Which travel friendly Series 3+ (32mm+ top tube) tripod to get? Gitzo, RRS, PMG, etc. (2 Viewers)

[hiepphotog]

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:

• 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

What I would like:

• 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.

 

[Tringa45]

Roundup: Six Large Tripods For Heavy Duty Use

What tripod can support a 600mm lens and still go on a long hike into the wilderness? We test out six higher-end, thick-legged, modular tripods that are comfortably tall and capable of supporting tremendous amounts of gear. This group review compares all six models, examining their features...

www.dpreview.com

This might be of help.
For more information you can click on the in-depth review of each tripod.

John

PS:- Welcome to Birdforum btw.

 

[hiepphotog]

Thank you! I saw that one. It corroborated well with TDP and TCC info. The Gitzo latest Series 3 with a smaller tube diameter is about as good as the bigger RRS. Gitzo has too big of a spider to have a similar end weight as the RRS. One would easily conclude that if Dpreview were to compare the Gitzo Series 3 to the RRS Series 2 (both have similar tube diameters), the Gitzo would be better. However, RRS seems to have a better feel than Gitzo: smoother leg locks, a more modern approach, optimized design.

 

[Ignatius]

This might contain the information you are looking for.

 

[Tringa45]

This might contain the information you are looking for.

A couple of own goals here!
The OP posted that question on the forum of the test site I linked above.
Btw, I wouldn't necessarily take the stiffness ratings on TCC at face value. All else being equal, the shorter the tripod the stiffer it will be. If I'm correctly informed it would be in inverse proportion to the cube of the length.
In a strong blow at the coast my old aluminium Gitzo Studex (series 4) was vibrating strongly at a mere 25x. I took out my CF Novoflex TrioPod (series 2) and splayed the collapsed legs to 40°. I had to kneel on the ground but at 60x it was rock solid.

John

 

[hiepphotog]

A couple of own goals here!
The OP posted that question on the forum of the test site I linked above.
Btw, I wouldn't necessarily take the stiffness ratings on TCC at face value. All else being equal, the shorter the tripod the stiffer it will be. If I'm correctly informed it would be in inverse proportion to the cube of the length.
In a strong blow at the coast, my old aluminium Gitzo Studex (series 4) was vibrating strongly at a mere 25x. I took out my CF Novoflex TrioPod (series 2) and splayed the collapsed legs to 40°. I had to kneel on the ground but at 60x it was rock solid.

John

Thank you, John. I understand what you mean. David did a great job with the data presented on TCC. The relationship between stiffness vs. height: Approximating Tripod Stiffness vs Height
In my convoluted math, I did interpolate the stiffness values of various RRS and Gitzo models that have not been tested yet. Those values look to be reasonable with other tests. But regardless of stiffness, common sense must be in place like your example with the Studex. I'm trying to reduce my collection down to 2 tripods that I can use: Series 1 and 3 (or 2 and 4). And what would be the stiffest/nicest given my constraint of packing length?