thanks for letting me know this issue has been resolved. sjms wrote:
that was resolved awhile back. i actually replaced my feet with the gitzo short spikes with their feet on my RRS models.
this is the current mushroom feet on RRS tripods. its design does not require the O ring due to it is full rubberized backplane holds pretty good as is.
anyone know why the RRS TVC-34L is not offered in a package with the BH-55QR ball head and tripod bag
THe TVC 33 is offered with the package that includes all three, but the TVC-34L is only offered with the bullhead.
The other question i have is how solid is the BH-55 PCLR I have a 6 year old old BH-55 QR and a PC-Pro that i was thinking of replacing BH-55 PCLR. I have a lousy habit of forgetting the PC-Pro.
My only concern is that the combined package (BH-55 PCLR) is not as strong for carrying the tripod over my shoulder with the camera attached. That's something i currently wouldn't risk with my BH-55 and PC-Pro combo.
Flowernut wrote:
Personally, I think both companies make a great tripod. I'd pick on the basis of who makes a tripod closest to your personal "ideal" tripod. I'd suspect there are more gitzo "horror" stories simply because there far more gitzos out there than rrs tripods. I've used gitzo for 25 years extensively with no problems. Many of the so called failures seem to be user error.
the two biggest issues with gitzo tripods in general are:
1- unintended debonding of a leg section. not so much today as it was in the past
2- corrosion. when paint is chipped/cracked on their tripod metal components and in certain environments Mg alloys tend to more suseptable to corrosion.
sjms wrote:
the RRS componentry is machined billet 6061-T6 aluminum that is anodized. Gitzo componentry is a form of cast Magnesium alloy that is painted.
the RRS is, too me overall, is a better made mechanically more robust product. now Gitzo is no slouch but requires a little more care. Gitzo has also been morphing their designs over the past 5 years.
both will serve you well. pricing in your neighborhood might be a deciding factor.
i have 3 tripods from RRS. TVC-33 (one of the original batch made), TVC-24 (purchased used) and the TQC-14 (my favorite travel tripod). i used to have Gitzo legs....Show more →
When you say that Gitzos require "a little more care" than the RRS, what exactly do you mean? What are some of the things you had to do to maintain the Gitzo that are not required with the RRS? I am thinking about making an upgrade to one of my 'pods as well and am curious to hear your thoughts on how the RRS is lower maintenance.
Edit: I see your comments above. Do you find that RRS legs require less cleaning, and handle sandy/salty environments better?
Arka wrote:
When you say that Gitzos require "a little more care" than the RRS, what exactly do you mean? What are some of the things you had to do to maintain the Gitzo that are not required with the RRS? I am thinking about making an upgrade to one of my 'pods as well and am curious to hear your thoughts on how the RRS is lower maintenance.
Edit:
I see your comments above. Do you find that RRS legs require less cleaning, and handle sandy/salty environments better? .
anodized aluminum will do better under harsh environments. as far as requiring less cleaning no, you would treat it as any piece of equipment you value. anything that goes into salt water gets a fresh water bath later. in fact RRS gives you the info on that subject. http://blog.reallyrightstuff.com/cleaning-tripod-legs/
i have 3 of their tripods and 2 are used extensively. on all tripods over time the legs will start to move easier. they pretty much stay as i have adjusted them to taste. in fact my TVC24 was purchased used and i haven't touched it. of course the case(s) here were somewhat more so. it is the simple act of maintenance. these tripods were designed to be disassembled and reassembled. you simple adjust the the snugness to taste. if you wish you put a dot of loctite blue on the thread and go forth and shoot after it cures completely(generally 24hrs). when some one says they never adjusted a gitzo leg that means it spent much too much time in the closet. it to is designed to adjust. in fact essentially both tripod have roughly the same type of connection design. the differences are RRS uses Allen wrenches and Gitzo uses Torx these days.
Flowernut wrote:
All I can say is I've not had any of these problems and I've owned most generations of the gitzo carbon fiber tripods.
I also have had various Gitzo models over the years and have not had any issues, and I live near the sea in New England. I use my tripods in the sea too. I do however take reasonable care of them and maintain them fairly assiduously. I break down and clean them on a regular basis, use an extreme low temperature grease on the leg locks, make sure that screws/bolts are appropriately tight before use etc.
The only Gitzo-related problem I have is their customer service which is very poor here in the US. I've taken to stockpiling a small number of parts such as bushings, and also use Benro parts sometimes.
in the end what peter_n and i are saying whichever you decide one must realize that these are well made tools and they will need to be maintained as needed to give you a lifetime of service.
in the end what peter_n and i are saying whichever you decide one must realize that these are well made tools and they will need to be maintained as needed to give you a lifetime of service.
I agree. Always keep enough of the lowest leg extended so as to keep the leg locks out of sand and mud. Flush with fresh water if used in salt water. Periodically, and immediately if you get the leg locks in sand or silt, disassemble the legs and clean the threads. Re-lubricate with fresh grease. I use synthetic white brake grease.
peter_n wrote:
I also have had various Gitzo models over the years and have not had any issues, and I live near the sea in New England. I use my tripods in the sea too. I do however take reasonable care of them and maintain them fairly assiduously. I break down and clean them on a regular basis, use an extreme low temperature grease on the leg locks, make sure that screws/bolts are appropriately tight before use etc.
The only Gitzo-related problem I have is their customer service which is very poor here in the US. I've taken to stockpiling a small number of parts such as bushings, and also use Benro parts sometimes....Show more →
peter_n
thats a really nice RRS leveling base you have there on that gitzo.
they took so long to get that one out originally to market that they lent me the prototype for a few months to use on a project i was doing.
Well I ended up ordering the RRS 34L with the BH55PCLR and the 80B camera bag. Hopefully i'll get it by late November before leaving for the southwest!!!
khurram1 wrote:
Well I ended up ordering the RRS 34L with the BH55PCLR and the 80B camera bag.
Enjoy your new tripod I'm sure you'll get many years of great service from it!
sjms wrote:
peter_n
thats a really nice RRS leveling base you have there on that gitzo.
You have a keen eye! Yes it's a great leveling base but I'm not using it on this tripod any more as I got an Acratech GP for it which also gives you the leveling. The RRS base and my Z1 weigh 2.7 lbs as I recall and the Acratech weighs 1 lb so there's a difference there.
yeah, well, the GP is a 'jack of all trades" kind of product and most likely works for your type of systems but a good 75mm half ball setup is more adept for a wider variety of gear in support and function.
I have had a Gitzo explorer for five years. After three years I noticed large areas of paint peeling off the centre spider revealing white powdery metal. It has never been in salt water, but was once used on a pebble beach. The metal seems sound albeit ugly. Perhaps chemicals in peaty soil are the cause? I use it on heaths and in woods a lot. I asked online and no other users had seen the same issues. Gitzo said to send it in for assessment, but shipping would have been expensive, and they could have blamed me for the issues.
