Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2000/08/30
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]At 2:48 PM -0600 8/30/00, Jeff S wrote: >Have a look at the Manfrotto Carbon N One Pro carbon fiber tripod at > >http://www.manfrotto.com/products/index.html?doc_from=home > >I thought in some ways it looked better than the Gitzo 1228 that I own >though time will tell how reliable those plastic levers will be. I >didn't really take a very close look here. All else looked great-comfy >and very handy to use. > >Jeff Segawa >NO ARCHIVE > > >Dan Honemann wrote: >> >> Right. Which is precisely why I'm soliciting recommendations from anyone >> who owns/uses a tripod that meets all of the qualifications Chris >> enumerated, namely: >> >> 1. Is light weight and easy to transport. >> 2. Can easily be set-up without having to adjust multiple twisties. >> 3. Can be extended to eye level. >> >> Sounds like the Gitzo models excel at 1 and 3, but fail at 2, and that the >> bogen models excel at 2 and 3 but fail at 1. >> >> If there's really no model that meet all these criteria, then I suppose one >> must ask which is the greater price to pay, weight or ease/quickness of >> set-up. Over the years my loyalties (and financial investments) in tripods have been in various camps. I've had a half dozen Linhofs, a couple of Tiltalls, some Sliks, a couple of Manfrottos and mostly since 1975, Gitzos. The Linhofs have had some good points (I still have one small one), being generally very light for their capacity, but being a bit fragile and short. The Tiltalls wore out, and bound under certain conditions. The Sliks were heavy and hard to use. The Manfrottos have clamps that wear out, joints that start slipping and generally wear out sooner than expected. The Gitzos all work fine. I've changed the fiber bushings in some leg sections at one point and clean and relube them once in a while, but basically they all still work well. They don't necessarily look that good any more, but they work as well as when I got them. Now I have (similar to present models) a G01, a G120, a G126, a G224, a G320 and a G509 and a G1228. Also various pieces to make them go wider, higher, faster, etc. As the Gitzos work with standardised leg sections, you can take smaller leg sections from another tripod and put them on a larger tripod for additional height. So I often use the G224 with sections from another Gitzo model and have a tripod with 5 sections that goes up to 2.1m. You may think this is fiddly, but it is immensely useful at times. I use mainly pan/tilt heads, but have some ball heads. Cullman are my favourites; they are light, sturdy and smooth and the price was better than many that weren't as good. One of Manfrotto's head I like a lot is the 410; a three way geared head. Works well on the Gitzo 320. One of my favourites for the past couple of years is the 1228 Carbon. It dampens vibrations and is about as good at holding things steady as the 320, and weighs about half. The carbon fiber tripods are not just lighter, but generally seem to do the same job as the next-size-up aluminum alloy jobs. I tried the Carbon One Manfrottos and looked at the Sliks and Velbons carbon fiber models, and I'll stick with the Gitzo. I tested them with some problem setups, and the difference was noticeable. There is a price difference, and it's worth it. * Henning J. Wulff /|\ Wulff Photography & Design /###\ mailto:henningw@archiphoto.com |[ ]| http://www.archiphoto.com