One often overlooked consideration is the after-sales service. My experience is only with RRS and in this respect they are outstanding. Just yesterday I wrote to them about a minor issue with one of the twist locks. Today they shipped one out for free to an address outside the US. I have had similar happy instances with them over the years.
themb3life wrote:
I have been researching tripods at nauseum, I refuse to pay more than $500 for a CF one. I understand these higher end ones are very well made but for ME. I am not making money for this hobby and I would prefer to spend money on better glass.
I have narrowed down my search to the Benro 38CL/48XL and Induru CT 303L. I am 6'4 so finding a tall tripod with thick lower legs has been a challenge. I was just in NYC over the weekend and stooped in B&H. I spent some time looking at them all and the rep I spoke to said he has has ultra low complaints about either brand. He felt Benro offered a better value to the customer. A friend of mine is a Pro shooter and he has 3 Induros, he highly recommended them. I had a chance to use one of them and a Benro TA28 of us, the Induro I used was built like a tank! I used his D500 with 150-600 lens, handled it like a champ. The day I used the Benro was using my gear on a decently windy day, worked fantastic so having field tested both brands, I am confident in their quality.
I was just on the B&H site and the 48XL dropped in price so that might be a convincing move for me. My heaviest lens is a 70-200 Tamron G2. I picked up a Benro G2 head on a demo sale at my local shop and I have been extremely impressed with it....Show more →
On your first sentence, I am in the same boat. However, I do go on multi day trips fairly often, and after messing around with the RRS for a bit, I can see what I am missing compared to my FEISOL. Now if I had never made the trip down to RRS HQ, I would be pretty happy with the FEISOL.
And with the MK2 series having sealed leg twist locks, just another mark on my list; but i live in the southwest, so sand is not far away
For the money, I love the FEISOL. regardless of what I just stated lol
gazzajagman wrote:
I went for a Sachtler flowtech 75....blows all other tripods out of the water in my opinion. It's so fast and easy to operate. Probably the last tripod I'll ever need to buy.
Sorry to resurrect an old post, but I've been very curious about the flowtech. As far as the other tripods it blows out of the water, do you have experience with RRS Versas?
Also, since we're on a mostly photo forum I'm going to presume you're using some kind of bowl-to-flat-base adapter and a photo head, where did you find that adapter? Seems Sachtler doesn't make their own that I can find.
Lee Saxon wrote:
Sorry to resurrect an old post, but I've been very curious about the flowtech. As far as the other tripods it blows out of the water, do you have experience with RRS Versas?
Also, since we're on a mostly photo forum I'm going to presume you're using some kind of bowl-to-flat-base adapter and a photo head, where did you find that adapter? Seems Sachtler doesn't make their own that I can find.
Weight to load ratio is not good in comparison to most CF tripods from RRS, PMG,GITZO
The Flowtech is a video tripod, and as such it requires a 75mm (or 100mm if you get the 100mm version) half ball, just about any 75mm half ball will fit in its 75mm bowl. But most video heads come with a half-ball mount so they do not need a half ball to flat head adapter.
The Flowtech while convenient in adjusting the height but for ultimate stability and it's payload it's specified with its spreader.
It's a good video tripod if you need one, but it won't replace every other tripod in the process.
I have owned several Gitzo tripods and still have the 2531LVL that is a great tripod, built before the company started cheapening its parts. I owned the RRS TVC-34L that provided the height I needed to photograph critters high up in trees. I have several Manfrotto that I use for special purposes.
I needed something that was more compact than the TVC-34L for air travel and chose the Feisol CT-3472 legs. They are equal to the RRS in build quality but better designed for versatility and a much better value.
For $700 I bought the legs with their solid plate for mounting a head and I bought the quick level base and then their center column kit. In under a minute I can loosen 3 hex screws and change the tripod from one that is for use with a gimbal head to one that is perfect for landscape shooting or add the center column and increase the height from 58" to 61" (column not extended) or to 66" and have an extremely stable support for cameras and lenses. It is a holistic approach unlike RRS where they design add-ons after the fact that cost more and add complexity without added performance.
The 2531 is my tripod for video and the Feisol CT-3472 is my tripod for everything else. And Feisol includes an excellent carry case with their tripods. With Gitzo and RRS all I got was a cardboard box.
Fotografpaul wrote:
The Flowtech while convenient in adjusting the height but for ultimate stability and it's payload it's specified with its spreader.
It's a good video tripod if you need one, but it won't replace every other tripod in the process.
If you were to consider a video tripod for photos would it be noticeably worse? I've never tried but as far as I can see the major downside is the extra bulk and weight from having more leg sections/columns but shouldn't it otherwise work well? Do the extra sections make them worse for long exposures or something?
The Flowtech looks nice enough, like a modern 058 at half the weight, a third of the folded length and three times the cost.
stuuke wrote:
Does RRS offer a geared center column?
As far as I know, no. But the Induro MGC23S fits my RRS series-3 very nicely. Both the Gitzo and Induro geared center columns require an apex ring of 70mm diameter, what is often called a 75mm bowl size tripod.
Simon Barker wrote:
If you were to consider a video tripod for photos would it be noticeably worse? I've never tried but as far as I can see the major downside is the extra bulk and weight from having more leg sections/columns but shouldn't it otherwise work well? Do the extra sections make them worse for long exposures or something?
The Flowtech looks nice enough, like a modern 058 at half the weight, a third of the folded length and three times the cost.
Not really, I 'v owned quite a few videos tripods, and they work great for their intended purpose, but they are bulkier and often heavier. The spreader is an annoyance for sure. The flowtech is really nice for a video tripod, but It would never replace my tripods.
As for vibration and long exposure, I can't say I never used a video tripod for long exposure.
On the same subject, there are people who advocate the use of video heads for stills as well.. kind of the same thing, it can work but you get extra bulk..
Try to see similar articles like here and feedback from those who have been using it for a long time. I have a similar problem now, I want a camera and a grill in the backyard, but I can't choose
I was looking at both of these brands as well and stumbled across Robus on B&H. I decided to give it a try (model RC-8880 Vantage Series 5) and WOW is it a great deal! I am 6' and can stand under it with room to spare. I paired it with a RRS BH-55 and it's simply perfect. I paid $629 for the tripod and the size down is $100 less, frankly the size down would have been more than fine. I also picked up their monopod and the build quality is amazing! Comes with all the accessories, case etc.. Check them out I think you will be impressed at the value.
PS it is lighter than my 3 legged thing travel tripod that is a 1/3 of the size and also carbon fiber.
gazzajagman wrote:
Seriously....try a Sachtler Flowtech 75...expensive...but pretty much perfect. All leg height adjustment done at the top of the tripod head. Mine stabilizes my ef 400mm f2.8 LIS (mk1) effortlessly.
I use mine with an EF 400mm f2.8 LIS (the big heavy one) and it's a lot more stable than my old Gitzo Mountaineer GT3541LS.
It's a bigger tripod for sure. It's amazingly fast to set up and easy to get the top plate leveled on rough terrain.
I use mine with an old Gitzo Fluide head and yes it's replaced all the other tripods I own except a small travel pod that I use on holiday or in London walk-abouts. I've been using mine for just over a year and it's survived better than any other pod i've owned. I have no issues is wading through salt water / guano / what ever with this tripod....unlike Gitzos and RRS....that seem to dissolve and then self destruct after a few years.
Any bowl adapter will work, my Gitzo Fluide head had one supplied when I bought it.
The first two years of its life, my RRS TVC-34 had its legs on the beach or in the ocean for the majority of the weekends. Nothing untoward happened, but I always made sure I rinsed off the legs afterwards, and that the first section I extended was always the lowest section (the thinnest section) so water wouldn't get into the lowest joint.
One must be careful about using your tripod in solutions of Methylene chloride, sodium hydroxide, or just about any concentrated acid as these will dissolve the epoxy resin in carbon fiber and aluminum respectively. With the Gitzo tripods made of cast magnesium, refrain from apply extremely high temperature direct head such as a blowtorch directly to the metal of the tripod as it may cause the tripod to ignite. Additionally, I would avoid leaving your tripod in a campfire, wood chipper, or with airline baggage handlers when not in use. Do not use your tripod to hold targets at the firing range. The above tips will help extend the life of your inferior quality tripod. Also, rinse your tripod off after using it in sand and salt water.
Fotografpaul wrote:
Not exactly unique for the Feisol.. lol Just about any other tripod with a removable top plate has this option.
Not that I find 3 hex screws particularly quick compared to other solutions where you don't need a tool and only need to turn a lever and a button.
I find it interesting that you carry gimbal, geared head and a center column in the field to be able to switch under a minute :-)
You made assumptions that are not grounded in the post I made. For landscape photography and video I want a quick leveling tripod and for that purspose bought the Gitzo 2531LVL which is no longer made. For wildlife photography with a 11 lb 600mm f/4 lens I bought the RRS TVC-34L. Problem with the RRS tripod is that it was too long for air travel unless I put it into checked luggage. The Feisol CT-3472 with the center column kit adds 6 inches of working height with 100% stability and so no need for the RRS legs and no problem with taking the tripod onto the airplane. I paid $63 for the quick level base and I paid $84 for the center column kit and this provides me with 3 different setups for my use depending upon my objectives (landscape, video, panos, wildlife, night photography).
Heading out to Yosemite I put the quick level on the legs. Going to Brazil or Yellowstone and taking the 600mm lens I will mount the gimbal on the flat plate. Going to Costa Rica and having to phtograph birds high in the trees, then I will use the center column kit and the gimbal head. No need to buy more tripods for these different tripod requirements. No one else provides as clean a solution. RRS uses three times as many parts and twice the maching that is needed to produce a product solution. They do not appreciate that sometimes less is more.
I have owned a dozen pro level tripods over the years and now find that I can take care of 100% of my tripod needs with the Gitzo quick level tripod and the Feisol legs with the two adapters. The RRS legs are excellent but they are grossly overpriced (as are the Gitzo) and I gain nothing over a Feisol tripod in performance or durability.
I bought a 3 series Gitzo a couple years ago and it had a leg lock lever broken off when I took it out of the factory box. That kind of failure could have screwed up a trip and so I scratched Gitzo off the list. I bought a half dozen tripods and returned them as they did not live up to the manufacturers' ratings. Only Gitzo, RRS, and Feisol legs are accurately rated and free of leg flex when fully extended.
