Shopping for Gitzo...confused - help?

[Joanna Carter]

Hmmm, now that one looks very promising. Thanks for the suggestion.

Oh, and marry it to a Manfrotto 410 head

[Walter Calahan]

Go to Really Right Stuff's web site. They have an excellent tutorial on picking a tripod.

http://reallyrightstuff.com/tripods/index.html

[Keith Pitman]

Oh, and marry it to a Manfrotto 410 head

Boy, do I disagree! I like the functionality of the 410 head, but that thing is heavy and tall. If you can work with a ballhead, look at the RRS ballheads. They are the best today (IMO).

[BradS]

I'm really trying to avoid a ball head...for several reasons. I was hoping to get away with a leveling thing and, perhaps, a simple low profile pano head.

[Frank Petronio]

You understand that the Gitzos and Fiesols and maybe some of the other clones are numbered 1,2,3, 4, 5 depending on leg diameter/weight? Twenty years ago, the metal Gitzos were numbered with three digits, like 326, 413, 504, etc. Then came the previous generation of metal and carbon-fiber Gitzos that had four digits and were numbered like 1228, 1348, 1548, etc... And most recently, they started to be numbered with the size first, like 2457, 3450, etc...

You probably want something in the two-series for a light field camera.

The Gitzo leveling ball assembly replaces the center column in the 3 and 5-series tripods. They don't make anything smaller. But it works really well and for larger tripod it is nice. But you'll have to hunt the third parties for something smaller.

A "half ball" head with 30 degrees of movement would be pretty slick and save some weight. I'll suggest it to RRS and make a fortune ;-)

[gary mulder]

I'm really trying to avoid a ball head...for several reasons. I was hoping to get away with a leveling thing and, perhaps, a simple low profile pano head.

That is the way I use my 1257LVL. After removing the tip that prevents the center column from rotating I was able to miss out the pano head.

[Lenny Eiger]

I'm looking for a CF Gitzo kit suitable for carrying far into the field. The camera I have in mind is a moderately light weight (about 3Kg) 4x5/5x7 camera. Here are some wishes/requirements:

• Weight is a major concern.
• I really like the self leveling column thingy too.
• I don't need it to be very tall.
• I'd really like the folded length to be less than about 22 inches.

What do you suggest? Old or new - the model numbers seem to have changed somewhere in the recent past.

I have a 1228 MK2 for sale - going to be priced for quick sale... It's got 4 legs, carbon fiber, folds to less than 22. I used it for my 4x5 Ebony, probably about a dozen times. It did very well... It's in perfect working condition. You'll have to get a head of your choice...

Let me know if you are interested..

Lenny

[Joanna Carter]

... It's got 4 legs

Hmmm, are you sure this is a tripod ??

[Lenny Eiger]

Hmmm, are you sure this is a tripod ??

Well, maybe its a quadapod. ;-)

Of course, four extensions in a single leg is what I meant....

Lenny

[Pete Watkins]

If you buy a second hand one and need spares their service is crap. C'mon Gitzo sue me I've got the paperwork to proove it.
Pete.