I came across a current Ebay listing for a Gitzo Cremaillere 3, with a possible local pick up here in L.A. I'm familiar with the newer (bewildering) series descriptors of Gitzo tripods, but not this one.
The question is: would this tripod be able to handle a Horseman LE 4x5 monorail? I suppose I could always attach a weight to the center column, but... Thoughts?
Sal.....I have several older Gitzo tripods. I just looked at one on ebay which might be the one you're mentioning. That one should handle your camera with no problems. My 12x20 sits on a newer carbon legged Gitzo and is rock steady. I have an old cremaillere model which also handles the camera fine. You should have no issues with that Gitzo.
tw
Glad for the assurance. Many thanks!
It's a Series 3 with crank column. Probably one of the smoothest working pieces of photographic equipment you're ever going to find.
If the crank column can be removed as a unit(crank and gearing) it's an interpro Studex and will use the flat plate and rapid column. The rapid column has to have it's own mounting plate to swap them. The plates are about 4" diameter.
This will handle any 4X5 and most 5X7's with room to spare.
FWIW: I think Gitzo changes model numbers every few years just to see how confused they can get sales folk.
There's information in Wiki defining some of the mysterious Gitzo models but generally it's
Hello from France !
There is no mystery about what a "crémaillère" is, for a Gitzo tripod, it simply means a geared column as opposed to a simple column with no "rack and pinion" system.
I'm currenly using a 1312 classical alumin(i)um model with a non-detachable built-in "crémaillère"
http://www.slrgear.com/reviews/data/70/1gitzo-g1312.jpg
It is rated for 10 kg / 22 lbs. More recent series 3 Alumin(i)um Gitzo tripods are rated up to 18 kg.
In my configurarion with a 4x5" monorail camera, the limiting element is the tripod head when I use a series 3, #1370 3-way Gitzo head; with a solid ballhed, the tripod would collapse before the head would even notice any overload
So no problem to use a series-3 "Gitzo aluminium à crémaillère" with a 4x5" monorail camera. Simply avoid to use the maximum extension of the geared column with a heavy camera configuration.
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OFF-TOPIC :
In the field of mountain trains, "Un train à crémaillère" means a rack-and-pinion train like the one carrying tourists from Chamonix up to the Mer-de-Glace glacier !
A train that you can safely board with your Chamonix camera mounted on a Gitzo Crémaillère N°3
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