Don Ellis
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Upload & Sell: Off
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k7xd wrote:
I was kind of curious about the basalt series too.
No comments on the OP's original question?
Since I seem to be one of the few owners on earth...
I just looked on the Gitzo website for the G-1298 Reporter Basalt Tripod that I own and it’s not listed. But if you want to purchase one they’re in stock (today) at B&H and they’re US$279.95 – which is one of the reasons I bought mine.
About 18 months ago, I was in that phase of tripod evolution where you know you want something better, but your rational mind hasn’t yet come to terms with figures over $500.
Then I walked into a camera shop that had two versions of the Gitzo basalt tripod, with 3-section and 4-section legs. I liked the 4-section for portability, could live with the US$300 I paid (and the 3.5 pounds I would have to carry), and bought it. Considering that Gitzo no longer features this tripod on their website -- and that I’m the satisfied owner of their G0012 Tabletop Tripod which they discontinued -- I’m glad I bought it.
Here are some details…
Gitzo Basalt G-1298
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/360181-REG/Gitzo_G1298_G_1298_Reporter_Basalt_Tripod.html
Weight: 3.45 lbs (1567g)
Folded for carrying: 19” (4-section legs)
Capacity: 12.1 lbs (5.5kg)
Tripod in action
Legs not extended: 17.5”
Legs extended, column down: 47”
Legs extended, column up: 59.5”
Tripod with legs splayed in secondary position
With standard column (hitting the dirt): 16.5”
With short column (guessing a little): 10.5”
I find this tripod a nice combination of height, weight and price – and it even has the visual charm of being nearly black, rather than carbon grey. Like other Gitzos, the centre column reverses and there’s a hook at the end for hanging your bag or spare tire for additional weight and stability.
Then there’s the carrying of the tripod
One of the challenges of tripods for me is finding a way to carry the thing, no matter what its weight. If I don’t have a decent way to carry a tripod, I’ll never do it, no matter how lightweight it is. There’s no getting around the fact that a tripod is an unwieldy device and about as enjoyable to carry as an umbrella on a fine day.
I’m skipping the moody studio shots and going straight for graphic evidence; otherwise, this will never get done.
Bag is the Domke F3 (I think). Tripod is the Gitzo above, but it doesn’t matter for the purposes of suspension. I used braided nylon cord, four lightweight carabiners, and two pre-made web connectors I found in a mountaineering shop (they often have normal-sized carabiners threaded through each end, but you can buy the connectors separately).
The two web connectors are slightly different lengths, because the longer of the two has a slightly larger loop at one end that just fits over the bottom rubber foot of my tripod – but is small enough that it doesn’t go any higher.
To unmount the tripod, it’s easy to slip this loop off, leaving the web connector and two small carabiners dangling from the bag strap. At the other end, you just unclip the carbiner and the web connector stays with the tripod. I unclip it so that both carabiners stay with the camera bag so they’re not knocking around the tripod legs in the wind.
The nice thing about this arrangement is that the tripod hangs in place just above the bag flap (if you want it to ride higher, just use one carabiner; I wanted it just above the bag). The shoulder straps keep it away from your body. You can tuck your arm inside the tripod but over the bag strap for a little security. And you can just pick up the tripod and lift it out of the way if you need to – in practice, however, I just lift up the bag flap and reach in to get what I want – the tripod easily moves out of the way.
http://www.kleptography.com/dl/g9/tripod1.jpg
This shot shows the longer of the two web connectors – the one with the slightly larger loop that fits over the rubber foot of the tripod. Not that it matters, but the loop at the other end where the carabiner fits in is smaller.
http://www.kleptography.com/dl/g9/tripod2.jpg
This is the other end (duh).
http://www.kleptography.com/dl/g9/tripod3.jpg
I simply took some of the braided cord, made a loop and threaded it through the plastic clasp. The knot is big enough inside to keep it from slipping through and the carabiner traps it on the other side.
http://www.kleptography.com/dl/g9/tripod4.jpg
I still needed a connector on the tripod, so I used a little more of the cord to wrap around the tops of two of the legs. It doesn’t interfere with anything. I mentioned "legs splayed" in my specifications above -- you pull out those Gitzo-labelled stops and you can spread the legs farther apart to get the tripod closer to the ground. But unless you have a short column, it only makes an inch-worth's of difference.
http://www.kleptography.com/dl/g9/tripod5.jpg
And this is me with a self-satisfied look, thumbing my shutter button in the reflective glass my office entrance. Another thing that makes this arrangement comfortable is threading your arm inside the tripod but still over the bag strap for a little security in case the bag should slip off your shoulder -- in other words, your arm doesn't have to go over the entire contraption.
http://www.kleptography.com/dl/g9/tripod6.jpg
You can obviously leave your ballhead attached if you know you’ll be regularly using your tripod on a particular outing. And if you’re taking a low shot that doesn’t require you to extend the tripod legs but just spread them, you can set the bag on the ground or picnic table or tree stump, unhook the bottom loop, stand the tripod up next to the bag and use it without disconnecting it from the bag.
When I’m carrying my small Domke bag, I use a Domke strap (sold separately: just the neck strap portion with a loop at either end – with the slip nylon web connectors removed) and snap the carabiners into those loops and put it over my shoulder.
The carabiners were about US$6 each and the web connectors were US$5 each. Plus some braided nylon cord that I had around. I would use black if I could find it, but that’s for another day.
I carried it for three weeks around Darjeeling last year and was happy to have it. I find 3.5 pounds a reasonable weight and when it's extended to its full height, I just have to tilt my head slightly to see through the viewfinder (I'm 6' 2"). Without the column extended, I bend my knees a little, which is probably good for my health.
Of course, I've figured out other ways to use my tabletop tripod, so I don't carry the basalt every day. (You can't see it, but it's in the pocket on the left in the first photo; folded, it's 9.75 inches.) And if you beg me, I’ll post shots of my Gitzo G0012 Tabletop Tripod in action. 
Cheers,
Don
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Yikes! 
