Mirob
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I finally went ahead and ordered a CP34 L4. I’ve been using for 3 days, in and around water, forests, often in the rain and can give an initial impression. First of all, I was surprised at the leg diameter, noticeably bigger than the old 3 series Gitzo, I didn’t think it would have been noticeable.
I used it with the 75mm half ball and an Acratech panorama head which comes to just over 2.5kg a good kg lighter than the G320. It is bulkier around the bowel but significantly shorter and unlike the Gitzo, straps easily to the side of my Fstop Anja. On day 2, I hiked about 10 km round trip about as far as I would typically go, and it was very manageable. So, while I was initially concerned about the overall size/weight of the CP34, I am feeling much better about that. But I certainly wouldn’t want anything larger.
Handling is very nice. Legs slide in and out easily, the twist locks require hardly any rotation, a real pleasure to use. To be fair, I suspect most new tripods would be similar, but such a change from having to physically pull out each section and clamp each lock tight on the old tripod and then fight to loosen them again. I didn’t even notice the aluminum vs rubber twist locks on the first day and had to make a point of noticing them on day 2. I’m really don’t notice much of a difference, even in the wet, but might change my mind in the cold. Mind you having a carbon fibre vs all aluminum in the cold is already a big improvement.
Three days of uneven terrain, slippery rocks, forests, sandy beaches and up to my hips is creeks, the cp34 took it all in stride. I was very impressed. The extra height came in handy multiple times. Being so stable, I quickly realized that extending the last leg wasn’t a big penalty and after awhile, I was starting to extend the 2 smaller legs first allowing final adjustment with the larger leg section which is so much easier because you don’t have to reach all the way down, greatly improving the user experience. Of course, extending the smallest leg first in the salt water is a must.
Having the built in levelling base is handy especially with the Acratech head. For me this is working better than a typical ball head, but I will need more time with this set up.
What about the CP30 L4? The small size/weight would be nice. I probably would be less likely to extend the 2 smaller sections first, making it more awkward to use. A different levelling base could be used, but it wouldn’t be as convenient as using the handle for levelling.
It has only been a few days, too early for a final verdict, but very pleased so far.
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