Ben Horne wrote:
I really wish someone told me "Go for the Gitzo, you won't regret it" when I was first starting out. It would have saved me a lot of money in the long run. I went through quite a few tripods because I didn't know the difference. I found out the hard way. Instead of spending $600 on a Gitzo Mountaineer, I spend $100 on a cheap tripod that broke. I then replaced it with a $200 tripod that broke --- and finally a $300 tripod was still wasn't what I needed. Do the math. :-)
+1
Same with me. It would also have saved me a lot of money if I bought my Gitzo from the start. Now I bought a couple of lowed priced and bad tripods first
I ended up buying Velbon 730. A photographer locally has one and it's solid as a rock. I was considering ordering the CT-213 induro but Ben's comments about the leg strength swayed me...
Edit - Amazon cancelled the order stating that the velbon 730 is no longer available. What else is available that goes up to 64" without the center column extended?
Incidentally, emailed gitzo customer support 2 days ago regarding parts for my broken G2220. Still no reply.
jzucker wrote:
Edit - Amazon cancelled the order stating that the velbon 730 is no longer available. What else is available that goes up to 64" without the center column extended?
Incidentally, emailed gitzo customer support 2 days ago regarding parts for my broken G2220. Still no reply.
Have you called them?? Seriously...
As far as the tripod - I'd pick up the phone and call B&H or Adorama. The Suiri M-3204 might be worth a look, but it is a bit shorter than you're looking for (http://www.adorama.com/SIBSRM3204.html). When they give you some options, come back here for feedback on specific products.
Same with me. It would also have saved me a lot of money if I bought my Gitzo from the start. Now I bought a couple of lowed priced and bad tripods first
-1
I purchased a Feisol and saved myself $300 over a similar Gitzo. I have zero issues and extra cash in my pocket.
yesterday i spent more the 2 hours trying to purchase a simple power supply from cisco. and that was using the phone. i wouldn't dream of using email for anything i feel is important and time critical.
Dec 16, 2011 at 09:33 AM
Lars Johnsson Offline • • • • • • • Upload & Sell: Off
Lars Johnsson wrote:
They wrote "lowed priced and bad tripods" Do you say Feisol is a low price & bad tripod then
You can't compare a Feisol with a cheap/bad $ 100 tripod
No. I am pointing out that you can get an excellent tripod without shelling out the cost for a top of the line Gitzo. Many people on this board recommend a Gitzo where I believe there are cheapter alternatives that perform the same function.
It's the same in every equipment forum in any hobby vocation. To many, big dollars == high quality. The other factor is that people want to protect their investments and so it's a self-fulfilling prophecy. Once you buy into a belief system, it then becomes a religion. Note that amount of ridicule folks receive and the lame excuses folks make when someone describes a less than stellar performance or experience.
You become a <gasp> naysayer! Groupthink at its worst!
chez wrote:
No. I am pointing out that you can get an excellent tripod without shelling out the cost for a top of the line Gitzo. Many people on this board recommend a Gitzo where I believe there are cheapter alternatives that perform the same function.
chez wrote:
No. I am pointing out that you can get an excellent tripod without shelling out the cost for a top of the line Gitzo. Many people on this board recommend a Gitzo where I believe there are cheapter alternatives that perform the same function.
jzucker wrote:
It's the same in every equipment forum in any hobby vocation. To many, big dollars == high quality. The other factor is that people want to protect their investments and so it's a self-fulfilling prophecy. Once you buy into a belief system, it then becomes a religion. Note that amount of ridicule folks receive and the lame excuses folks make when someone describes a less than stellar performance or experience.
You become a <gasp> naysayer! Groupthink at its worst!
I think you are both being pretty narrow.
Chez - A Honda Accord is a fine car, but it isn't a Porsche 911. For 99+% of people, an Accord does everything they need to do, and they have no need for the additional performance a 911 can give them (I'm using "need" in the relative here...). Some want it anyway, and even buy one, but few who actually own a Porsche 911 ever fully tap the capabilities of that car. They buy it for the brand (for whatever reason). Some buy for the brand and actually discover that car on the track! (can you tell I'm a car guy?)
My point is you are right and you're not right. For a whole lot of people, the Gitzo is overkill, but rarely will it fail to be a great tripod (the experiences of jzucker nothwithstanding...). For virtually everyone, there are lower-priced alternatives that will do everything they need and be a great Honda Accord for them. But an Accord won't ever be a 911 on the track, even if the 99% can't tell the difference (and doesn't need to).
I'm an aspiring 911 driver. I can afford the Gitzo and hope to use it in ways worthy of its reputation. I didn't just buy my Gitzo 2531 for the brand, but it doesn't hurt that I have no doubts about quality or performance.
jzucker - "groupthink" and an earned reputation aren't the same thing. You seem to imply that Gitzo doesn't deserve accolades and doesn't have the quality that is espoused on nearly every photography website, web-store and forum. Many, many working pros on the variety of websites confirmed the quality of the Gitzo products from a great deal of real-world performance. Especially given your apparent disposition, I'm trusting all that feedback over yours. If it was just hype, it would show up.
Nobody is saying you didn't have a bad experience or not justified in your antipathy for them based on your personal experience, but you're indicting their entire reputation over what is for all I can see an exception.
I'm going to try hard to resist further posts in this thread...
no the G2220 was not a cheapie. as far as brand name influence it definitely had an influence on you and evidently a few others. that does not bode well for any manufacturer. it is an older design and has been updated. but the base design itself pretty much remains the same.
as far as my taste for gitzo it is strictly for the CF version of that model which supports a greater capacity and for my needs works real well and only that one. my HD legset is a RRS TVC-33.
right from Manfrotto Distributing and only when i need them. the last thing i ordered from them was a new platform for the ballhead for my 2540ex. they are about 51mi away from me. my time is better used doing other things rather then going there so i call, i order, they ship.
