jzucker wrote:
Old? It's a relatively new design, less than 6 years old.
My gitzo is utter rubbish. I don't care where a tripod is made. It may be cheap to you but I paid $300 for it and I expect a $300 piece of equipment to last. I hate how the discussion on this forum always get xenophobic. The cameras we're using are all likely made in china...
My cheaply made bogen is still going strong. Gitzo is just a name. They are not God...
I'm sorry if I have offended you by bring up where stuff is made.
M635_Guy wrote:
Dude - I'm sorry you had a bad experience. I've done a huge amount of research lately on tripods and Gitzo has an outstanding reputation.
Unless you do a search on stuff of theirs that is junk like the G2220. Point is that they make good stuff *AND* they make crap. In my case, they didn't back up their product so as far as I'm concerned, their reputation means nothing. I guess if you buy a $900 tripod you'll get something better...Big surprise but a $300 tripod should still be going strong. *AND* from the outside, the joints of the expensive stuff doesn't look any different than my explorer (which at the time I bought it was getting rave reviews from all the gitzo fans)
Dec 12, 2011 at 10:49 PM
Lars Johnsson Offline • • • • • • • Upload & Sell: Off
jzucker wrote:
Old? It's a relatively new design, less than 6 years old.
My gitzo is utter rubbish. I don't care where a tripod is made. It may be cheap to you but I paid $300 for it and I expect a $300 piece of equipment to last. I hate how the discussion on this forum always get xenophobic. The cameras we're using are all likely made in china...
My cheaply made bogen is still going strong. Gitzo is just a name. They are not God...
It's not a new design. The tripod was discontinued a few years ago.
And Bogen don't make any tripods. Maybe you talk about Manfrotto. And they are made in Europe and Italy just like Gitzo. And owned by the same company also
Lars Johnsson wrote:
It's not a new design. The tripod was discontinued a few years ago.
And Bogen don't make any tripods. Maybe you talk about Manfrotto. And they are made in Europe and Italy just like Gitzo. And owned by the same company also
Many of the gitzo designs are many years old. The G2220 is actually a fairly recent design. Fortunately they shot it in the head but instead of offering their customers a replacement or a few bucks off an upgrade they replace the original parts with NOS parts of equally horrid quality.
So again, reputation, support, customer service? Not in my experience. $150 to repair a broken nylon collar is what they wanted - and this for a DEFECT!
Ben Horne wrote:
I'm sorry if I have offended you by bring up where stuff is made.
I work with chinese engineers on a daily basis and they are as good or better than their american counterparts. Racial profiling of equipment manufacturers is just silly and hypocritical since as mentioned before, we're almost all shooting on chinese cameras and editing the images on chinese computers/monitors.
jzucker wrote:
I work with chinese engineers on a daily basis and they are as good or better than their american counterparts. Racial profiling of equipment manufacturers is just silly and hypocritical since as mentioned before, we're almost all shooting on chinese cameras and editing the images on chinese computers/monitors.
This is not a "Racial thing" This is about copy products. Most of the Chinese tripods are just cheap copy products from the well known brands.
I don't belive anyone here think Chinese engineers are less good than the ones from USA or Europe
martines34 wrote:
Everyone talks about how great Gitzo tripods are . I have one with several other brands to compare it with.
Frankly, it is the least favorite that I own. The twist locks are a PITA.
I much prefer my Manfrotto with its flip locks and their Neotec tripod, which has a unique leg lock system though a bit heavy.
Don't buy any tripod that has die cast parts such as on the early Feisol tripods.
Carbon fiber is the way to go.
IMO those twist locks are so much better than the Manfrotto flip locks. They are a lot faster also because you can unscrew all legs at the same time, instead of one at a time. And the flip locks you have to tighten all the time also.
jzucker wrote:
I work with chinese engineers on a daily basis and they are as good or better than their american counterparts. Racial profiling of equipment manufacturers is just silly and hypocritical since as mentioned before, we're almost all shooting on chinese cameras and editing the images on chinese computers/monitors.
one my tripods is made in the USA (and they say right down to the last screw)
on the G2220 explorer:
most users/purchasers of this particular model and its later versions have 2 distinct opinions:
1- i hate this thing
2- i love this thing
now i currently have a GT2540ex which is the evolved version of of the original G2220 (and i did own one of them and it has been out of the gitzo system a few years now)
what it is not- a generalized tripod
what it is- a good tool in the right hands of those who need or want a set of legs that go beyond the normal limits of the everyday tripod and understand the limits that need to be worked in.
it is not a fast setup model
it occasionally needs adjusting (tightening)
it is heavier the the equivelent standard model
it will do more (again i state in the right hands and its not for everyone)
i shoot a lot with the CF version GT2540ex
Lasse Eriksson wrote:
IMO those twist locks are so much better than the Manfrotto flip locks. They are a lot faster also because you can unscrew all legs at the same time, instead of one at a time. And the flip locks you have to tighten all the time also.
That is the point that has repeatedly failed so many users with the G2220 ...
I think you missed the point. I didn't complain about the G2220's functionality, setup, specialization. I complained because:
a) quality is poor
b) Poor customer support
sjms wrote:
one my tripods is made in the USA (and they say right down to the last screw)
on the G2220 explorer:
most users/purchasers of this particular model and its later versions have 2 distinct opinions:
1- i hate this thing
2- i love this thing
now i currently have a GT2540ex which is the evolved version of of the original G2220 (and i did own one of them and it has been out of the gitzo system a few years now)
what it is not- a generalized tripod
what it is- a good tool in the right hands of those who need or want a set of legs that go beyond the normal limits of the everyday tripod and understand the limits that need to be worked in.
it is not a fast setup model
it occasionally needs adjusting (tightening)
it is heavier the the equivelent standard model
it will do more (again i state in the right hands and its not for everyone)
i shoot a lot with the CF version GT2540ex
sjms wrote:
one my tripods is made in the USA (and they say right down to the last screw)
on the G2220 explorer:
what it is not- a generalized tripod
what it is- a good tool in the right hands of those who need or want a set of legs that go beyond the normal limits of the everyday tripod and understand the limits that need to be worked in.
jzucker wrote:
I think you missed the point. I didn't complain about the G2220's functionality, setup, specialization. I complained because:
a) quality is poor
b) Poor customer support
you know i used it for 4 years before i went to the CF update along with the additional load capacity. i can't say i had any issues other then overloading it at times. now i want specifics as to why its poor quality and what failed for you? and i have dealt with their customer support and with a lttle proper prodding i got what i needed from them. i also use the phone and not email too.
I thought I already mentioned. The collar design is very poor and the nylon sheaths that contract as you screw the joints closed is prone to breakage. There is no good fix. Customer support would not address it because it's out of warranty even though clearly it's a design problem as a quick google search will reveal.
sjms wrote:
you know i used it for 4 years before i went to the CF update along with the additional load capacity. i can't say i had any issues other then overloading it at times. now i want specifics as to why its poor quality and what failed for you? and i have dealt with their customer support and with a lttle proper prodding i got what i needed from them. i also use the phone and not email too.
Two23 wrote:
I've owned my Gitzo 1325 for about 8 years now, and give it nearly daily use in the worst conditions the Dakotas can throw at it. It's been stomped on by a buffalo and frozen into a block of ice in the bottom of my duckboat. It works as well now as it ever did, never has needed any repairs, and will probably outlive me. In the past ten years I've destroyed two cameras and four lenses, two flash, so you can assume I can be very hard on gear. My previous tripod, an aluminum Bogen, is still sitting in my closet with a bent leg.
Every time I read these posts, I hear how great the Gitzo tripod is as compared to the Induro/ Benro models. I always hear they're simply made better. As someone with a machinist background who fabricates a lot of my own camera brackets and support systems, I challenge those who make these claims to be specific as to the build quality and superior materials. Is the carbon fiber better? is the machining better? Are the bolts better?
is the design superior?
I have dissembled both Gitzo and my own Induro CT-414 and can't seem to find any discernible difference in build quality. Let's face it, tripods are not hand made. they are made using computer guided milling machines in an automated factory. the Chineses and Japanese are extremely efficient at this. the Germans are the best.
Regarding the Induro. the castings seem precision and the carbon fiber appears to be well constructed. ( I also build Graphite and boron Fly Rods)
So once again and be specific ! What's the difference? other than the price.
? 