Is there a perfect tripod for digiscoping? (1 Viewer)

I purchased a Manfrotto carbon fibre tripod (443 legs and the 701RC2 head) a while ago and was initially very pleased with it. Nice and light, extremely stable, vibration dampening excellent, could take out the centre column and replace it with the 'stump' they provide. All was going well for a few months until it started to brake. The leg tightening clips have now snapped four times, and some of the metal that stops the leg from going above horizontal has sheered off too, so I can now get that leg to go 180 degrees! In addition I have also snapped two of the pan levers on the head. I'm not a happy bunny, and if you try to email Manfrotto to complain, they ignore you!

So, understandibly, I don't want another Manfrotto. I'm looking at the Gitzo range, but find all the numbers a tad confusing. I also can't find anywhere where I can pop along and have a look at a good range of them. I'm not thinking about price at the moment, because I want an idea of the 'best' set-up before I decide what to buy. It has to be about as light as my previous Manfrotto tripod though, any heavier and my back will give way again!

So, thoughts anyone?

Steve, would you say you are particularly heavy on your gear? This is quite a catalogue of problems for one tripod!

I have the 055 MFV which is a slightly more up to date version of yours. It has an all metal centre column with a different (but better IMHO) clamping system. I have also replaced the original long column with a short one, which is better for getting down low etc, though I try to avoid using the column at all if I can avoid it. Also, the leg locks are fine and have needed no adjustments in over 2 years of regular use.

My brother had the same tripod as you, and found that the leg locks needed constant adjustments to stop them working loose, though they haven't snapped repeatedly as yours have. The centre column was also quite wobbly, even when locked up. He has recently replaced his with a Swarovski carbon fibre tripod, which another friend of mine has also recently bought. It seems to be quite good, though for me the centre column is too long and I think it cannot be replaced with a shorter one. Only time will tell just how durable they are, though Swarovski have an excellent reputation for standing by their products and giving good after sales service, so this could be a possibility for you.

Personally I'm sticking with the 055 MFV, though it's worth saying that the occasional bit of maintenance (cleaning down, lubricating and adjusting moving parts etc) will help in keeping it going for longer.

One of the best things about Manfrottos is that they are serviceable and quite easy to work on with simple tools, and parts are readily available (if a little expensive).

It might be worth tarting it up with a few new parts and selling it to part fund your next tripod, if you've really had enough of it. Even the metal casting you describe should be available, though the combined cost of all the affected parts might prove to be prohibitive.

Try calling Johnsons Photopia on 0870 443 6843 to get quotes for the parts you need. They are Manfrotto's approved parts supplier in the UK. I've ordered spares twice in the last few months and found them to be very helpful and knowledgeable. Certainly worth a try before you do anything drastic like blowing £400+ on a new Gitzo.

I guess I am a little hard on my gear, as it gets used every day, however I'm very dissapointed by this tripod. My previous Manfrotto went for years without anything breaking on it! However I do look after my stuff too, and most things get cleaned and tightened regularly enough.

I'm not the only person to have issues with this model though. At least two other birders I know had this tripod and basically chucked theirs away after a few months.

Looking at the new 055MF3 legs, they do look much better in all respects. And at only two hundred quite (as opposed to 350 for the equivilent Gitzos!) they look good value.

IMHO, if money is no issue go for the Gitzo GT2330 with the Gitzo G2180 fluid head. I am using this combo with my Nikon ED82 and the new Coopix P5100 and it works a treat.

Roland

After using Manfrotto for 20+ years, I switched to Gitzo. I should have switched yeeeeears ago. What a difference in stability, especially with a long lens.

Steve, I might be wrong about this, but weren't the 443 legs one of the first carbon tripods from Manfrotto? Like all companies they add improvements on each new model to hit the market, so yes, The O55 MFV should be better in a number of ways by comparison. I use mine regularly for digiscoping and usually find it more than acceptable (certainly feels superior in build to the 443 legs I've seen). I suppose I could always use more stability, though to be fair about the legs, it is often my 128 head that introduces most movement into the set-up. It is not the lightest carbon fibre tripod by any measure, but with a decent strap it is portable enough.

It's been said that when looking for a good tripod, you can have light, rigid and cheap, but choose any two of these in the real world as you can't have all of them at once.
The Gitzos are said to be as close to perfect as tripods come (though you obviously have to forget the last desireable feature on this list!). If I wanted the best at any cost, then I would look seriously at buying one, but for value and good all-round performance I think the newer Manfrottos are perfectly adequate for general birding and digiscoping.

It's worth mentioning that I have personally never used a Gitzo, so can't comment on just how good they are. I think all carbon fibre tripods are potentially more fragile than metal ones, though where Gitzo's seem to score most highly is in the quality of the fittings and leg locks etc (apart from the obvious fact that they are extremely rigid and reduce vibrations extremely well). I wonder just how well they cope with general abuse and wear & tear from hard use. Perhaps someone else can confirm how well they stand the test of time.

I just got a C-328 N6 Benro carbon tripod (china) from the Canadian distributor BenPhoto. Much cheaper than the Gitzo -built like tank and stable as a rock. Highly recommended as far as I am concerned.

Thanks to everyone who has replied.

It looks like I'm leaning back towards getting another set of Manfrottos - the new 055MV3 legs, as they're about £150 cheaper than the equivilent Gitzos. However the head is just as important, and I could easily be persuaded to go for a Gitzo here, possibly the G2180 as Roland mentioned. Any further thoughts on this?

Just a quick update - in the end I ordered the Manfrotto 055MV3 legs with a Gitzo G2380 head. Total cost (inc postage) was just over £360 from Warehouse Express. I received the whole lot today and I'm off to the Isles of Scilly on Saturday for a week to test it out!

Will let you know how I get on...

Will be interested to hear the results of your test on your return

what i know tripod that made from carbon fibre eventhough expensive is good to eliminate vibrations especially shooting on wooden plank

Here is a review of some Carbon Fiber offerings, Gitzo and Swarovski among others.

http://www.surfbirds.com/blog/tomst...+Review+of+Lightweight+Tripods+and+Heads.html