Talk Me Out of It... (Tripod)

[Big Mike]

From what I've been reading/hearing, Gitzo does have very good equipment, but it's typically overpriced.
There are other brands with high end gear, that don't as much of a premium price. Which is probably why he got the Feisol.

I would have gone for a Carbon Fiber model though.

But, yes...after digging into the world of tripods...my wishlist is now very pricey too. :er:

 

[Big Mike]

Watching with interest. I was trying a few indoor flower shots the other day, but the droop on my old Optek tripod was driving me nuts. I was about to order a Manfrotto 055 (the ProB with the horizontal feature), but this thread made me want to go fondle a bunch before deciding what I wanted. I'm going to be in Edmonton next week anyway, so I'm going to head into McBain and look at what they have.

By the way - Big Mike, it was one of your posts that first put me onto McBain. If I tell them 'Big Mike sent me' will they know it's you that gets credit? lol

JM

Well, if you go into the main store, on 107th ave...my Friend Gregg works there...although, I don't think he does much in terms of sales these days.
If you're going to go there, it's only half a block south to Vistek, the other big camera store in Edmonton.
You could also visit Don's Photo (West end or South Side), they have a decent selection of tripods.
I wouldn't bother with any of the satellite McBain locations. They have tripods, but not much of a selection. Heck, even the main store doesn't have all that much, if I remember correctly. Mostly Manfrotto and a few from Slik & Velbon.
The Camera Store, in Calgary, has a much better selection.

On that note, if you are going to buy from McBain, make sure that you search for prices at other stores in Canada. McBain (and Vistek, I think) will price match to other stores in Canada (real stores, not just internet sites). I usually check the price at The Camera Store, then have McBain match it.

And if you're been following this thread, you may be interested in something better than what you'll find and these stores. Check out Really Right Stuff, Arcatech, Kirk etc.

 

[FSJeffo]

All great advice, thanks Mike. Very much appreciated, I'll let you know how it goes.

JM

 

[WhiskeyTango]

From what I've been reading/hearing, Gitzo does have very good equipment, but it's typically overpriced.
There are other brands with high end gear, that don't as much of a premium price. Which is probably why he got the Feisol.

I would have gone for a Carbon Fiber model though.

But, yes...after digging into the world of tripods...my wishlist is now very pricey too. :er:

If by "he," you mean me, I did get a carbon fiber model. It showed up on my doorstep at lunch today, and... wow. That thing is sweet. It feels incredibly well made. Fit and finish is outstanding.

Sadly, I won't be able to really start playing with it until Monday when the ball head should show up.

I got the Feisol in large part due to the mention in this thread and subsequent research on my part. It was substantially less expensive than a comparable Gitzo, and I couldn't find a single disparaging review anywhere. In fact, everything I read was glowing.

 

[Redeyejedi]

i have never seen a more applicable use of the age-old-adage, 'you get what you pay for' than with legs & head. i thought a $300 combo was pricey. then i read the hogan article. then i rewired my thinking into $300 is entry level. then after buying an "entry-level" tripod, and all the associated instability issues, i deeply regret the purchase for my desired uses. tripod use for macro is a personal choice; some greatly prefer versatility of handheld, other the stability of legs - me. but the one i bought makes composing a fustercluck of a job with sag/creep/droop/shakiness/stability. feature wise, it's on par, but i should have gotten a decent head for $300.
agree with the reputable, quality brands mentioned, where i will soon be, after my money tree blooms, and i give the current legs away.
note: carbon legs can be less stiff, but are lighter and don't get as cold as aluminium. can also get legs covers for alu for cold climates(metal gets cold and moving it around gets old). [/.02]

 

[Big Mike]

If by "he," you mean me, I did get a carbon fiber model.

My bad. I searched "Feisol CT-3472 Elite" and came up with this...NEW FEISOL Elite Tripod CT-3472 Rapid
and read this...

The CT-3472 Rapid inherits all the superior specifications of our tournament grade tripods. Its high grade CNC precision-milled 6061 T6 aluminum solid block construction offers a remarkably lightweight yet highly durable design intended for large capacity loads.

 

[WhiskeyTango]

If by "he," you mean me, I did get a carbon fiber model.

My bad. I searched "Feisol CT-3472 Elite" and came up with this...NEW FEISOL Elite Tripod CT-3472 Rapid
and read this...

The CT-3472 Rapid inherits all the superior specifications of our tournament grade tripods. Its high grade CNC precision-milled 6061 T6 aluminum solid block construction offers a remarkably lightweight yet highly durable design intended for large capacity loads.

Gotcha. Yeah, the base is definitely aluminum. The legs, however are carbon fiber. Having re-read the web page you linked, though, I'm not sure how I'd know that if I hadn't just taken it out of the box an hour ago... lol

 

[jamesbjenkins]

Thanks for all of the input. Seriously. You did it! Talked me out of the 058/222

I've pulled the trigger on the following:

• Feisol CT-3472 Elite
• Feisol LB-7572 Leveling Base
• Really Right Stuff BH-55LR

It might not adjust "quite" as fast as the Manfrotto 058/222, but I think it'll do just fine and give me a LOT more flexibility for other forms of photography.

I do know myself: By this time tomorrow, Buyer's Remorse will have set in. That'll be replaced with perma-grin as I remove things from shipping boxes, and based on all of the feedback here and elsewhere, I think I'll find myself pretty happy with the purchase.

Thanks again

So, I circled back around and saw this post a few days back. Glad to see you took my advice! You'll have to post again once you've played with your new Feisol! I'd love to hear your take on 'em...

 

[WhiskeyTango]

Thanks for all of the input. Seriously. You did it! Talked me out of the 058/222

I've pulled the trigger on the following:

• Feisol CT-3472 Elite
• Feisol LB-7572 Leveling Base
• Really Right Stuff BH-55LR

It might not adjust "quite" as fast as the Manfrotto 058/222, but I think it'll do just fine and give me a LOT more flexibility for other forms of photography.

I do know myself: By this time tomorrow, Buyer's Remorse will have set in. That'll be replaced with perma-grin as I remove things from shipping boxes, and based on all of the feedback here and elsewhere, I think I'll find myself pretty happy with the purchase.

Thanks again

So, I circled back around and saw this post a few days back. Glad to see you took my advice! You'll have to post again once you've played with your new Feisol! I'd love to hear your take on 'em...

So, by way of an update:

I've finally gotten everything in my hands. I am extremely impressed.

The Feisol tripod is rock solid. I can actually hear the air being forced out and/or drawn in as I extend and retract the legs. The leveling head was a breeze to install, and even simpler to use. There is nothing about this thing that feels cheap.

The RRS ball head is a work of art. I've designed, built, and installed automated production equipment for the automotive industry for 15+ years. This thing is sick. I'd love to see the engineering drawings behind this.

On top of that, customer service at RRS was well beyond my expectations.

I'm at the start point of my learning curve with this rig, but my initial impressions lead me to believe I'm going to be happy for a very long time.

 

[pgriz]

Mind if I copy you? My Manfrotto 55BX tripod and 222 head are feeling very, um, amateurish.

 

[WhiskeyTango]

Mind if I copy you? My Manfrotto 55BX tripod and 222 head are feeling very, um, amateurish.

Of course not!

Now there is a little matter of my finder's fee, and annual royalties... but we can discuss that later.

 

[bazooka]

Does anyone know of a study (online) that compares images taken with different quality tripods/heads? I have a $450 setup and have been very happy with it for 2 years now... makes me wonder what I'm missing out on?

Manfrotto 055CXPRO3
Manfrotto 322RC2

 

[Overread]

A lot of the differences are not just in stability, they are also in things like weight and resistance to damage (eg I think Gitzo does a special sealed range for coast work where salt water can be a nightmare for tripods). Light weight and stable also ups the price on a tripod a lot over one that is heavier, but just as stable.

For what its worth the most stable that counter most vibrations are the heavy wooden tripods (which are stable, expensive and heavy...). I forget which between aluminium and carbon fibre but one of those two can carry vibrations worse than the other.

 

[analog.universe]

A lot of the differences are not just in stability, they are also in things like weight and resistance to damage (eg I think Gitzo does a special sealed range for coast work where salt water can be a nightmare for tripods). Light weight and stable also ups the price on a tripod a lot over one that is heavier, but just as stable.

For what its worth the most stable that counter most vibrations are the heavy wooden tripods (which are stable, expensive and heavy...). I forget which between aluminium and carbon fibre but one of those two can carry vibrations worse than the other.

That vibration stuff quickly gets complicated, and it's not always that wood > carbon > aluminum or some other order. The geometry of the design, how the aluminum is extruded, how the carbon is layered, what kind of hardware connects it all, etc.. are all relevant.

You could have the same mass of aluminum in two legs of the same length, but if one has a narrower diameter and thicker wall, it will have different strength and vibration characteristics.

 

[bazooka]

But in a practical IQ sense, does a $300 manfrotto setup result in a less sharp image than a $1000 gitzo? The weight and features of my tripod do not bother me (probably because I've not had anything better). I'm quite happy with it. I am, however, very concerned with getting the absolute sharpest image.