In your experience, is a carbon fiber tripod worth the difference in price over an aluminum model?



I am a big fan of Gitzo aluminum tripods. I love these things, mostly because they are beautiful and inexpensive. The Studex tripods are very sturdy, and you can get them second hand for not much money. The Gitzo Safari Studex with the inverted legs really smells like adventure!

But they are heavy, and as thecentercolumn.com says, not as damping as carbon tripods. https://thecentercolumn.com/2018/06/05/carbon-fiber-vs-aluminum-tripods/ this is a good resource. If i understood correctly, they say that even the worst carbon tripod dampens better than the best aluminum tripod ... But damping is not everything. A Gitzo aluminum is just great. A symbol of reliability!

Nevertheless, I cheated and tried two carbon tripods because of this review. A Gitzo GT5543LS, that costs second hand about $700. The resale value of Gitzo is high. That is already an argument. - And then a Leofoto Ranger LS-323C, https://leofoto.com/products_detail.php?id=238. This tripod has only three segments, which is important for me because of the inherent stability of this solution. It has 38 mm diameter. There is no center column, which is why you can fold it very narrow. It cost about $300.

Of course, the Gitzo is a blast. There's no wobble. But it weighs 2.8kg. It will hold everything there is in cameras, no question about it. But it's too heavy for hiking.

The Leofoto only weighs 1.4kg. And it fits nicely on the backpack. It holds the Technika at 3kg with a Rodenstock Apo-Ronar 9/360 at ~700g with no problems. I gave it a geared leveling head, $200, a Leofoto G2, https://leofoto.com/products_detail.php?id=352 The G2 does 10° in any direction. That's enough to level the camera. The head also holds the Technika very well. It also weighs only 360g. 1.8kg for a tripod with leveling head, that holds 20 kg. That's not much for this range of functions.

Is carbon stable? They say it breaks easier than aluminum. Well, I have a clamp on the tube. The clamp carries another clamp with the huge D. Trump memorial golf umbrella on it when it rains. Last weekend I was in a snow storm. I tightened the clamp a lot because the wind moved the umbrella. I took pictures with about 20 seconds. Neither did the carbon break because of my tight fixing, nor were the pictures blurred from the vibrations of the wind, nor did the tripod fall over because of the wind. I could have still hung the backpack on the hook under the tripod, but such a mass starts to swing in the wind, and there again the whole tripod swings.

In summary, I would say, try, borrow one. If you are convinced, get - as usually - the best you can afford. Be careful with carbon on electric fences.

[Tin Can]

Yes

[Greg]

Yes... You can save money by acquiring a previous model CF tripod instead of shelling out for the latest model. A while back the Gitzo GT1541 CF tripod was replaced with the GT1542? model. Kept on looking for the discontinued GT1541 model and eventually found one (pretty much as new in its box) FS at a third of what B&H was selling them for. Former owner of the GT1541 wanted the latest model CF Gitzo. Made no matter to me for having and using an older discontinued model.

[Willie]

Do Carbon Fibre tripod legs have any more problems in really cold weather compare to metal? Talking sub zero (f) to around 50 below - but generally in the 10-25 below area.

[Richard Wasserman]

Do Carbon Fibre tripod legs have any more problems in really cold weather compare to metal? Talking sub zero (f) to around 50 below - but generally in the 10-25 below area.

I know it's not a definitive answer, but I have used my Gitzo in temperatures down to -20 F or so without any issues. No issues with the tripod that is, I can't say the same for myself...

[Pieter]

Just get the sturdiest tripod that you can afford and carry. A CF tripod is ideal, but a flimsy CF tripod is a waste of money.

[Drew Wiley]

It all depends. There are many brands of carbon fiber tripods and they're all over the map in terms of price and quality of build. For large format work you want something solid. For routine usage I really prefers Ries wooden tripods. But for longhaul backpacking, carbon fiber is more realistic because it's so much lighter weight. For 4x5 usage I have a modified original Gitzo Reporter CF - the first commercial CF ever, I believe. It's more solidly built than the thinner-ply current Gitzo equivalent - which I have seen outright snap to pieces in the mountains! A friend learned that the hard way. Just because it's an expensive Gitzo doesn't mean it can't break. But CF is easier to handle in the cold than metal. And the issue is not so much the cold per se as some accident deeply scratching or denting the tubes, creating a weak point.

I learned a terrible lesson about that fact a few years ago when I was furnishing special fabrication equipment to the America's Cup racing teams. They showed me all kinds of samples of carbon fiber, including the Kevlar-reinforced custom version for their ultra-light racing yachts, or essentially catamarans. They were down to 2-ply for their masts and booms, which had tremendous tensile strength, but were very susceptible to dents. One of the team members who often picked up supplies, who was also an Olympic athlete, drowned under a sail the next day after I last spoke to him, when it snapped and fell during racing practice. Now the rules have changed, and all the racing yachts have to have a certain minimum weight and thicker component build.

My bigger CF, suitable for 8x10, is in fact one of the largest 2-ply Feisol models. I'm not worried about it because I'm not doing any of the extreme types of mountain travel as in my younger years, and mostly do 8x10 or big MF tele work on dayhikes, and then, mostly with the Ries wooden tripod. So I anticipate my Feisol outliving me. The smaller Gitzo is 3-ply and has already gone through thousands of miles of mountain travel without issue. Both have been modified for a platform top. Center columns are worthless for view camera applications.

[Ben Calwell]

I can't afford a CF tripod, so I bought an aluminum Benro, which I really like. It doesn't seem overly heavy for short jaunts from the car, and it's perfect for my Wista DX.

[Kiwi7475]

The main consideration is weight.

Try this: get a few books that weight about the weight of an aluminum tripod you may be eyeing. Put them in the bag with your camera gear that you’d normally bring out. Go for a walk around the block. Get back and remove books until it weighs like you’re carrying the CF tripod version now. Go around the block again.

Now consider which one you can haul for the typical trip/hike you’d undertake. Of course the second time weighs less. But is it with it? Can you manage either one easily? Is the weight saving meaningful enough?

Trust me, once you try it you will now, for your particular case, whether the investment is worth it.

[Alan Gales]

When I started in 35mm a lot of people I knew owned tripods but left them at home or in the trunk of their car because they didn't like carrying them.

A light tripod in the hand is worth two heavier tripods at home or in the trunk of your car. ;)

[Peter De Smidt]

Yes.

[Pieter]

When I started in 35mm a lot of people I knew owned tripods but left them at home or in the trunk of their car because they didn't like carrying them.

A light tripod in the hand is worth two heavier tripods at home or in the trunk of your car. ;)

Not really. See Barry Thornton's experiments with light tripods vs hand-held. You'd be surprised. Plus a crappy tripod can give you false confidence to shoot at lower shutter speeds than it can handle.

[esearing]

Tripod weight can be a help or hinderance to your task. At 3-5 pounds I can hike with the tripod all day. 6-8 pounds maybe a couple of miles won't kill me. 10+ pounds and it is used for around the house only and only if I feel like swapping heads or QR plates.

[Kevin Crisp]

It depends on your finances, of course.

I've had a 3 section Gitzo CF tripod for many years. I've used it for everything up to 8X10. It weighs MUCH less than my previous standard, which was a Bogen 3221 or something like that. It is much sturdier.

Other than disassembly of the legs a couple times when I got dirt or sand into it, it has needed nothing. Every time I set it up in the field I remember what a nice piece of equipment it is. I would never go back to aluminum.

[Drew Bedo]

What is your back worth?

I try to keep the 4x5 kit below 25 pounds. The camera body is a little Wista DX45. The tripod is a Velbon "El Carmagne 540" CF with a magnesium alloy ball head. Too light for most 4x5 cameras, it does well with the smaller DX45. When really trimming down, a 90mm f/6.8 Angulon is substituted for the massive 90mm Nikkor and no other lenses are packed.

[Drew Wiley]

One warning about going too light. It makes the whole setup rather top heavy, and more susceptible to wind tipover, and to having difficulty with stabiiity on mossy spongey ground. There's simply no substitute for sheer bully mass when you need it. Of course, a mesh bag weighs very little and can be filled with rocks and hung from a hook below the center of the tripod to give it temporary extra weight. If spike feet are available, order them.

[PRJ]

You only need to buy a good tripod once in your life, so get the good one and you will never think about it again.

[r_a_feldman]

Thank you all for your comments. They have provided me with a number of good points to consider. While I still have more research to do, since I am looking for a small tripod, I do not think the weight factor will be as important as the strength factor.

Bob

[Peter De Smidt]

Check with Ari about FLM options. That's what I'd do in your position.

[NW2Wheeler]

For me, the advantages of a carbon fiber tripod are it being much more comfortable to handle in cold weather, and being able to set up in the ocean surf (or, in Death Valley) without worrying about corrosion.

[Kiwi7475]

Thank you all for your comments. They have provided me with a number of good points to consider. While I still have more research to do, since I am looking for a small tripod, I do not think the weight factor will be as important as the strength factor.

Bob

This is good place to read about options.

https://thecentercolumn.com/

You can go to see the rankings section, or check out by brand or by type. Very useful and informative even for those who are not structural engineers :-)

[r_a_feldman]

Just to report back, I ended up paying the extra and getting a CF tripod, a Sirui ET-1204, rather than the aluminum version, the ET-1004. It has four leg sections, rather than five, but still folds down to about 18” long. I am replacing the included ball head with a Field Optics Research FPH-200 pan-tilt head (I don’t like ball heads). So far I have been impressed with its compact size and stability. I especially like that it has flip leg locks rather the the twist locks that are common on tripods in this size and price range.

Bob

[Heroique]

Just to report back, I ended up paying the extra and getting a CF tripod, a Sirui ET-1204...

Congrats! The first time you shoot in a place of vibrations, I bet you’ll thank your CF tripod.

Just as I’ve thanked my wooden Ries J-600, when in moving water, on a Yellowstone NP boardwalk, in a breeze causing vibration resonance, near a high-traffic road, on a bridge, even on the bouncy floor of a mature forest in the PNW.

Hurray for absorbing small vibrations.

[jppaula]

It depends on budget and weight requirements. For me definitely CF. I shoot in the field with a RRS TVC-24, in my view the best compromise for lightness and sturdiness from RRS. Have the optional central column but keeps at home unless I plan to do any portraits. 1.5 kg (3.4 pounds). Easy to disassemble legs if you need to clean. But many other CF tripods will be good.