PDA

View Full Version : Gitzo G1548



William Marderness
2-Jul-2000, 20:51
I am thinking of buying a Gtizo G1548 carbon fiber tripod with no column to supp ort my Wisner 8x10. I now use a Gitzo G1410, which I like, but I get a pain in t he back if I carry it for more than 10 minutes. I have heard bad stories about c arbon fiber tripods, that the legs come un-glued. Has Gitzo fixed this problem? I would like to hear from users of carbon fiber tripods. Have you had any proble ms?

Mike Kravit
2-Jul-2000, 22:11
William,

I own and use 3 Gitzo Mountaineer carbon fiber tripods. I own a 1228, 1349, and a 1548. I have owned the 1349 and 1548 for about 2 years. I have had absolutely no problems and love both.

The 1228 I have had onlt about 6 months. This is the new version where the camera platform is mechanically fastened to the leg supports. Earlier versions had the platform glued in place. There were a number of failures associated with the glue.

I just got back from a 10 day shoot in Italy. I carried the 1228 around every day and loved it's light weight. 5 days prior to my trip I broke 2 bones in my left foot. As you can imagine I hobbled throughout Italy, the 1228 turned a tough situation into a manageable one.

I use the 1349 with my Arca Swiss F-Line 4x5. The 1548 with anything bigger. Hope my experiences help.

Natha Congdon
3-Jul-2000, 13:17
I have used the 1228 at 4 X 5 and the 1348 for an 8 X 10 Ebony (weight is close to your Wisner). The 1348(no column) is perfectly adequate for the 8 X 10, and I have never had stability problems. I left the 1228 in the trunk of my car one day, and the glue melted. A new "Mark 2" 1228, with the new, non-glue construction, was in my hands at no cost of any kind to me, no questions asked, within two days. I have not had any problem of any kind with the two tripods I have now, both of which are Mark 2. I would say the problem has been fixed, Gitzo seems committed to a high level of customer support, and these tripods are excellent for LF use. I would suggest you might be able to scale back your 1548 to a 1348, with a resulting savings in weight for you.

Good luck,

Nathan

Robert A. Zeichner
3-Jul-2000, 20:37
About two years ago I bought a Gitzo 1349. After the first outing, one leg came unglued. I sent it back to Gitzo and they replaced it immediately. The replacement leg set has held up perfectly, including under the weight of this photographer. On my last trip to the Finger Lakes, I slipped on a rock and landed on the legs. Aside from a few scratches on my ball head (the one mounted on the legs) everything survived just fine.

Julio Fernandez
4-Jul-2000, 23:27
As an adhesives expert I feel that it necessary to point out that the adhesive failures experienced with the Gitzo are inexcusable as these indicate inadequate pre-testing prior to commercialization or poor manufacturing and quality assurance practices. For an item with such a price tag the failures are beyond reason. Aditionally, it needs be said that these tripods are not carbon in the true sense of the word, as it is only one of the two major components making up the legs; the other is the epoxy matrix. The mechanical properties of the composite are influenced by both components. Most epoxies tend to greater rigidity and even brittleness at lower temperatures and for that reason I am holding out until the verdicts are in with regards to all-temperature usage. The failures alluded to by users are not very reassuring, even though Gitzo is a respectable company and I am sure will honour guarantees.