waTSX

Did the lock ring break under normal use or was it an impact or something?

hrj

iTrader: (1)

^ Normal use, I always baby my gears

Billiam

One thing to keep in mind about CF legs is that while they are light and strong, they are also VERY stiff. This means that they actually do a poorer job of damping vibrations than a comparably sized set of aluminum legs. At least that's my opinion. When considering this, remember that vibrations aren't just from the ground up. They're also caused by you futzing with the equipment at the top. All that said, I adore my Gitzo CF legs.

For ball heads, have you also looked at Realy Right Stuff and Kirk Photo? Pretty much everyone seems to fawn over the current generation heads from RRS.

jupitersolo

I'm pretty happy, the legs are very light, very light. On the last workshop I was at everybody had to "see" how light my set up was, legs and ballhead. It was the lightest set up out of 13 people,

Though the ballhead, V2, was something left to think about, as much as I was having to adjust the knobs on it really wore out my finger tips after three days, I'll be buying a RRS ballhead soon. And for as much I was moving and adjusting with the camera and ballhead, I'll be getting a RRS L bracket as well. I though I could do with just a plate but, again after three days an "L" bracket is needed.

jupitersolo

A shutter release is also needed to not allow this. Yes as stated above RRS is my next ballhead. Three people had these at my last workshop, the one's with the levers instead of the knobs.

waTSX

Thanks for the input on the CF v. aluminum legs, but I think CF is the way I'm going to go. As for heads, I have looked at the RRS products, and like you said they get really good reviews. I think I'm going to go that way and have it narrowed down to the BH-55 and BH-40. The 55 is the burlier one and I'm not sure if I need that much. It's also expensive.

I've narrowed my preliminary leg choices down to the Gitzo GT2531EX or the GT2541. The Explorer has the adjustable center column for macro work and the like, but the guy in the link Dan posted earlier in this thread, Thom Hogan, didn't like them as much from a sturdiness standpoint. I like the idea of the versatility, though. Any thoughts on the adjustable center column?

The 2541 looks great from a functionality standpoint, but is a tad shorter than I'd like at 52.4" w/o the column extended. I'm 6'1" tall and tired of stooping over. One other, the GT2531 Mountaineer, is a couple of inches taller, but no adjustable center column. It might be the best compromise, though. I do realize the head and camera add height, but I'd like to get it pretty close to eye level this time.

Too many choices!

waTSX

Hmmm, "pretty happy" doesn't sound like a ringing endorsement.

hrj

iTrader: (1)

I've tried all GT-2XXX series at my local camera store, The GT-2530/1 is the most stable one.

waTSX

Thanks hrj. The GT-2531 is looking better and better.

Billiam

Of the two Gizos mentioned, I'd also go with the 2531 in whichever flavor your prefer. I'm not a fan of four section tripod legs. Just too big a PIA factor.

As for macro work, you can always get a shorty center column and/or lateral arm if you really want to.

Dan Martin

I still really like my CT-3342 legs and I use them a lot. I broke one of the legs by accidently sitting on it and when I told Feisol what happened, they shipped me a complete new leg assembly from Taiwan free of charge. I couldn't believe it, but their customer service has been amazing. Now that they have a US distributor, it should be even better.

Other than damage of my own doing, this tripod has held up better than anything I've owned before. I don't baby my tripods because they're supporting gear and often I need to put them in rough spots to get a unique angle. I've submerged it many times, used it in sand, snow, and mud and it's got the battle scars to prove it, yet it keeps working like the day it arrived. All the locks work smoothly and it's every bit as rigid as it was out of the box.

Strangely, Gitzo puts up quite a battle if you want to get any replacement parts and often it takes months to get to you. I don't know why their service is so poor when they make such a good product, but I've read numerous horror stories now on the forums that make me leary. Thankfully, one of the local shops carries a ton of repair parts for Gitzo stuff, so if I ever buy a Gitzo pod, they'll be able to back me up. I will be buying a Gitzo GM5541 monopod in the spring, so we'll see how it goes.

The Acratech GV2 has also been a great head. It's very strong and very light, so it pairs nicely with the CT-3342. I love that setup when I'm hiking. The only downside that I can report back on is the ball can shift a little when really locking it down. It's unnoticeable when shooting with wider lenses, but if you're on the telephoto side of things, you can notice the shift. Frankly, it's not an issue if you don't reef down on the knob, but it can be annoying with longer lenses. This is why I use the Manfrotto 410 geared head for any of my macro work or when I don't care about weight so much. The 410 is particularly nice to use when you combine it with the Acratech leveling head.

For what it's worth, although I bought the CT-3342 with the center column, I never use it. Not that there's anything wrong with the center column, but I just prefer the lightness and added stability of just using the plate instead. My next tripod won't have a column.

wndrlst

I've got the RRS BH-40 (lever) with an L bracket - Love it!

I've also got Gitzo legs (don't remember the # - think they're the "reporter" series). I've loved them up until my last camping trip. For some reason, I can't get the center column to drop back down. I've taken it apart, but can't see why it's not releasing when I unscrew the tension ring thingy (technical term). Haven't had a chance to research it or call Gitzo yet. Other than that, they've held up very well to some serious abuse.

waTSX

Thanks for the good info, Dan. The Feisol is still appealing because of the excellent value and quality and it sounds like customer service is very good too. Like I said, a ton of choices out there. Just trying to figure out all the ballheads and quick release plates alone is enough to drive you nuts.

As far as customer service for Gitzo goes, it's amazing how often the biggest and most successful companies fail in this regard.

waTSX

Do you feel like the BH-40 is beefy enough for your biggest lenses? It's rated at 8.8 lbs and that seems like a little on the lightish side. The BH-55 jumps up a 50 lb rating and more than twice the price. They don't have anything in between, and if I'm going to do this I'd like to get a combo that's as stable as possible for the money.

waTSX

^^Oh yeah, did you buy direct from RRS or did you find somewhere cheaper?

jupitersolo

Trust me, if I not the slight bit happy, people know. If I didn't like it, it would be gone.

wndrlst

It will creep a little with the 70-200 if I don't tighten it down adequately, but if I eat my Wheaties and use MLU + a timer or switch, it's fine even after moving up to the 40D.

Unfortunately I paid full retail. I don't even know if they sell them through other distributors.

jupitersolo

They're pretty the same price no matter who you buy from.

waTSX

Good to hear. Thanks.

waTSX

I just found out something not so great about the RRS heads; you can't use the factory tripod collar on your telephoto lenses...you have to buy one of theirs that will fit their quick release plates, at about $55. I really like the RRS heads, but that sucks. Their QR plates are also camera specific, so if I upgrade down the line, the plate I have may not work with the new camera. The L plates they have are very nice though.

Wndrlst, can you confirm this? Does your 70-200 tripod collar work with your BH-40 or not?

Thanks.

Billiam

Kirk Photo makes plates for many different lens collars. Maybe you could poke around a bit and see if a Kirk plate will work in a RRS head?

jupitersolo

It's an ArcaSwiss type plate, Acratech, Kirk and RRS use them. Take a look at what you have to use for a Manfrotto ballhead and I think you'll like the ArcaSwiss QR's and plates.

The Manfrotto geared head I have the 410 the QR plate is almost 2x4. You can't walk around leaving the plate on the bottom of the camera all of the time as you can an ArcaSwiss plate it's just too damn big.

Plus you'll attach your camera body to the ballhead, the 70-200 really isn't that heavy to worry about attaching it to the ballhead.

waTSX

Based on what you said, it sounds like Billiam is right, a Kirk or other Arca Swiss type plate will work with the RRS ballheads and are interchangeable with other makes of heads of the same type. That's good to know.

The L plates do look sweet. They're expensive but they let you quickly change the camera to portrait orientation without moving it off of the tripods center axis, which always bugged me with my current setup. Doing it that way shortens the effective height of the rig and makes it less stable.

Thanks for the info JS and Billiam.

LKLD

Lighter seems to be the preference of most, but I like the heavier ones. Maybe the winds where I'm at are more of an influence, but I like having a sturdy tripod as opposed to a lighter one. Then again, I don't trek long distances.

wndrlst

You are correct. I had to purchase a plate to attach to my collar. And yes, had to purchase a new one for my 40D. I do think they make a universal plate for the cameras, but they don't fit as perfectly. I haven't used one, but almost purchased one after buying the 40D before they had they had the specific plates out.

Dan Martin

Weight alone doesn't make for a stable tripod. The precision of the joints, strength of the locks, and the materials used are all critical elements. If you're comparing tripods from the same manufacturer that uses the same design, then yes, it's possible that a heavier tripod would be more stable. However, the best tripod is the one you have with you, meaning if you have a super stable rock of a tripod at home, but you don't bring it with you everywhere you go because it's too heavy, then it's not doing much good.

The CT-3342 is very light yet it's also very stable. If you want added stability, there's a hook under the camera plate for you to hang a bag to weigh it down. Even without using the bag, I managed to take this two and a half minute long exposure in 20 mph sustained winds: http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3139/...0423ffae_b.jpg
It's sharp even at 100%.

If you're not hiking around, then a decent aluminum pod will serve you well. I just like the freedom of not having to worry about lugging the weight around.

Dan Martin

How are you liking the 410 so far? I managed to fix the problem I had with the tilt knob, so I'm happy with mine again. The next thing on the list is to put an arca-style clamp on the manfrotto plate and threadlock it in place.

jupitersolo

I planned on taking it with me on a workshop I did earlier this month, my dumb ass left it at home. I thought I put it in my extra gear bag. So I really haven't used it yet. Yes the Arca QR is needed, about $59-99, so I have to figure out which one to get.

waTSX

Just to add to the issue of tripod weight, the Really Right Stuff website has some interesting info on selecting the best tripod/head combo. They mention an old rule of thumb that states that the weight of the tripod shoud be 2.5 times greater than that of whatever head you choose, this for the best stability. The caveat to that is what they refer to as todays "high performance carbon fiber" tripods. Because those are now so good, they state that it's safe to use a tripod that's only 1.5 times heavier than the head.

The nice thing is that this opens up new possibilities and allows the shooter to use a support system that is both light and sufficiently stable.

http://reallyrightstuff.com/ballheads/05.html

You can read this info about halfway down the page. It's a pretty good website with a lot of info about support systems in general, and the Thom Hogan link Dan posted earlier in this thread is linked and referenced there too. That's a very informative piece.

Billiam

When evaluating whether or not to take the plunge into any of the ball heads that use the ArcaSwiss style plates, don't forget about your camera's battery grip. The quick release plates that are required for use with the grip are different than those needed for use with just the camera body.

Sort of I know but I thought I'd mention it in case anyone is using this thread as a reference. The main reason I've never purchased the grip for my 5D is that it's ridiculously expensive to begin with and adding the cost of another plate makes it just too much.

waTSX

RRS makes two L plates, one for use with the grip, one without. You're right about price though, they're $140.

jupitersolo

I tell you, yes it's pricey, but if you have one of the three days that I had on my last workshop, you'll drop the $$$ to get one. It was the first thing on my list when I got back, but with making the changes I've made lately, I just have to figure out which body I'll be buying a "L" for. W/O the change, I would have already bought a "L" bracket.

Billiam

And of course there's the added bonus that the L brackets are just cool pieces of machining to look at.

waTSX

^^I'm with you. An L bracket is going to be purchased, I just have to figure out which head I'm going to get, the BH-40 or BH-55.

jupitersolo

Get the BH55, might as well go big to first time and not worry about having to do it again later. One of the ladies at the workshop wishes she had gotten the 55 to begin with.

waTSX

That's kind of how I'm leaning, especially after wndrlst mentioned her 70-200 occasionally creeps with her BH-40. The cost is only $65 more or so. The only issue I have is the tripod I'm getting, the Gitzo GT-2531 is right at 3 pounds and I don't want to end up with a situation where I have a top heavy tripod.

waTSX

All right guys, I have it down to these two options:

Gitzo GT3531 + RRS BH55 ballhead. 6.6 lbs total, huge weight capacity and a completely rock solid setup by all accounts. 52.4" max height without column extended, 64.6" with.

Gitzo GT2532 + RRS BH40 ballhead. 4.1 lbs total with a good load capacity. The BH40 is rated at 18 lbs, but a guy at RRS said it is stonger than that. He said they were unable to move the head with a 1D MkIII and 500 f/4 mounted on it. He said the BH55 just handles better with longer telephotos. 54.3" max height without the column extended, 63.4" with.

I'm having a helluva time deciding here. The 3531 would be slightly heavier than my current Manfrotto setup, but would be scads more stable and the BH55 is one of the best heads made, if not the best. This would be a great setup for home studio, macro, landscape, etc, etc.

The 2531 would be ultra light, highly portable and very stable, just not quite as stable. The BH40 is also supposed to be outstanding. This setup would be better for things like hiking, which I like to do, and would probably still suffice for the other types of shooting I do.

My current rig is the 40D and my current largest lens is the 70-200 f/2.8 IS, but both of those could and probably will change, meaning maybe a 5D MkII or EF 300 prime down the line. I'm also delving into macro now and want a good platform for that as I move forward.

If anyone has experience with either of these legs and can tilt me in one direction or the other, I'd be grateful. Cost is not an issue with either of these support systems.

Thanks!

jupitersolo

How tall are you? Are you sure that either one will be tall enough, when using a tripod you don't want to be bending over to use them, you want them to be eye level. The tallest you'll get from either is 5.3 ft, then add four inches for the ballhead and then another three for the camera body. That would be just at 6ft, I'm 6'5" and would want another few inches to get it to my eye.

Billiam

The 2.5 pounds difference in weight doesn't sound like much but I personally think that's a huge difference if you ever plan on hiking with the setup. Also, I think if you get something that will suffice for your 70-200/2.8 IS, then I think that same setup should work equally well for a 300 prime.

Dan Martin

The 3531 is overkill. It's really a 300mm f/2.8 or 500mm f/4 tripod.

I think the 2531 would be just about perfect for the needs you've mentioned. As billiam mentioned, you don't want to be carrying too much weight if you're going hiking. It's still easily going to support a 400mm f/5.6 or 300mm f/4 or 100-400. Take the money you'd save from the 3531/bh-55 combo and buy some other goodies that will make your life easier. Do you have a 2-axis bubble level for your hotshoe? How about a TC-80N3 timer remote or a Wimberley Plamp?