Are Gitzo's really overrated?!

[Jemlnlx]

Hi everyone...just wanted to share my travel tripod experience.

I had an aluminum 4 section Manfrotto Tripod w/ ball head (5.5 lbs together, folding to about 25"). I was looking to upgrade to a carbon fiber tripod that was easier to lug around. After some research, i decided on the Induro CT113, a three section CF tripod folding to about 22" (without head) and extends to 58" w/ center column extended. Weighing 2lbs, 12oz. I was pretty content with the Induro, lightweight and very sturdy. I had also experienced the joy of twist lock legs, as I have only previously used flip level legs locks. I was actually looking into the Gitzo 1531 Moutaineer, but chose the Induro due to the lower price from a rebate that was going on at the time.

Fast forward to about two weeks ago I saw a Gitzo 1541T on Ebay for a reasonable price. I have read nothing but amazing reviews about this "perfect traveler's tripod." At the price, which I could most likely resell it and make a few $$, I picked it up. It folds down to 16" with the legs reversed, 19" without reversing the legs and a maximum height of 55" with the center column extended. Weighing 2lbs, 2oz. When it first arrived I was skeptical, especially after beginning to extended the legs and seeing how skinny they were. It wasn't until I extended all the legs and twisted them into locking position that i was truly amazing. Though the legs are skinny, I think the locking system (G-Lock?) really provides excellent support. Tthe 3" in height doesn't really make a difference (INSERT "THAT'S WHAT SHE SAID JOKE" HERE) to me. The twists (1/2 turn on the Induro vs. 1/4 turn on the Gitzo) was noticeable. It really is great tripod and I will hang onto it for a while.

I took it out a few times since I got it and its been a pleasure. Small, lightweight and sturdy. Easy to set up with the 1/4 turn leg locks and a really stable once extended.

Conclusion: I have read tons of reviews about competitors to Gitzo...and the majority of people are happy with their tripod claiming that Gitzo price premiums are for the name and that there are tripods that are just as good out there for a fraction or a fraction of the price...I beg to differ. Gitzo makes great products. I was really impressed with the 1541T and for its purposes, I will hand onto it for a while. All I need now is a good lightweight ballhead...looking at the Markins Q3T.

 

[Mt Spokane Photography]

Induro and Benro are imported by the same company (Mac). Some say they come from the same factory.

I spent $400each on two Benro's a few years back, not just a few dollars. The rubber grips on the legs started disintegrating last year, so I asked the Importer for help.

First, they said that I had bought gray market from B&H, and they would not support them. Then, I sent a photo of he original box with Their name on it.


Then the story changed, and the truth came out. They do not and never did stock parts for the tripod. They also claim that Benro will not support it with spare parts.

Fortunately, those rubber bands are not critical parts, but I will not ever knowingly buy products imported by Mac after finding that they don't support them.

 

[SoullessPolack]

I can't speak from too much experience, as all I have is a Gitzo Traveller (who the hell knows what model number) and a big heavy aluminum Manfrotto. I had a small lightweight tripod previously, similar to the Gitzo, that I paid maybe 150-200 for. There is a night and day difference between the Gitzo and that cheapass one. For about the same weight, the Gitzo can definitely hold more. The G-locks are rock solid and a cinch to use. The twist locks on that shitty little tripod were horrible, and kept sliding in even though the only thing mounted was a 5D and 24-70 2.8.

I can't say much about similar lightweight carbon fiber models from other middle-of-the-street manufacturers such as Induro or Benro or Manfrotto, but I can say that I do fully believe my Gitzo was well worth the money. It is light, it is sturdy, it's quite functional. I have no regrets with having spent more than half a grand on it.

 

[docsmith]

I did a lot of research a few years back and ended up with the Gitzo 1542T and Markins Q3T. It has been exactly what I wanted. A great travel and hiking tripod set up. It has held up exceptionally well.

 

[Don Haines]

I bought a lightweight benro tripod and after one expedition, lost all of the rubber feet. Tripod was quite a few years older and places selling spare buts couldn't help so I just went to the local h/w store and bought three rubber feet for $0.50 each and they work just as well as the originals. Could probably file them down on one side if I want to do the flat part thing. When I've gone looking to find a replacement, everything since (including newer Benro ones) are 2x or 3x the price.

The difference between that and the Manfrotto that I've got is that even though the Manfrotto is 20+ years old, I can still order parts that will fit it from Manfrotto, even though that model is no longer supported.

I have a Manfrotto Art 117 tripod at work.... long time out of production.... and called up asking about a replacement strut. They sent me a new one, no charge.... That is how you make a loyal customer!

 

[AcutancePhotography]

Are Gitzo's overrated?

That's a hard question to answer. I do believe that there are viable tripods out there that are not Gitzo. But the quality and price of Gitzo's are high.

It is really up to the individual photographer whether Gitzo's are "worth it" or not. A tripod that works for one group of photographers may not work for another group.

For my type of photography, a Carbon Fiber Re-inforced Plastic Tripod is not worth the price. For other photographers, it is.

 

[Loswr]

Gitzo has the advantage of a global network of distributors, and for many the opportunity to try them out locally before buying. For overall quality, I prefer RRS.

I'd also note that while Gitzo's legs are certainly 'worth it', their heads generally aren't.

 

[Reiep]

Gitzo has the advantage of a global network of distributors, and for many the opportunity to try them out locally before buying.

That's exactly why I'm now 95% sure I'll get a Gitzo over a RRS, living in Europe: warranty stuff.

 

[NancyP]

I needed a part for an Induro monopod, the standard issue platform was too small to attach the head, I called MAC and they sent the larger diameter platform for FREE within a week. Very nice, and the monopod has worked flawlessly for 4 years.

I also learned that turkey vultures engage in projectile vomiting when they get scared or annoyed. I had mentioned that my use for the monopod was for long-telephoto bird photography, and the MAC tech specialist brought up this little tidbit - he had worked or volunteered at a raptor rehabilitation facility. So, beware. Do not challenge the turkey vulture for its roadkill - you will get a roadkill shower.

I have two Feisol tripods, and both are really good, at about 60% of the price of the comparable Gitzo. We will see about tech support, etc. I found out about Feisol from its distribution by a large format camera hiking enthusiast. Good enough for 4 x 5 or 5 x 7, probably just fine for me.

 

[awinphoto]

They are overrated in the same way profoto lights are in the lighting arena, hassy's are in the MF arena, and the Nikon D800 is in our arena... There are always going to be other manufacturers that can do the same thing cheaper, better, and have better customer support, and to those who do not need them, they are extremely over-rated. I've come to the conclusion that in photography, there is no holy grail set-up... nothing you buy will make you a better photographer. It can make your job easier and be more reliable, but in the end, it cannot do it's own thing and take it's own pictures. If it's the gear (and the only gear that will help you do what you need and nothing else will do), then no, it's not overrated.

 

[Eldar]

I have 2 Gitzo tripods and one monopod. I do not know anything about their customer support, because I have never had an issue with any of them. I also have 2 RRS tripods and same story there.

The Gitzo heads are a completely different story though. A total waste of money.

 

[Mitch.Conner]

I'm glad this came up. I've been wondering what to replace my cheap Manfrotto with. The one I have works fine for the moment, but it shakes in the wind because the legs are a bit thin.

 

[tolusina]

I have a Gitzo GT2531LVL, Acratech Ultimate GP Ballhead.
Both are beasts, I expect they'll last the rest of my life.

The Gitzo has one design/engineering flaw that was apparent from photos and description, I accepted that going in and have addressed it since. Can't complain about this flaw.

It had a manufacturing defect (in duplicate) that I found unacceptable, the ends of the post weren't square. B & H stood behind it with a replacement, same defect present.

Gitzo support (U.S. and Italy) just didn't care, Italy suggested I buy a Manfrotto leveling base to address the flaw, I found that totally unacceptable, that would have largely defeated the object of a leveling post.

I found a local machinist who was happy to take my money to true the center post aluminum end pieces with a lathe, I now hope to never ever have to part with this now marvelous support.

Gitzo support gave me the impression that they were poorly treated low wage clerks with little (if any) knowledge of what, how and why their products should work.

I did want one spare part to modify, ordered through B & H, shipped from Gitzo/Manfrotto's support contractor in Arizona, part arrived quickly, reasonably priced.

I'll rate Gitzo support one thumb up, two thumbs down.
There's something lacking in factory QC too but I was unable to get through to anyone who might care.
I even rang Gitzo/Manfrotto in the U.K., looking for contacts I couldn't get through U.S. support. Response from the U.K., while very pleasant, had no additional help to offer.

 

[Nethawk]

A couple of years ago when I got back into photography after 30+ years I found the most difficult decision of all was in selecting a tripod and ballhead. Yeah, I struggled with brands and glass, and of course camera bags but those three legs were something else.

I have to say that from price perspective I had the private perception - for me - that Gitzo might be overrated, but then I had sunk a lot of budget into camera and lenses. I knew of great reviews and excellent feedback, that Gitzo is often the choice of professionals, but I saved $200 and sacrificed an additional pound of weight, and have been pleased with my decision. My choice was between Gitzo GT1541 Mountaineer 6X and Manfrotto 055CXPRO4, both carbon fiber, both I felt fit my backcountry needs. I chose the Manfrotto (with markins ballhead) and never looked back, it's taken a beating and continues to perform perfectly. If I'd had the $ Gitzo would have been my choice and the Manfrotto would have then been underrated

 

[sgs8r]

It is worth noting that a high-end tripod (Gitzo or RRS) will probably last your lifetime, so in that context, the cost is not so bad. Also, if you are buying sight unseen over the net, you are unlikely to be disappointed with their fit and finish. With a Chinese knock-off, I'm not so sure.

Tripods are a relatively simple product and the Chinese competition is booming. I expect that (like with other products before) they will get their QC dialed in and put a lot of price pressure on Gitzo and RRS. So the high-end advantage may well shrink to insignificance (and Gitzo may move production to China, if it's not there already).

 

[DominoDude]

To me, I think that both Gitzo's and chinese tripods are highly overprized. Their respective quality levels are not in the same league, but still there's other choices that delivers more bang for the buck. All in my opinion.

 

[Eldar]

To me, I think that both Gitzo's and chinese tripods are highly overprized. Their respective quality levels are not in the same league, but still there's other choices that delivers more bang for the buck. All in my opinion.

I have tried numerous other choices, believing what you say. But when I finally went for Gitzos and later also RRS, my only regret was that I didn´t do it earlier. But I´d still be interested in reading which tripods you refer to.

 

[DominoDude]

To me, I think that both Gitzo's and chinese tripods are highly overprized. Their respective quality levels are not in the same league, but still there's other choices that delivers more bang for the buck. All in my opinion.

I have tried numerous other choices, believing what you say. But when I finally went for Gitzos and later also RRS, my only regret was that I didn´t do it earlier. But I´d still be interested in reading which tripods you refer to.

As an example - Vanguard tripods. And it's possible to find good ones among the ones Manfrotto offer.
The only problem I have had with Vanguard is finding a dealer who sells them, and since I've been unemployed for the last 2,5 years and seriously lacking income and funds I don't even own one of theirs.

 

[wyldeguy]

I have a Manfrotto 190cxpro with a manfrotto 054 Q5 ball head as well as a 3 legged thing Vyv and I can highly recommend the manfrotto bullhead to add to your legs. If you wanted a light but sturdy ball head that looks different than all the others I can also recommend the 3 legged thing Airhead (any size). They are very nice to work with, are colourful and depending on the size can support crazy weight. Side note they are Arca Swiss style plates so they will also work with Wemberly gimbal heads if you have one. The previously mentioned Manfrotto ball head is not Arca Swiss but works really well for me since it is more for video and it fits my Tamron 150-600 tripod collar better.

 

[slclick]

After owning many Benros, Induros and Obens I searched for a higher quality tripod without a center column that didn't break the bank. I'd love an RRS but it is a couple hundred out of my range. When it was all said and done the best I could do was to compromise on the center column and get a 3 Legged Thing. However I'm still holding out. Not sure why they don't offer that particular design. Plus I don't need a built in monopod, I am a firm believer that gear that does multiple things does it less precisely than those with a single function. (KISS philosophy)