hiepphotog
New member
A long-time lurker, a first-time poster. I have a strange love for tripods and I have tried many brands. And here, we have a whole sub-forum dedicated to this very topic with many heavy gear users. So I would love to hear what you guys think.
I would like to get the "best" Series 3 or bigger (32mm+ top tube) tripod that I can carry around for when and where size and weight do not matter as much. Ideally, I would like this tripod to handle:
I did my homework and studied the results on TCC. Here are a few of my findings:
But besides these numbers, from other users' anecdotes, I found that:
Currently, my picks would be:
Thank you.
I would like to get the "best" Series 3 or bigger (32mm+ top tube) tripod that I can carry around for when and where size and weight do not matter as much. Ideally, I would like this tripod to handle:
- Shooting in breezy/windy conditions
- Long exposures from wide-field astrophotography to a running river
- Potentially stable enough to comfortably shoot a 400-600 lens on a gimbal
- Small packed length: preferably below 20". This is from my experience using a few Leofotos. I picked up the LQ365S more than their LQ324 despite the bigger packed size and heavier weight.
- Compact folded diameter.
- Height: at least 47" tall (ideally 54", but not much taller), of course, taller is better, but I would rather not compromise on the narrow leg angle.
I did my homework and studied the results on TCC. Here are a few of my findings:
- Gitzo Carbon Exact is rated high on the stiffness scale. Their Series 3 (~32mm top tube) is as stiff as the RRS TVC Series 3 (~36mm top tube) (Gitzo GT3533LS vs. RRS TVC-33). But Gitzo's design in this range is not very travel-friendly (big and heavy hub). Their Series 2 Mountaineer ranks better than RRS TFC/TQC at similar top tube diameters. Going with the Markins MAGICA hub for the Gitzo brings the Gitzo very close to RRS in terms of weight and packed size.
- Promediagear: The in-between size, not as stiff as the Gitzo Series 3 or RRS Series 3. But maybe the 34 series was meant to be the in-between.
- FLM: not as stiff as others. Their CP-30 competes well with the RRS Series 1 and Gitzo Series 2 by using a slightly bigger top tube.
- Yaw damping: Gitzo > PMG > RRS > FLM
But besides these numbers, from other users' anecdotes, I found that:
- Gitzo G-Ultra Lock might be the big letdown of the current gen. TDP findings and a few comments here and there suggested that the new G-lock Ultra might not be that good at holding the sections as tight as other brands. Then I wonder why they are tested so well on TCC.
- Gitzo's QC/material quality/CS might not be as great as other top tier brands.
Currently, my picks would be:
- Gitzo GT3542 (or GT3541 for added stability?) or GT4553S (or GT4552TS) + Markins hub
- TFC-34
- PMG TR344
Thank you.