edellington

I have traveled the route a lot of us have when it comes to tripods. I've purchased cheap ones and heavy ones that are too large to transport. I would like to get a carbon fiber that will last a long time. Folks always talk about Gitzo as the brand to purchase, but they are extremely expensive compared to others with specs in the same range. Are Gitzo tripods something that an experienced photographer would buy used?

exposeu Loc: Wenatchee, WA

I have had one for over 10 years and it has never failed me. Mine is not carbon fiber but I love it. Yes, they are the best.

jack schade Loc: La Pine Oregon

I have two carbon fiber gitzo's. One is for backpacking and the other for heavy camera and lenses. They are both great. They are not inexpensive by any means, but I feel that they have been worth the price.

Jack

runakid Loc: Shelbyville, TN

I like the 3 that we own. Not cheap but if you want something that will always work and not disappoint then...
Why save money on something that may not work when you are far from home?

runakid Loc: Shelbyville, TN

I like the 3 that we own. Not cheap but if you want something that will always work and not disappoint then...
Why save money on something that may not work when you are far from home?

SharpShooter Loc: NorCal

Ed, they are definately something you would buy used, but the problem would be finding one. Plus, they hold pretty high resale, so finding a good deal is probably not likely either.
They do make the basalt pods that are cheaper, I think they're fiberglass.
If you're not gonna pack it, look for an older alloy one, those are a good buy. Good luck!!!
SS

Peterff Loc: O'er The Hills and Far Away, in Themyscira.

I bought mine used on ebay in excellent condition, and for what I considered a decent price. Took me two or three months to find it. Whether an experieced photographer would do so is a slightly different question.

Haydon

If you need support for heavy equipment, buying quality legs is an important part of the investment. Would you buy a $100.00 tripod to support several thousand dollars of equipment from falling? Would you buy something inexpensive to ensure you have sharp shots not affected by vibration with your final product?

Several years ago, a friend asked me for a recommendation for her equipment. She asked me if a Walmart $75.00 tripod would be good enough to support her Canon 70D with a 70-300L lens. My analogy was fairly simple, I asked would you put retreads on a BMW? She eventually purchased a FEISOL CT-3442 and hasn't looked back.

I myself own a discontinued Gitzo 3530LS which was originally purchased to support a 500F4. I prefer to buy once and buy it right. Higher quality equipment will undoubtedly outlast low end support systems and give you a stable platform unreachable otherwise.

rgrenaderphoto Loc: Hollywood, CA

Your tripod is a mission critical component of any photographer's kit. Gitzo, Manfrotto, Induro and Really Right Stuff are expensive but worth it.

Racmanaz Loc: Sunny Tucson!

Would love to have a Gitzo tripod, but they are way out of my price range....not sure how they let their prices Gitzo high. :)

SharpShooter Loc: NorCal

I'd like to have a 100mp Phase One, but they let their prices get high TOO!!! LoL
SS

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

Gitzo and Really Right Stuff are considered the best. Induro is a very good Chines copy of Gitzo, and also quite good at a slightly lower price. But just getting a Gitzo tripod is not the end of the story. They make a broad line of leg sets, from very small, light and portable for travel use with the presumption that you will be doing mostly landscape and shooting with wider lenses. They also make 5.75 lb heavy duty one that is intended to stabilize long lenses of 600mm or longer, and it costs over $1000. RRS has similar offerings.

The way carbon tripods are designed, looking at the top tube diameter will clue you in to how stable it will be with a particular lens and camera. The top Gitzos and Induros have a top tube diameter of 41mm and are good for 500mm and longer lenses. The smallest Gitzo, a Series 0, has a diameter of 20mm, and Gitzo suggests it would be adequate to support a 75mm lens.

Gitzo's recommendations are right on the money, BTW. In 2006 I purchased my first carbon tripod, a Gitzo Series 3 - which according to Gitzo was good for up to a 300mm lens. But when I attempted to use it with a 500mm lens, it was a bit of a disappointment. It's 32mm diameter legs was not "torsionally rigid" enough dampen the shutter and mirror shock from a D200 fitted with a 500mm. I paid around $525 for it, and got a full refund, which I used to pre-order a Feisol CT3472, which had thicker legs, at 37mm - sight unseen. I had read good things about the brand, which elected to not clone someone else's product line, and do their own design and manufacturing. I still have that tripod, and used it regularly with a 600mm F4, and on occasion with a 1.4X TC. And yes, it is quite stable. It is not as stable as a series 5, but close enough for me, at half the price.

Do not make the mistake of using load capacity as a criteria for tripod selection - the Series 0 Gitzo will support 22 lbs. But it won't hold a 600mm lens steady, even if it is just a 2.4 lb Sony RX 10 III bridge camera.

Robert Bailey Loc: Canada

I've been using the same Gitzo tripod for about 30 years.
I wore out the gaskets inside the legs and had to replace them.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

If you're tempted by high-priced tripods, definitely take a look at Really Right Stuff.

http://www.reallyrightstuff.com/tripods

I've had all sorts of tripods, from a free one I got with Green Stamps in the 1960s to a $250 Vanguard - never any failures.

lone ranger Loc: Port Saint Lucie, Florida

I have A Benro Carbon Fibre tripod, I love it because its very light....and can become a monopod, almost instantly........its very well made and comes with a excellent travel cover.......I highly recommend it....