Tripod: Carbon Fiber vs Aluminum: JR1 posted this link about tripods, and I looked through it. http://www.canadiannaturephotographer.com/tripod.html I was amazed at the vibration...

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

JR1 posted this link about tripods, and I looked through it.

http://www.canadiannaturephotographer.com/tripod.html

I was amazed at the vibration difference between carbon fiber and aluminum. The top image below shows vibration for carbon fiber, and the one below it shows the vibration for an aluminum (aluminium) tripod.

billwassmann Loc: Emerson, NJ

There seems to be a large difference but for most photographers it won't matter much. (When possible, use a tripod!) I would like to see the comparison made to include wood and steel tripods as well.

jcjr8

jerryc41 wrote:

JR1 posted this link about tripods, and I looked through it.

http://www.canadiannaturephotographer.com/tripod.html

I was amazed at the vibration difference between carbon fiber and aluminum. The top image below shows vibration for carbon fiber, and the one below it shows the vibration for an aluminum (aluminium) tripod.

Pretty interesting. Thanks for sharing this Jerry.

robert-photos Loc: Chicago

jerryc41 wrote:

JR1 posted this link about tripods, and I looked through it.

http://www.canadiannaturephotographer.com/tripod.html

I was amazed at the vibration difference between carbon fiber and aluminum. The top image below shows vibration for carbon fiber, and the one below it shows the vibration for an aluminum (aluminium) tripod.

Too bad the comparison wasn't for the same manufacturer and his carbon vs. aluminum models (same sized).

To me the comparisons don't show the difference between carbon and aluminum but between two different models and manufacturers.

SharpShooter Loc: NorCal

Jerry, they should have shown walnut wood as a benchmark. We'd all be scrambling to buy old wooden tripods.
There's a reason its used for gun stocks. SS

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

SharpShooter wrote:

Jerry, they should have shown walnut wood as a benchmark. We'd all be scrambling to buy old wooden tripods.
There's a reason its used for gun stocks. SS

When I see a comparison using a walnut tripod, I'll let you know.

DavidT Loc: Maryland

jerryc41 wrote:

JR1 posted this link about tripods, and I looked through it.

http://www.canadiannaturephotographer.com/tripod.html

I was amazed at the vibration difference between carbon fiber and aluminum. The top image below shows vibration for carbon fiber, and the one below it shows the vibration for an aluminum (aluminium) tripod.

Jerry, thank for posting this article. But, please be careful about the overall conclusions. In reading the full article, there are other factors that aren't obvious from the simple graph. First, the vibration was caused by a constant wind from a desk fan; not by camera actuation (That's why the vibrations lasted more than 10 seconds). Second, in the Gitzo carbon-fiber tripod setup, the tripod center column was replaced with with a Markins tripod base which reduced the vibration damping by more than half. So, the graphs weren't a simple comparison of a carbon vs. aluminum tripod.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

DavidT wrote:

Jerry, thank for posting this article. But, pleas... (show quote)

So he would have been better off not even mentioning the difference between them, since he wasn't doing a direct comparison. Well, I guess I'll save my $800 and not order that carbon fiber tripod. :D

RaydancePhoto

I have a magnesium alloy tripod by Triopo. It is light weight and tough. Could not justify a carbon fiber due to cost.

ejrmaine Loc: South Carolina

Very interesting.
:thumbup: :thumbup:

skydiverbob Loc: I retired in San Antonio

jerryc41 wrote:

JR1 posted this link about tripods, and I looked through it.

http://www.canadiannaturephotographer.com/tripod.html

I was amazed at the vibration difference between carbon fiber and aluminum. The top image below shows vibration for carbon fiber, and the one below it shows the vibration for an aluminum (aluminium) tripod.

Thanks for posting that for the community...

I had bought an aluminum tripod and discovered the rigidness was causing vibration, something I was using a tripod for to avoid.
Someone told me that carbon fiber actually absorbs vibration.

I exchanged the tripod and spent the extra money for a carbon fiber and I'm very please that I did. :D

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

skydiverbob wrote:

Thanks for posting that for the community...

I had bought an aluminum tripod and discovered the rigidness was causing vibration, something I was using a tripod for to avoid.
Someone told me that carbon fiber actually absorbs vibration.

I exchanged the tripod and spent the extra money for a carbon fiber and I'm very please that I did. :D

Glad to hear it.

The Fat Engineer Loc: Scotland

I have a couple of wooden tripods for surveying equipment which I have been considering using with my camera now that I am more or less retired. I know that these tripods have very little problem with vibration; one of them having been regularly used to support £45000 worth of high precision survey equipment which weighs considerably more than my new DSLR and 70 - 300 lens.

However! They do not fold down into small transportable packs and neither of them can be described as lightweight.

Obviously, these are tripods which need a large car or small truck to transport which I have no problem with as long as the dog does not chew on one of the legs. :-)

I would be interested to hear if anyone else has used surveying tripods for cameras and if so, what type of head did they fit to the single screw mount on the tripod to allow pan and tilt of the camera.

oldtool2 Loc: South Jersey

jerryc41 wrote:

JR1 posted this link about tripods, and I looked through it.

http://www.canadiannaturephotographer.com/tripod.html

I was amazed at the vibration difference between carbon fiber and aluminum. The top image below shows vibration for carbon fiber, and the one below it shows the vibration for an aluminum (aluminium) tripod.

Jerry,

I wish it showed this for the same models. For me the advantage of a carbon fiber tripod is the weight, so I use it if I am going to be carrying it any distance.

I often set up near my Explorer and then I use my aluminum tripod, especially on a windy day. Because my carbon fiber tripod is so light weight any wind, or breeze, causes movement, not just vibration . The weight of my aluminum tripod helps prevent that.

Jim D

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

oldtool2 wrote:

Jerry,

I wish it showed this for the same models. For me the advantage of a carbon fiber tripod is the weight, so I use it if I am going to be carrying it any distance.

I often set up near my Explorer and then I use my aluminum tripod, especially on a windy day. Because my carbon fiber tripod is so light weight any wind, or breeze, causes movement, not just vibration . The weight of my aluminum tripod helps prevent that.

Jim D

Right. What we need is a comprehensive comparison test of tripods. There are lots of camera and lens comparisons, but not tripod tests.

http://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/37036970

Good article -
http://www.bythom.com/support.htm