Are Gitzo tripods as good as they say?
Nicholas O. Lindan
>
> I've been looking and looking and looking at the Gitzo g126 model
> tripod legs [for] an N80 and 80-200 2.0 lens.
> How have others found this model to function?
I have a range of Gitzo gear.
For an 80-200/2.8 (I assume you meant 2.8?) a 126 is pretty light weight.
A 226 would be a better choice.
However, if weight is of prime importance, then
a 126 should be OK if used when collapsed.
Gitzo's are close to indestructible, superbly made and sometimes
maddening when setting them up.
Be sure to look at the used market. Gitzos don't wear out.
--
Nicholas O. Lindan, Cleveland, Ohio noli...@ix.netcom.com
Technical Management Consulting & Engineering Services:
New Product Development; Electrical Engineering;
Software, System and Circuit Design. Oh, & Photography
milo...@my-deja.com
stumble upon a review by someone who trashs it. They felt that the
tripod was "spindly, unsteady especially if fully extended and not
worth the cost".
The heaviest equipment I would like to use with the tripod is an N80
and 80-200 2.0 lens.
How have others found this model to function? Are there other
tripods (just as small) that are better? Does choice of a tripod head
affect the steadiness of the whole unit?
Thanks for all comments
Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
Before you buy.
Mark Morgan
> maddening when setting them up.
What do you find annoying when setting them up?
Sofjan
>>and sometimes
>> maddening when setting them up.
>
>What do you find annoying when setting them up?
Instead using lever to lock the leg the Gitzo use twisting collars to lock.
With Bogen or any tripod that use lever ,Collapsing and setting up could be
faster. To set up hold the tripod up twist the lever the leg will drop and lock
the lever. To collapse turn the tripod upside down and twist the lever.
The Gitzo using the twisting collar require a bit extra wrist movement to lock
and unlock.
Sofjan
'
DarrC
is annoying, their designers never go out for photography, they never
realise that under many type of extreme conditions trying to twist the
collar is almost as good as trying to open a can food with stuck lid with
your bare hands....
Snap lock are far better, faster and easier to operate. Save your $$ and
get other tripods and use the savings to get many good tripod heads....
Christopher Glaeser
> is annoying, their designers never go out for photography, they never
> realise that under many type of extreme conditions trying to twist the
> collar is almost as good as trying to open a can food with stuck lid with
> your bare hands....
There is a trick to using Gitzo tripods. Some people don't get it even
with a demonstration, but once you get it, it's extremely easy.
> Snap lock are far better, faster and easier to operate. Save your $$ and
> get other tripods and use the savings to get many good tripod heads....
Easier? Yes. Faster? Perhaps, but I'm pretty damn fast with mine.
Far better? Nonsense. Snap lock tripods of equal weight have more
wobble compared to a Gitzo. The Gitzo twist design has an important
function (yes, the Gitzo designers do know a thing or two about
photography). There is considerably more surface area between the
telescoping members of a Gitzo compared to other tripods, and that
translates to a more stable platform. That said, if easy is your most
important criteria, get another brand. If a solid platform tops your
list, consider the Gitzo.
- Christopher
Colin J Donoghue
The acid test for a tripod is to check how firm it is by attempting to
rotate the head of the tripod. Set up the tripod with legs extended and
then place your hand on top of the head and try to rotate the head
horizontally. It should be difficult to get any discernible rotating
movement at all. If the legs or the upper pivots are not up to the
mark, you will get a degree (no pun intended) of rotation, either by
movement in the upper leg pivots, or by the legs twisting. Reject any
tripod with movement, as movement in this direction will allow the
camera to rotate or oscillate in the wind.
Whichever tripod you settle on, see if you can try this test on an
Italian Manfrotto tripod. They are about the firmest tripod I have come
across.
HTH,
Colin
Q.G. de Bakker
> They are as expensive as good as they will ever be...the twisiting collar
> is annoying, their designers never go out for photography, they never
> realise that under many type of extreme conditions trying to twist the
> collar is almost as good as trying to open a can food with stuck lid with
> your bare hands....
>
> Snap lock are far better, faster and easier to operate. Save your $$ and
> get other tripods and use the savings to get many good tripod heads....
Having a twist/screw lock instead of snap is what makes Gitzo tripods that
bit more stable than snap lock tripods.
And it is the reason they last as they do. The twist lock is indestructable,
it will never ever wear. A thirty years old Gitzo will lock every bit as
good as a brand new one. How many snap locks will last that long?
But, on the down side, they are indeed a bit less easy to operate.
So save your $s and get one of those Gitzo tripods: they'll last easily
twice or three times as long as those cheaper snap lock ones...
max_perl
I tried a top model Gitzo head and the movements were very bad.
Especialy if you should track a moving target.
Max
<milo...@my-deja.com> skrev i en
nyhedsmeddelelse:8rods3$ds$1...@nnrp1.deja.com...
j...@cheerful.com
> twice or three times as long as those cheaper snap lock ones...
But with Gitzo's price you can get twice or 3x the tripod:)
If you broke one of the you don't care.
Seriously though, rigidity and stability should be the reason of buying the good
tripod.
Ian Klimon
monopod...the best of both worlds ;)
ian klimon
"Colin J Donoghue" <dono...@infogen.net.nz> wrote in message
news:39DFEDB2...@infogen.net.nz...
Nicholas O. Lindan
The bleedin' two stage twist lock center post.
They make geared center posts, but I'm cheap (and I like to bitch).
Leonhard Pang
<8rpf6s$5p2$1...@news.inet.tele.dk>:
>I don't like the Gitzo heads. Manfrotto heads are better and
>cheaper. I tried a top model Gitzo head and the movements were very
>bad. Especialy if you should track a moving target.
>
Well, then get a Manfrotto head, and a Gitzo tripod.
I've got the mountaineer 1228, and the Manfrotto 329 head.
(Don't want to have a tripodhead without level anymore.)
-Leonhard
trav...@my-deja.com
this with a Bessa-R/50mm/f1.5 Nokton combo. I also have a Gitzo "Sport"
with #2 ballhead that's over 15 years old for my AF SLR and zoom
lenses. I orginally paid about $120 for this setup. Today that same
tripod & head would be worth considerably more. The 126 makes a good
SECOND tripod. Do not go "penny foolish" with a Gitzo. It is a lifetime
purchase, and will see many, many cameras used on it.
Tom
> I've been looking and looking and looking at the Gitzo g126 model
>tripod legs and just when I am about to take out my credit card, I
>stumble upon a review by someone who trashs it. They felt that the
>tripod was "spindly, unsteady especially if fully extended and not
>worth the cost".
> The heaviest equipment I would like to use with the tripod is an N80
>and 80-200 2.0 lens.
> How have others found this model to function? Are there other
>tripods (just as small) that are better? Does choice of a tripod head
>affect the steadiness of the whole unit?
Earlier this summer, when I was looking for a good but very small
tripod (35 mm format) for family travel, I played around with a
variety of modern tripods in the local store including the Gitzo 126.
I brought in my 80-200/2.8 & f100, and was able to wiggle all of them
to my heart's content.
There was no contest. Extended to the same length, the Gitzo won
hands-down in stability and damping over all others of the same packed
length.
To calibrate my opinions, excluding table top and monopod units, I
have at least a half dozen other tripods ranging from a $40 Slik that
stays in my car, a Gitzo 226, a very sturdy (but old) Tiltall, and a
couple of large Bogens including a huge one for my 4x5 equipment.
The 126 is only about 13 inches long. To further reduce its weight
and stability, I have followed Galen Rowel's suggestion of removing
the center column.
To reduce its packed length to a minimum, I have a QR plate screwed
directly through the hole formerly occupied by the center column. I
then use a medium sized ball head with a matching QR system on both
top and bottom of the ball head. I snap the ball head onto the
tripod, snap the camera onto the ball head, and I'm up and running in
30 seconds.
Basically, I've been extremely happy with the 126 and can recommend it
highly. Its not the cheapest tripod around, but I think its well
worth it - ie, it doesn't get left behind (even when the main purpose
of the trip is not photography), and I can trust it to be as good as
one can get in its size range.
However, if you prefer to make the size-stability trade-off a bit
differently, and weight and length are less of a concern, go up a step
to the 226, and you will have all the stability you need. With the
head removed, the 226 fits diagonally into one of my larger suitcases,
but you certainly "know its there" when you are lugging it around
airports.
Finally, I second the other opinions that the twist locks on the
Gitzos work perfectly fine, don't break, etc.
Hope this helps,
Tom
Washington, DC
trav...@my-deja.com
because of a review I'd read by Galen Rowel. As far as the screw down
legs go, a little maintance every six months or so (cleaning and a
squirt of W-76) will keep them working like new forever. Levers are
usually so tight, they're hard to operate, or so loose that they can't
be trusted.
Randy Howard
Get a Gitzo 1325 with an Arca-Swiss B1 and RRS mountings. It doesn't
get any better.
In article <8rpf6s$5p2$1...@news.inet.tele.dk>, max_...@post11.tele.dk says...
> I don't like the Gitzo heads. Manfrotto heads are better and cheaper.
> I tried a top model Gitzo head and the movements were very bad.
> Especialy if you should track a moving target.
>
> Max
>
--
Randy Howard
Luca de Alfaro
I have the G126, that I normally use w/o center column, both
for light weight, and to be able to do low-to-the-ground macro
work. Besides, the tripod folds even lower with the "extra-short"
center column for macro. I use a Bogen ball head on it, I don't
remember the number, but it is a simple but sturdy model that
weights less than a pound, and I am very happy with the combination.
The G126 is my hiking tripod. My other tripod is the G224, a very
sturdy, tall tripod that suffices for all of my 35mm purposes.
The G224 is not so incredibly heavier to carry around, btw: the
main reason why I prefer to take the G126 while hiking is that it
folds much smaller, so that I can attach it more easily to a backpack,
or even put it inside the backpack in case of rain.
Luca de Alfaro
Jan Steinman -- jan AT bytesmiths DOT com [remove .gov]
<deal...@eecs.berkeley.edu> wrote:
> I concur: I also find Gitzo tripods to be of very nice quality.
Some time ago, they quietly abandoned their "lifetime warranty" policy. I
had a leg-lock collar go bad and brought it in for service under my
"lifetime warranty," and they charged me $65 for the little plastic part!
That was my LAST Gitzo product.
--
: Watching George and Al makes me want to Ralph!
: Jan Steinman -- Jan AT Bytesmiths DOT com
: Bytesmiths -- digital artistry <http://www.bytesmiths.com/Art_Gallery>
: +1 503 635 3229
Heinz Richter
>had a leg-lock collar go bad and brought it in for service under my
>"lifetime warranty," and they charged me $65 for the little plastic part!
>That was my LAST Gitzo product.
Don't blame Gitzo for this. The life time warranty was in effect when the
Gitzo tripods were imported by Karl Heitz, Inc. A while ago Gitzo was bought
out by Manfrotto. Their tripods are imported by Bogen and were available under
the Bogen label. Manfrotto decided that they did not want two importers for
their products and turned the distribution of Gitzo over to Bogen. Karl Heitz
had been importing Gitzo since they first became available in the US.
Switching distributors virtually put them out of business. So much for
loyalty. Anyway, Bogen, or Manfrotto, decided not to offer the lifetime
warranty anymore, and the Karl Heiz slogan "Life Time Warranty - Plus
Reincarnations" was discontinued.
Heinz
HRphotography
http://hometown.aol.com/hrphoto/myhomepage/business.html
FOTOgraphicART
http://hometown.aol.com/fotogrart/myhomepage/business.html
GMB Custom Black & White Lab
http://hometown.aol.com/gmbbwlab/myhomepage/business.html
Cliff
I've read lots of good feedback about the 029, information on the 329 is
limited. The 029 is said to operate very smoothly, but it's weight and size
is a slight drawback for me. How does the 329 compare to the 029?
Weight is an issue for me and I intend to use it with a Manfrotto 3001 leg.
Are there any alternatives you'll suggest? I'll be using it with a F80 and
the longest lens I'll use will be a 400mm zoom.
Thanks.
Cliff L
Leonhard Pang <l...@bluewin.ch> wrote in message
news:8FC7BE34Bl...@127.0.0.1...
Toivo Voll
>Anyway, Bogen, or Manfrotto, decided not to offer the lifetime
>warranty anymore, and the Karl Heiz slogan "Life Time Warranty - Plus
>Reincarnations" was discontinued.
Um, I must be missing something here. Aren't there laws in the US
that make resellers / importers / manufacturers liable for marketing
claims? If this isn't the case, what's the point in any lifetime
warranties, if they can be discontinued after a year!
Toivo
Leonhard Pang
<xg%F5.3169$NQ4....@news2-win.server.ntlworld.com>:
>Leonhard, I've been considering the 029 and 329 heads for awhile
>now. While I've read lots of good feedback about the 029,
>information on the 329 is limited. The 029 is said to operate very
>smoothly, but it's weight and size is a slight drawback for me. How
>does the 329 compare to the 029?
So far, the 329 looks fine. I'll hopefully know more next week,
when I'm on my vacations.
I'll chose the 329 because of its size and its weight. It's
compacter then the 141 or the 029.
The 141RC would be even lighter, but it's missing the levels,
and that was the reason for me to go with the 329.
>Weight is an issue for me and I intend to use it with a Manfrotto
>3001 leg. Are there any alternatives you'll suggest? I'll be using
>it with a F80 and the longest lens I'll use will be a 400mm zoom.
What is the 3001? I didn't find it in my Manfrotto catalog.
I went with Gitzo, because they have the Mountainer for a little
while, and I hope they know now how to make carbon tripods.
(Weight is an issue too to me. I was tired carrying along the
055C... it's darn heavy).
But.. the Gitzo 1228 and the 329 are still around 3 kg...
The Tripod and the head should be able to carry an 8 kg heavy
camera.
An other alternativ to the 329 would be the 410. It's a gear
head, would be more precise to adjust, but also give you the
flexibility to fast adjust.
But hopefully I'll know at the end of next week, how
my combo is performing.
-Leonhard
Peter
Toivo> In article <20001014094027...@ng-cf1.aol.com>,
Toivo> Heinz Richter wrote:
>> Anyway, Bogen, or Manfrotto, decided not to offer the lifetime
>> warranty anymore, and the Karl Heiz slogan "Life Time Warranty
>> - Plus Reincarnations" was discontinued.
Toivo> Um, I must be missing something here. Aren't there laws in
Toivo> the US that make resellers / importers / manufacturers
Toivo> liable for marketing claims? If this isn't the case, what's
Toivo> the point in any lifetime warranties, if they can be
Toivo> discontinued after a year!
No, they carried capitalism a little too far there. The businesses
have all the power. If you do something to limit hat power you are a
'communist' :)
-peter
Cliff
Manfrotto 190, 3001 is the Bogen version, sorry about that.
Cliff L
Leonhard Pang <l...@bluewin.ch> wrote in message
news:8FCDE6C51l...@127.0.0.1...
Leonhard Pang
win.server.ntlworld.com>:
>Thanks Leonhard, I'll be looking forward to hear from you. BTW, it's the
>Manfrotto 190, 3001 is the Bogen version, sorry about that.
Ok, I'm back. =)
BTW, I heard good things about the 190. The only drawback of that
tripod is the maximum height. I can extend the Gitzo 1228 more then
the 190. And the Gitzo can carry a little bit more then the 190,
but it might be not an issue for you.
Ok, now back to the 1228 and the 329. It's a great combination.
I was able to carry it on the 2 hours trips including my other
photographic equipments. It's sturdy and didn't mind the sand.
The levels helped me to keep the pictures horizontal. It was
the biggest help. If you don't need the exactness of geared head,
I would go with the 329, since I think, it levels are more helpfull
then the only one of the 410.
The 329 also didn't gave a problem with the sand.
-Leonhard
Cliff
because it's what I'll prefer to get. BTW, the big drawback about the Gitzo
1228 would be the price. I'm guessing a CF Gitzo would cost me a bomb.
Leonhard Pang
<G0EJ5.13484$bL1.2...@news6-win.server.ntlworld.com>:
>Thanks for your info. Leonhard. It's good to hear that the 329 works
>well because it's what I'll prefer to get. BTW, the big drawback
>about the Gitzo 1228 would be the price. I'm guessing a CF Gitzo
>would cost me a bomb.
Yeah... it took me 3/4 year to convince me, that I needed
the Gitzo 1228. Now I'm happy with it, with a great head.
It's worth every penny.
But the 190 is a fine tripod too. Just a bit too short for
me.
-Leonhard
t_too...@my-deja.com
need extra work or special tool to do that?
In article <39E7884A...@eecs.berkeley.edu>,
> I concur: I also find Gitzo tripods to be of very nice quality.
> I have the G126, that I normally use w/o center column, both
> for light weight, and to be able to do low-to-the-ground macro
> work. Besides, the tripod folds even lower with the "extra-short"
> center column for macro. I use a Bogen ball head on it, I don't
> remember the number, but it is a simple but sturdy model that
> weights less than a pound, and I am very happy with the combination.
PBurian
I toured the Gitzo factory in Paris and two Manfrotto factories in Italy.
Incredible quality control at Gitzo and a lot of hand-assembly.
And yet, I was impressed with the quality control at Manfrotto too. For the
price, it is extremely competitive. Sure, some pros wear out tripods quickly or
regularly need parts/repairs. They would be better off with Gitzo.
The two companies are now owned by the same group.
Peter Burian
Ian Klimon
tripods)
ian
"PBurian" <pbu...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:20001031080329...@ng-mg1.aol.com...