Hi,

As I was in a small photo fair in Germany, I found out about a tripod company called Induro. In Germany, Induro tripods and Profoto lighting have the same distributor.

One interesting fact about Induro tripods is that they cost a fraction of the Gitzo tripods.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/655216-REG/Induro_472_014_Alloy_8M_AT014_Tripod.html

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/759477-REG/Gitzo_GT1542T_Series_1_Traveler_6x.html

Is it worth it to get a Gitzo tripod, is the quality of the Gitzo tripod totally superior in comparison to the Induro tripod??

Thank you, kind regards,

igmolinav : ) !!!

The links you provide in your post are to a Gitzo CF tripod and an Induro Al tripod, which accounts for the dramatically different prices.

John

If you're comparing apples to apples, so to speak, there's a reason as to why most "knockoffs" are usually cheaper than their top-of-the-line counterparts: cheaper and less robust materials, method in which the carbon fiber is applied, number of layers of carbon fiber, etc. Before switching to a Gitzo about 5 years ago, I used a variety of tripods and the workmanship and quality of the Gitzo was markedly noticeable and, IMO, superior to the "cheaper" varieties. My advice would be to get the Gitzo if its within your budget and not worry about a tripod for the next dozen or so years.

I've been using an Induro C214 for over 4 years and it works as well now as it did when new, and I give it fairly heavy use. The Gitzo 'pods are nice but I think you're paying a premium for the name to some extent.

Mike Ganz wrote:
If you're comparing apples to apples, so to speak, there's a reason as to why most "knockoffs" are usually cheaper than their top-of-the-line counterparts: cheaper and less robust materials, method in which the carbon fiber is applied, number of layers of carbon fiber, etc. Before switching to a Gitzo about 5 years ago, I used a variety of tripods and the workmanship and quality of the Gitzo was markedly noticeable and, IMO, superior to the "cheaper" varieties. My advice would be to get the Gitzo if its within your budget and not worry about a tripod for the next dozen or so years.

Well said.

igmolinav wrote: Is it worth it to get a Gitzo tripod, is the quality of the Gitzo tripod totally superior in comparison to the Induro tripod??

Not necessarily, I bought the 1542T predecessor - the 1541T. A few months later I bought a Benro equivalent - the C2680T as a backup. Pretty soon the Benro was the primary tripod and the Gitzo was the backup, as I think the Benro is a better tripod. Induro is a brand name of the Benro manufacturing company so you could quite possibly have the same experience with an Induro product.

I use three Gitzo tripods but I really don't care about the label that's on a product; all I'm interested in is whether something works well for me and it's reliable, and in over a year of pretty hard use the Benro travel tripod has been very good, no problems so far at all.

If you're interested in an apple to apple review and my look at both the Benro and a brief comparison with the Gitzo, there's a review here. My sense of the Benro is that it has great build quality, is easy to use, and has good stability. It also has improved features over the Gitzo and is about half the price. I still have the Gitzo 1541T traveler but it's gathering dust...

peter_n wrote:
igmolinav wrote: Is it worth it to get a Gitzo tripod, is the quality of the Gitzo tripod totally superior in comparison to the Induro tripod??

Not necessarily, I bought the 1542T predecessor - the 1541T. A few months later I bought a Benro equivalent - the C2680T as a backup. Pretty soon the Benro was the primary tripod and the Gitzo was the backup, as I think the Benro is a better tripod. Induro is a brand name of the Benro manufacturing company so you could quite possibly have the same experience with an Induro product.

I use three Gitzo tripods but I really don't care about the label that's on a product; all I'm interested in is whether something works well for me and it's reliable, and in over a year of pretty hard use the Benro travel tripod has been very good, no problems so far at all.

If you're interested in an apple to apple review and my look at both the Benro and a brief comparison with the Gitzo, there's a review here. My sense of the Benro is that it has great build quality, is easy to use, and has good stability. It also has improved features over the Gitzo and is about half the price. I still have the Gitzo 1541T traveler but it's gathering dust...



But you are talking about a different tripod than the OP. Different brand, different material, different kind of tripod. The Benro C2680T has nothing in common with the tripod in is link

The original question was is the Gitzo "totally superior in comparison to the Induro tripod"? Peter n is, I believe, trying to point out that Induro/Benro tripods are indeed well made and worthy of consideration.

If money is not a concern, then the Gitzo or RRS may be a better choice, but if one is not a pro subjecting the tripod to daily heavy use, but rather, simply looking for a well made solid tripod that will last for years, then yes, Induro is a good choice for roughly half the cost.

I have never owned a Gitzo tripod but I've been the happy owner of an Induro C313 for 2 years. It's seen it's share of sun, rain, sand, water and mud and with a little normal care ( I occasionally hose the thing off with water ) I feel it will last a very long time. I would not hesitate buying another one!

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.


Kent in SD

Sven Jeppesen wrote: But you are talking about a different tripod than the OP. Different brand, different material, different kind of tripod. The Benro C2680T has nothing in common with the tripod in is link

DIS Ottawa wrote: The original question was is the Gitzo "totally superior in comparison to the Induro tripod"? Peter n is, I believe, trying to point out that Induro/Benro tripods are indeed well made and worthy of consideration.

Yes, that was the rationale. Induro is made by Benro, the link to my review up in post #6 is to a tripod that is CF and a competitor to the Gitzo 1541T/1542T, ergo due consideration should be given to the Induro of interest to the OP. Benro make sturdy aluminum tripods too...

I got my Gitzo CF1228 Mk2 in December 1999, I used it yesterday evening as I have done several times a week every week of the year. It's been all over the place from Central America to Spain and Ireland many times. I lived on the South Shore of MA for over a dozen years so salt water dunking was common. I've done nothing special except to clean the lower legs of sand dirt snow ice etc...It was a big investment at the time $525 but worth every penny to me. I am by the way on my third ball head with these legs.

I have an Induro CX213, and it's a great tripod. Easy to operate, stable, lightweight and seems very well built. Has been out and about a fair bit over the last two years, has been planted in streams and mud, and works and looks as new. I got mine on a great deal when my photo store was switching from Induro distribution to Benro, and I ended up getting my leg set for $175, which was just WAY too good to pass up.

I do know that relatively well known bird/racing photographer Scott Bourne uses an Induro tripod, if that's worth anything.

Before everyone waxes poetic about how great Gitzo is, I bought a G220 Explorer tripod and it's been the biggest piece of junk ever. Even my $89 Bogen has been better. The leg collars on the gitzo constantly break and they want $99 to repair it.

UTTER RUBBISH. I will never buy another of their products.

Just lime many things in life... You get what you pay for. I've used both, but prefer the materials, build quality, and overall feel of the Gitzo. Also, one of the reasons that Induro can undercut Gitzo is that the Induro products are made in China. Gitzo is made in Italy. I try to avoid Chinese made goods when possible.

I've experienced this with the explored series as well -- not my own tripod, but one from a customer. That being said, try a mountaineer Gitzo, and you will change your opinion. I've seen someone accidentally run over one with their car, and it was okay. They are very durable and dependable.

Induro uses polygon shaped knobs to tighten/loosen the leg sections. Gitzo's knobs are round. Small difference, but I noticed it immediately. Might, or might not, bother you.

jzucker wrote:
Before everyone waxes poetic about how great Gitzo is, I bought a G220 Explorer tripod and it's been the biggest piece of junk ever. Even my $89 Bogen has been better. The leg collars on the gitzo constantly break and they want $99 to repair it.

UTTER RUBBISH. I will never buy another of their products.

I suppose you mean the Gitzo G2220 Explorer tripod. I also own one of those. I'm pleased with it. Less good than most other Gitzo tripods I own. But remember that this is an old Alu tripod that Gitzo stopped making a few years ago. And the price was low also. I payed just over $ 200 at B&H for mine. For it's price I think it's a good tripod. And I would certainly not replace it with an Induro tripod

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...

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...

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. I specifically avoided the design your purchased myself, and the reviews I've seen generally aren't as favorable as the "mainstream" of the Gitzo line. The reviews on B&H make it appear they had some quality issues. On the whole, it is pretty clear that Gitzo is one of the top makers of tripods.

That said, bad things happen, even from good companies. I think it is fair to say you experienced the exception rather than the rule when it comes to Gitzo. Did you try to get warranty service?

I'm not saying the Induro tripod is junk, either. I recently looked at the Suiri N-2204 and it seems like a nice little job, sturdy, very nice features and at a very reasonable price.