Even more tripod woes

[gigabellone]

A couple of years ago i bought a Manfrotto 190 aluminium kit as my go to tripod. I really liked the thing, stable, easy to use, and build like a tank, and, sadly, as big as heavy. In 2 years it saw the light of sun about 5 times i think. Probably because of my poor camera bag choice, but anyway now my sister has got it, for some on-location shootings.

So i'm back at the beginning, but with some more insight. I'll buy a small camera backpack that allows to carry the tripod in a specific pocket placed in the middle, like the lowepro flipside 200, so that its weight is well balanced on my back.

The choice of the tripod kit won't be as easy. I've found many weighing less than 2kgs and shorter than 50cm when folded, and i can't really make up my mind. Everyone swears by the Gitzos, but it will set me back about 1000€ ( !!! ): it costs as much as a good Canon L lens. Is it really worth 3 times the price of its competitors, like the Manfrotto BeFree or the MeFoto Globetrotter? Will a tripod this small and light hold the camera steady, like the trusty Manfrotto 190 did?

 

[ERHP]

What maximum height are you looking at and how much weight do you plan on placing on this?

I'm a huge fan of RRS personally, though I have used several Gitzo's in the past. The newer 1542T from Gitzo folds up into a fairly compact unit and is easy to use. It may not be tall enough for what you are looking for though.

 

[Sporgon]

I have been in the same situation with a studio Manfrotto 058, which I do use on location if the cars not far away, and a 'lightweight' 190. If I was a long way from a vehicle I still found myself leaving it, so I thought I'll get the lightest, smallest but practical one I can and see if I use it, so I got the carbon Befree.

Highly sceptical of it at first, but you can carry it anywhere and not notice it. Spindly little legs, apology of a head, but you know, I do actually use it, because I have it with me at all times. If you are sensible with shutter speeds, or the environment is very still, it brings home the bacon.

Needless to say, it's more at home with a lighter camera, but it can stand a 5D + 24-105L without any problems.

 

[slclick]

Check out Feisol. I traded in my RRS for the Tournament CT-3442. I have no complaints or regrets.

http://www.feisol.net/tripods/tournament-tripods.html

 

[Pebbles]

Have a look at Three Legged Thing: http://www.3leggedthing.com/

Small British company that make everything themselves. Had a 'Brian' for a few years and its been great. Their new Airhead 3 ballhead is really nice even if you go with legs from somewhere else.

 

[AlexB]

I have the ReallyRightStuff TQC-14 with BH-30 LR ballhead, and I love it.

One of the reasons I chose the RRS is because you can remove the center column completely and still have a solid hook underneath.

I do a lot of long exposure photography and the TQC-14 is the only tripod I use. 2, 5, 10 and 20 minute exposures are never a problem, it's rock solid. If it's windy I can easily hang my backpack, a bag of rocks or something else under the tripod to weigh it down.

It is expensive though, and whether it is worth the extra cost or not is only you who can decide.

 

[Pookie]

Tripods like RRS or Gitzo only seem expensive until you consider how many BS/weak/cheap tripods you've bought up until the day you finally give in and buy a quality one.

 

[Mt Spokane Photography]

A lot depends on your use. These are generally not for video, so I'm assuming you would use it for stills.

If you want long exposures, then you will need one that is rock solid, and that usually beans either a shorter tripod, or if a tall one, it will be heavy. A tripod with a under hook that lets you add weight to it will be more stable in general. (If you actually add the weight, of course).

There is a CF Manfrotto 190 that is a bit lighter but still stable.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B017BE3WZ2?keywords=manfrotto%20tripod%20legs%20CF&qid=1458493427&ref_=sr_1_5&sr=8-5

 

[neuroanatomist]

Everyone swears by the Gitzos, but it will set me back about 1000€ ( !!! ): it costs as much as a good Canon L lens. Is it really worth 3 times the price of its competitors, like the Manfrotto BeFree or the MeFoto Globetrotter? Will a tripod this small and light hold the camera steady, like the trusty Manfrotto 190 did?

Some relevant musings: http://bythom.com/support.htm

I have the ReallyRightStuff TQC-14 with BH-30 LR ballhead, and I love it.

As do I, it's my travel tripod and as such gets a lot of use for long exposure blue hour photos with my 1D X. (I also have the TVC-33 + BH-55 LR / PG-02 LLR gimbal for local use.)

How sturdy is the TQC-14? Well, it's rated for 25 lbs. That's a pretty conservative rating...

I sure wouldn't try that with a set of Manfrotto legs!

 

[cycleraw]

Bought several lower priced tripods and wasn't happy with any of them. Then I finally bought the RRS 34L and it's one of the best purchases I've ever made. Sure it's expensive but it's the last full size tripod I'll ever buy. Looking at the TQC-14 for hiking and backpacking.

 

[gigabellone]

First of all, i would really like to thank you all for the useful feedback! It really helped me getting a clearer idea on the problem at hand.
I can't consider RRS and 3LT because they don't have a distribution network here in Europe, so i would have to buy directly from them, incurring on long shipping delays and all sort bureaucratic bullcrap related to customs.

The article kindly provided from Neuroanatomist ( http://bythom.com/support.htm ) was an epiphany. After quite a long comparison of specs and prices, the choice is between the sets of legs shown in the attached picture.

The Manfrotto is slightly taller and costs almost half the Gitzo, but it weighs 300g more, and the Gitzo has also got thicker leg sections. Given that i'll be soon adding either a 70-200 or 70-300L, is any of the 2 going to be fine?

 

[krisbell]

I would advise strongly AGAINST Really Right Stuff. My RRS tripod and ballhead have seen extremely light use over the 2 years I've owned it and it has basically fallen apart - ballhead locking lever gets jammed and cant shut, legs will not lock in extended position and start to shrink down with the slightest weight and the legs themselves just swing loosely and have to be repeatedly tightened. RRS technical support couldnt care less.

 

[Ladislav]

I have Manfrotto 190CXPRO4 (carbon). It always served me well and it is really good value for money although it is not what I would call rock solid. I would not use it in really windy conditions.

I also have a bit of complain about the construction. After 3+ years of regular usage (few times per month) the top main carbon tube of one leg started rotating in the metal collar. This is irritating because the resistance of rotation is smaller than resistance of clamps releasing telescopic legs. The tube and collar also form one part so there is no screw to fix that and only option is to replace the whole part (£34). So far it is not a big deal but I'm not sure what is now holding the tube from simply falling off.

 

[neuroanatomist]

I would advise strongly AGAINST Really Right Stuff. My RRS tripod and ballhead have seen extremely light use over the 2 years I've owned it and it has basically fallen apart - ballhead locking lever gets jammed and cant shut, legs will not lock in extended position and start to shrink down with the slightest weight and the legs themselves just swing loosely and have to be repeatedly tightened. RRS technical support couldnt care less.

Interesting and unfortunate. Your experience seems quite different from the norm. Personally I have >$4K in RRS gear, all of it works flawlessly after a few years of use. Whenever I've contacted them, they've been responsive and helpful.

Irrelevant for the OP, though, as already stated it's a challenge to buy RRS outside North America.

 

[kaswindell]

I own a Manfrotto 190CXPRO4 that I picked up on clearance with their 496RC2 ball head a couple of years ago when they were refreshing their line so I got it at a pretty good price. I like the tripod, it is good enough for most situations, the head is so-so. I also have a Gitzo Studex with the RC3 head that I bought in the 1983 timeframe that is roughly comparable to the two that you are looking at for size/capacity but it probably weighs twice as much since it is aluminum and not carbon fiber. Not surprisingly the Manfrotto gets much more use since I can tote it along without a second thought. Before you buy the big, heavy tripod, I suggest that you think carefully about how much weight you want to haul around with you, and consider things that may be a little smaller and lighter.

 

[LDS]

The Manfrotto is slightly taller and costs almost half the Gitzo, but it weighs 300g more, and the Gitzo has also got thicker leg sections. Given that i'll be soon adding either a 70-200 or 70-300L, is any of the 2 going to be fine?

If price is not an issue I'd go for the Gitzo - just remember you need to add an head too, and it has to match the performance of the tripod - both are sold without (unless you buy a kit, or you already have one).

I have an older 055 model (which I carry around in a padded bag, but mostly for urban shooting) so I can't rate the newer one. IMHO with the proper head both should handle 70-200/2.8 and a full frame DSLR without issues, but the Gitzo is rated for a far higher load and is a better option, if you're going to use it often.

 

[danielm]

I would advise strongly AGAINST Really Right Stuff. My RRS tripod and ballhead have seen extremely light use over the 2 years I've owned it and it has basically fallen apart - ballhead locking lever gets jammed and cant shut, legs will not lock in extended position and start to shrink down with the slightest weight and the legs themselves just swing loosely and have to be repeatedly tightened. RRS technical support couldnt care less.

Interesting and unfortunate. Your experience seems quite different from the norm. Personally I have >$4K in RRS gear, all of it works flawlessly after a few years of use. Whenever I've contacted them, they've been responsive and helpful.

Irrelevant for the OP, though, as already stated it's a challenge to buy RRS outside North America.

I've had the same experience with RRS as neuroanatomist--great and quick service. Apologies to OP for thread hijacking.

 

[cycleraw]

I would advise strongly AGAINST Really Right Stuff. My RRS tripod and ballhead have seen extremely light use over the 2 years I've owned it and it has basically fallen apart - ballhead locking lever gets jammed and cant shut, legs will not lock in extended position and start to shrink down with the slightest weight and the legs themselves just swing loosely and have to be repeatedly tightened. RRS technical support couldnt care less.

Interesting and unfortunate. Your experience seems quite different from the norm. Personally I have >$4K in RRS gear, all of it works flawlessly after a few years of use. Whenever I've contacted them, they've been responsive and helpful.

Irrelevant for the OP, though, as already stated it's a challenge to buy RRS outside North America.

I've had the same experience with RRS as neuroanatomist--great and quick service. Apologies to OP for thread hijacking.

My experience with RRS has been GREAT. I really don't believe krisbell, he must be a salesperson for another tripod company.

 

[Sporgon]

I would advise strongly AGAINST Really Right Stuff. My RRS tripod and ballhead have seen extremely light use over the 2 years I've owned it and it has basically fallen apart - ballhead locking lever gets jammed and cant shut, legs will not lock in extended position and start to shrink down with the slightest weight and the legs themselves just swing loosely and have to be repeatedly tightened. RRS technical support couldnt care less.

Interesting and unfortunate. Your experience seems quite different from the norm. Personally I have >$4K in RRS gear, all of it works flawlessly after a few years of use. Whenever I've contacted them, they've been responsive and helpful.

Irrelevant for the OP, though, as already stated it's a challenge to buy RRS outside North America.

I've had the same experience with RRS as neuroanatomist--great and quick service. Apologies to OP for thread hijacking.

My experience with RRS has been GREAT. I really don't believe krisbell, he must be a salesperson for another tripod company.

Or maybe from the UK

 

[Deleted member 91053]

First of all, i would really like to thank you all for the useful feedback! It really helped me getting a clearer idea on the problem at hand.
I can't consider RRS and 3LT because they don't have a distribution network here in Europe, so i would have to buy directly from them, incurring on long shipping delays and all sort bureaucratic bullcrap related to customs.

The article kindly provided from Neuroanatomist ( http://bythom.com/support.htm ) was an epiphany. After quite a long comparison of specs and prices, the choice is between the sets of legs shown in the attached picture.

The Manfrotto is slightly taller and costs almost half the Gitzo, but it weighs 300g more, and the Gitzo has also got thicker leg sections. Given that i'll be soon adding either a 70-200 or 70-300L, is any of the 2 going to be fine?

I looked at RRS a few years back and they were silly money here in the UK - very nice tripods though. These days they are less expensive but still cost more than Gitzo.
Given that your longest lens (for the foreseeable future) is a 70-300L then I would suggest that you have a look at the Gitzo 2 series tripods. I have had the Gitzo GT2531 for 7+ years and find it to be very stable with shorter lenses like my Canon 300 F2.8 L IS. It will easily hold longer lenses but it doesn't damp vibration as well as the larger models for very long lenses. I wouldn't worry too much about the leg thickness on Gitzo tripods as I have found them to be as good or better than the next size up on other tripods - with the exception of RRS which is at least as good.
A 2 series Gitzo will allow you a lighter setup without compromising rigidity/damping. If you get a Mountaineer model (like mine) then the center column can be easily removed for low level shooting or where a little extra vibration damping is desirable - no tools needed. I have larger Gitzo's but this is my preferred tripod for landscapes or lenses up to 300mm.
As someone else mentioned a used Gitzo would be a good option. I have had some real bargains with second hand Gitzo tripods - well worth a look as a 10+ year old one has many, many years left in it!