I was leaning towards a Gitzo GT1540 or 2540 (most likely 2540) and decided to just check out other CF tripod manufacturers before hitting the buy button. I was wondering if anyone had had good (or bad!) experience with the new Feisol CF tripods. I'm particularly looking at the CT3441S
i advise the feisol 3342 at $309 over the 3441 at $299.
advantages
1- machined alloy components of a higher grade of Aluminum alloy over forged parts. a better grade and finish of CF tubing
2- interchangable centerpost if wanted or leveling half ball base or just plain old flat plate
3- Max Height
without column
54.3"
4- Folded Length
48cm / 18.9 in
5- Wgt
2.31lbs
6- capacity 22lbs
it is a considerably more robust model and worth the extra few ounces and inches
I had a Feisol now I have a 1540. I'm all for trying to save a buck but I'd have been better off getting the Gitzo the first time. Much better quality, faster and easier to use, and more stable.
the early feisols prior to 2005 were a little lacking in the quality dept. i was one of the biggest vocal detractors of their product then. they went through a rather large review/redesign and the came out with much better products in early 2006. i use their 1471 monopod and the 3371 tripod for my larger lenses. i also do own a gitzo GT2540EX. yes they are not as refined but they hold everything i have steady.
I have used my Feisol 3442 through numerous outings in snow, rain, desert and seas without any issues at all. Just got back from 9 days of sand and dust in Northern Arizona and the tripod functioned flawlessly and provided extreme stability with lenses upto 200mm. Unless the Gitzo name means a lot to you, I would save the $220 and get yourself the Feisol.
I think with Feisol, Benro, etc, it's largely a hit and miss. Certainly looks good on paper. I guess if you are lucky it will serve you well for a long time. But it's a huge gamble. If I am not wrong, the warranty on Feisol tripods is only 30 days. That is very scary ... and it says a lot about how confident they are about their products. Gitzo tripods come with a 5-year unlimited warranty if you register it online with Bogen.
I switched from Gitzo to Feisol to Benro .... and I am now back to Gitzo!
bobbytan wrote:
I think with Feisol, Benro, etc, it's largely a hit and miss. Certainly looks good on paper. I guess if you are lucky it will serve you well for a long time. But it's a huge gamble. If I am not wrong, the warranty on Feisol tripods is only 30 days. That is very scary ... and it says a lot about how confident they are about their products. Gitzo tripods come with a 5-year unlimited warranty if you register it online with Bogen.
I switched from Gitzo to Feisol to Benro .... and I am now back to Gitzo!
Where do you get this 30 day warranty BS. It is 1 year and I have read many reports of Feisol service going above and beyond what was expected. Don't get fooled by thinking the higher priced product is always better.
bobbytan wrote:
I think with Feisol, Benro, etc, it's largely a hit and miss. Certainly looks good on paper. I guess if you are lucky it will serve you well for a long time. But it's a huge gamble. If I am not wrong, the warranty on Feisol tripods is only 30 days. That is very scary ... and it says a lot about how confident they are about their products. Gitzo tripods come with a 5-year unlimited warranty if you register it online with Bogen.
I switched from Gitzo to Feisol to Benro .... and I am now back to Gitzo!
i can't vouch for Benro but i have to say each time Feisol comes up with an updated model it is better and well worth its price
as to the 5 year unlimited warranty i suggest you read the warranty and remove the UN from unlimited and then read the fine print and see what it really says. more then a few here have found out the hard way just what it is worth. actually to begin with in the US it is a LIMITED lifetime warranty. what is not covered is the real catch.
taken verbatim from the bogen fine print referencing the warranty which includes gitzo:
"The warranty does not include flashtubes, batteries and cords and other parts such as rubber pads, tripod rubber feet and bushings and other parts that would wear out from normal usage."
reference the passage "all other parts that would wear out from normal use". i like to call this the poison pill passage. it is a tripod and just about every part is a moving part and is capable of wearing out from normal use. oh yeah they determine normal use.
in the end you will pay. and their parts ain't cheap either.
now if you are a collector like a few are here and rotate the thousands of $$$ worth of gitzo legsets you have they should last forever. if you own one and you use it to death understand when they say its time to pay you will.
And where does it say the Feisol warranty is 1 or 3 years?
You have to also take into consideration the resale value too. The resale value of a Gitzo is like an L lens. It holds its value rather well I must say. Can't say the same thing about Feisol or Benro.
Edited on Apr 08, 2008 at 10:18 PM
Apr 08, 2008 at 10:17 PM
Steve Spencer Offline • • • • • • • Upload & Sell: On
My experience with customer service has also been terrific. I bought my CT-3401 on the B & S forum here, so really had no claim to a warranty at all. On tap of that mine was broken when one of my daughter's friends abused it (he sat on it trying successfully to break it). Feisol had no obligation whatsoever to help with repairing it. I told them the truth about what happened. They sent me parts to repair it for free and I am pretty sure they even gave me an upgrade on the spyder. I know it is not a sturdy as a Gitzo and is more prone to failure, but I am also very happy with it and couldn't be more happy with the Feisol customer service.
Feisol set me a new quick release clamp for my head because it fell apart (unscrewed) due to vibrations cycling. They really didnt have to give me and ship the parts halfway across the world (I was ready to pay, but thought I would try)
bobbytan wrote:
And where does it say the Feisol warranty is 1 or 3 years?
You have to also take into consideration the resale value too. The resale value of a Gitzo is like an L lens. It holds its value rather well I must say. Can't say the same thing about Feisol or Benro.
only if you treat it like a museum piece. its a tool that is used around on the ground and various other places. if i run by your set of values on it i will beat the feisol even more because it won't loose that perceived value for some it doesn't have.
but then again it not so true because the starting price on a feisol and its quality would still allow a reasonable resale value if kept in good shape. this is because it original purchase price is still lower then the resale price one would want for a used gitzo. working from there opens lots of opportunities for some. yet another reason is i have no real reason to want to sell what works very well.
" Within our three years warranty period, if there is any damage due to manufacture defect or parts defect, then the user will be responsible for return shipping cost only. For other damages, the user is responsible for roundtrip shipping cost and also for parts and labor cost. Our factory is located in Taiwan. All tripods requiring service and repair have to be shipped back to Taiwan only. So if you check your local post office, you can probably estimated the shipping cost.
For small parts damage, we usually ship replacement parts to our customers free of charge even it's passed warranty period. If carbon fiber tube is damaged due to cause other than manufacture defect, then we will charge the material cost for replacement tube. All parts are ship from us directly to our customers and also give them instruction on repair.
Basically, we will try our best to fulfill our customers' needs, no matter purchasing new items or repair old items."
I looked at Gitzo when I bought my Feisol. Just couldn't justify TWICE the price. My old 3402 is still kicking at cost $180 or so new. I did update the center column and support when they did (I think that was $39), and man, what a difference. It's been perfect and I've used the crap out of it. Sure there's some drag in the legs, but nothing that makes me regret all the cash I saved - not even for a second.
thats why i get it from feisol themselves 3 years. how these "distributers" deal with it is another issue. maybe a phone call to these individuals is in order which of course they don't seem to have so the trust level just dropped to (0). don't bother with them. it unfortunate that a-holes like these will ruin feisols name. thanks for the heads up and i have just sent them a message about it.
bobbytan wrote:
I think with Feisol, Benro, etc, it's largely a hit and miss. Certainly looks good on paper. I guess if you are lucky it will serve you well for a long time. But it's a huge gamble. If I am not wrong, the warranty on Feisol tripods is only 30 days. That is very scary ... and it says a lot about how confident they are about their products. Gitzo tripods come with a 5-year unlimited warranty if you register it online with Bogen.
I switched from Gitzo to Feisol to Benro .... and I am now back to Gitzo!
A member here posted that they sat on the legs of their Feisol. They contacted Feisol, told what happened, Feisol sent replacement parts free of charge and shipping fees.
