Recently I have seen several postings comparing Gitzo tripods to Feisol tripods but have not seen anything about Induro tripods.
I'm in the market for a carbon fiber tripod that has a load capacity of around 17 lbs. I would like something with an overall length of around 20" so it will easily fit into luggage. I'm not looking for the lightest weight legs but would like to keep the weight reasonable.
I presently use a couple of Gitzo tripods one is a 1325 with a gimbal head and a 1348 with a ball head on it. The 1348 set up is great but a little heavy and awkward for carrying around.
I really like Gitz0 tripods but cannot justify the cost of another set of legs that may not get much use. This is why I am looking at the Feisol's and Induros.
I've been using an Induro C214 for over a year now and think it's an excellent tripod. It fits in my suitcase for travel and hasn't given me any trouble at all. It holds my gear steady and since I've added a RRS ballhead it's even better. It seems to be very well designed and built. I'm not a pro so don't give it the kind of use that a pro would.
On this forum most people seem to favour Gitzos over everthing else. No doubt excellent tripods but very expensive. There have been some few reports of problems with Benro tripods and there is some thought that Induros are rebadged Benros. I don't know if this is true or not - I can only tell you that my Induro has been first rate and trouble free.
DIS Ottawa wrote:
I've been using an Induro C214 for over a year now and think it's an excellent tripod. It fits in my suitcase for travel and hasn't given me any trouble at all. It holds my gear steady and since I've added a RRS ballhead it's even better. It seems to be very well designed and built. I'm not a pro so don't give it the kind of use that a pro would.
On this forum most people seem to favour Gitzos over everthing else. No doubt excellent tripods but very expensive. There have been some few reports of problems with Benro tripods and there is some thought that Induros are rebadged Benros. I don't know if this is true or not - I can only tell you that my Induro has been first rate and trouble free.
Induro is Benro marketed by MAC (Mamiya) in the US. There were press announcements to that fact, IIRC and it was reported by Michael Reichmann (Luminous Landscape) among other places.
sjms is right, there have been numerous posts, most of them pretty dark. A fair number of failures, difficulty getting parts, returned calls and emails etc...
I think it is fair to say that if money isn't an object, then Gitzo is the choice and is the standard right now. For more cost conscious folk, Feisol has been doing pretty well, they have been improving their designs, and their customer service and support seems to be very good.
"sjms is right, there have been numerous posts, most of them pretty dark. A fair number of failures, difficulty getting parts, returned calls and emails etc..."
Interesting. Are these problems with the Benro or Induro products? While they may be produced by the same company, they look quite different and may have different materials. I have heard of some reported problems with Benro but not with Induro (that's not to say they don't exist, of course). I've also heard of problems with Gitzo tripods on this very forum - anything mechanical can and will eventually fail.
its mostly small failures due to handling over time and the improper use of adhesives and such. i have to say when feisol first came about i was one of its harshest critics. they did a complete redesign and what a different product they produce now from then. i have the 1471 monopod and the original 3371 tripod. both working very well.
You wrote: "with the Q3 installed, the legs on the CT-3441S won't fold together quite tight enough to fit in the supplied Feisol carrying bag"
Yet you still recommend reverse folding it? The 3442, as well. That sounds pretty risky -- if the ball head makes any contact at all won't it act as a fulcrum, turning the leg into a crowbar that could be snapped with mild pressure at the foot? I have the CT-3342 and Q3 and it will reverse fold with the head attached but only with some contact. Therefore I remove the head when I travel. (I never take the center column.)
Obviously you speak from experience. Is my situation, with the 3342, much different? Thanks.
Ah, sure, that's with the center column attached. I thought that you meant without the column, so that the head would be at the other end, where the legs attach. Thanks for clarifying with a picture.
Everyone has provided great info and I am convinced that I need to take a serious look at the Feisol tripods. I'm very familiar with Markins head for I use an M20 and have also used an M10. Markins makes a great ball head and I'm sure the Q3 is equally as good.
THe CT3441S seems like a great travel pod with the Q3 head. I like the idea of using just a tad larger tripod and head so the CT3442 with a Markins M10 is extremely interesting. My only concern is what is the diameter at the base plate on the CT3442?. The photos of tthe CT3442 remind me of a Gitzo 1328 where the base plate is quite large in diameter. If this is the case the CT3441S will be a better choice.
Kerry do you know what the diameter difference is between the CT3341S and CT3442 at the base plates?
I've been extremely happy with my Induro tripods - C313 (big boy!) and the CX213 (articulating column).
The CX213 sees very heavy weekly use, often in the backcountry. It's lashed to the outside of my pack and gets traipsed through the woods, bumping into trees and rocks in the rain. Not one problem or issue this summer.
The C313 I can't really comment on. It arrived in the mail, I took one look at it and realized it was way too heavy duty for me (my longest is a 70-200) and it sits in the original packaging in my closet - anybody want to buy it?
Kerry,
Those photos are really helpful, thanks for the effort.
I'm on the verge of buying a tripod for my M10, i just wanted one clarification as to how does one install the center column on the CT 3442.
Do you have to unscrew the spider and mount the same??
