Gitzo Tripods (1 Viewer)

I have been reading the various postings re tripods and heads and it appears that if money is not the main concern then a Gitzo carbon fiber tripod appears to be a good choice. Does anybody have any recomendations on which model and also head.

Graham Talbot said:

I have been reading the various postings re tripods and heads and it appears that if money is not the main concern then a Gitzo carbon fiber tripod appears to be a good choice. Does anybody have any recomendations on which model and also head.

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The two models most commonly used by birders here are the G1227 Mountaineer and the G1228 Mountaineer. Straightforward tripods with a maximum load of 8kg, very stable. Some of the other models have features you don't really need for birding, like a geared column and the like.

Heads - I'd go for Manfrotto/Bogen at the moment. The 128RC is still a good choice, but the new head sounds very interesting. Check the other threads for that one.

Hermann

Hi Graham, welcome to birdforum from all the staff here. We hope you enjoy the site.

If you have plenty of money and muscles, you could always try a Sachtler

Regards,
Andy

Graham Talbot said:

I have been reading the various postings re tripods and heads and it appears that if money is not the main concern then a Gitzo carbon fiber tripod appears to be a good choice. Does anybody have any recomendations on which model and also head.

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Hi Graham, welcome to BF
Echo Hermann's post, but before you buy have a look at Gitzo Explorer. It shares Gitzo stability, handling and build quality with the others, but is arguably the most adaptable tripod around.

Gitzo describe it as a 'field' tripod (as opposed to studio I guess) i.e. adapts readily to uneven/sloping ground; low level working (without having to crawl between the tripod legs-ever tried that?)

To use with a straight thro scope if you are normal height, you will probably need some centre column extended - bad news with any tripod, but is ok with 60mm scope (FSIII). Never tried with a heavier scope, but again is fine with a heavy-ish long telephoto/slr.

CF version is only 200g lighter than the ali one, but if the cash is there....

Edit: Just looked at http://www.gitzo.com, you'll find it under 'news and exhibitions'. CF version is 67", 3" taller than mine - less centre column, if any.

Hope this helps
Happy birding

I use the Gitzo 1227. Selected that model because photographers using telephoto lenses prefer it over the 1228 as it is more stable.

If you need a compact tripod then the 1228 is shorter when collapsed.

I don't like the screw locked legs as well as the clamp type. At least on the 1227 there are only two per leg instead of three that the 1228 has.

Graham,

I use Gitzo 1325 legs and 2380 head. The legs are somewhat heavier than the 1227 and 1228, but even more stable. They save weight by having no center column, though you can add one if you need it. The legs are tall enough to use a straight scope without a center column, even if you are tall, though you have to crouch if the scope is pointed up into a tree.

The 2380 is a fluid video head, comparable in weight and stability to the Manfrotto 501. Pans smoothly and does not move when you let go if the tension is correctly adjusted. It has a built-in sliding plate, but it does not extend far enough to completely balance my scope with camera attached, so I still have to use a Manfrotto 357/Bogen 3273 sliding plate in addition. One other flaw is the small lever which locks the handle into the head. If the head is tilted completely back, such as when you are carrying the scope, the lever can bump against the legs and get flipped, allowing the handle to fall out of the head. A problem that can be solved with glue, duct tape, or a welding torch.

You didn't say what you will be using the tripod for. This is a good rig for digiscoping or SLR telephoto photography, but would be complete overkill for simply viewing birds with the scope.

Glen

Andy Bright said:

If you have plenty of money and muscles, you could always try a Sachtler

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Did you know that a long time ago Sachtler made an aluminium tripod with a matching video head at a reasonable price for the amateur market? I can still kick myself that I didn't get the head at the time ...

Hermann

There is a Sachtler tripod that is neither heavy nor that expensive compared to the Gitzo carbon fibre (CF) tripods.

It is the Sachtler DA 75 L, which has legs made of aluminium. It is a two section tripod with very effort-less and quick locking and very smooth operation. Its weight is 2 kg. It costs €325 at Isarfoto in Germany, while the Gitzo CF 1227 costs €559.

A friend of mine used to have the Gitzo CF 1227 together with his medium format and 35 mm cameras for tele photography with big and heavy lenses such as 300/2.8 with 2x converter.

He now uses the Sachtler DA 75 L and finds it considerably more stable than the Gitzo for tele photo where the legs are not spread to their limits as in macro work. This is the short-coming of the Sachtler tripods as opposed to the Gitzos, since the legs of the Sachtler cannot be locked at certain spread angles which is good in low positions. The Gitzos have locks for spread angles 24°, 60° and 90° according to the Gitzo site.

I assume that birders who are scoping use their tripods with moderate tripod leg spread angles anyway, then the Sachtlers with their dual spike feets should provide optimum grip.

The Norwegian site kikkertspesialisten also rates the DA 75 L highly. The old name of the DA 75 L was S14 Long, but the tripod itself remains the same as far as I know.

Graham Talbot said:

I have been reading the various postings re tripods and heads and it appears that if money is not the main concern then a Gitzo carbon fiber tripod appears to be a good choice. Does anybody have any recomendations on which model and also head.

Click to expand...

Hi Graham,

I just got the Gitzo 1227. Vibration was my big problem with an old Manfrotto 3021 alum. tripod. The one thing about carbon fiber is that it absorbs vibration. We use it a lot in machine design for that purpose. I can see a big difference. I also got the Manfrotto 322RC2 head. I really wanted the Swiss-Arca B-1 head, but at $400 and $55 per plate, I opted for the 322RC2 at $100 for now. Besides, I already had the RC2 plates from my last Manfrotto 3265 head which is tall and prone to magnify vibrations.

Tom