Manfrotto CF vs Gitzo?

<p>The next few weeks will bring a big decision for me; what tripod legs am I purchasing next? My current tripod legs are in terrible condition. Taking an aluminum tripod and shooting in sandy places and in water didn't work the best for my gear. The tripod is rusting and has sand trapped in every nook and cranny even after taking it completely apart, cleaning it, and putting it back together several times. The first tripod I ever bought before this was the Manfrotto 055 xprob and one of the legs completely snapped because of the combination of having to crawl through sandstone caves, abandoned buildings, and shooting in the cold Minnesota winters.</p>

<p>I plan to do a lot of winter shooting in the subzero weather in these next few months so I feel like I need to upgrade tripods or this one may fail like my last one. I bought a new head and went with the Canon xpro ball head the other day. Now I just need legs. I know I need carbon fiber, I just need to decide which brand to go with. I did some research and am now tied between getting a Manfrotto carbon fiber tripod or a Gitzo.</p>

<p>Tripods are something I don't really have a ton of experience and knowledge in. Its an area I feel some of you may be better qualified in; so I ask this question for the people that have been shooting longer and have gotten to use both brands, is a Gitzo tripod worth it in terms of quality, longevity, ease of use, and ease of use in harsh shooting conditions? Or is it not a ton better then Manfrotto?</p>

<p>I have heavy lenses, the heaviest being my 400mm 2.8L IS lens which is shot with a 5D Mark III. This rarely would use a tripod but it will be used on occasion on these legs I will purchase. Most of what I use the tripod for will be landscape, architecture, winter photography, and shooting in tunnels/caves (most of which are made of sandstone, the sand gets everywhere) and in abandoned buildings.</p>

<p>I'm currently a photography student so the price matters but if there's a huge difference in quality and how long it will last I will spend the extra money. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.</p>

<p>Thanks!</p>

 

<p>The Induro and Feisol brand should also be on your short list. They're actually quite good. Also, if you can swing the $$$$, ReallyRightStuff (it's a lifetime purchase)</p>

<p>For a 400 mm lens (IS must be turned off on a tripod), you would want a Gitzo #3 size tripod (or equivalent) as a minimum. A #5 would not be unreasonable, but heavier and more expensive. It's not so much weight capacity as stiffness and vibration damping when used outdoors. Manfrotto has no comparable tripod. A #3 Gitzo works well enough for me with a 600 mm Video lens (equivalent), but mostly indoors.</p>

<p>Gitzo tripods use a threaded collar to fasten the legs. In the past, they were hard to use because the legs rotate freely, and the joints would slip if not tightened properly. Now the legs are keyed so they don't rotate and the collars have been redesigned to hold tight, and get tighter under load. (The tapered bushing jams in place and holds even if the collar is loose. The bushing is keyed to the collar and forcibly extracted when the collar is turned further.) It is very easy to disassemble Gitzo legs for cleaning, without tools.</p>

<p>Manfrotto tripods use lever clamps, which must be adjusted from time to time, and have gaps which are open to sand, dirt and water.. Gitzo collars are intrinsically self-adjusting, and there's nothing to snag branches and such, and relatively well protected from contamination if you use due diligence.</p>

<p>Good tripods are expensive, but last a long time. My first Gitzo, aluminum, is over twenty years old, and going strong despite a few nicks and scratches. I bought my first Gitzo CF used, ten years ago, and it is in nearly daily use.</p>

<p>Carbon fiber is very strong and stiff, but sensitive to scratches, which serve as a stress point. It's a good idea to fill any deep "wounds" with epoxy or two-part acrylic cement. I've broken only one, a microphone boom. The stand slipped and fell about 3'. The boom had a 15# counter weight and 9' extension. I had to replace one section, which took 6 weeks to get (I now have a backup). In short, Gitzo CF is pretty tough.</p>

<p>Sand is a bug-a-boo no matter which tripod you use. It sticks to the light layer of grease in threaded joints. To remove the sand, you have to remove (and replace) the grease. I drop the collars in an ultrasonic bath. There's no way to clean the inside by hand. Prevention is a much better approach. Always extend the lower leg in sand, so the joint never touches. Wipe the legs clean before collapsing them. Don't lay the tripod down in sand or loose dirt.</p>

<p>Water won't hurt a CF tripod, just dry it off. Rinse it with fresh water to remove salt and mud. Gitzo does make a sealed version if you work in water on a regular basis.</p>

<p>Threaded leg tips tend to loosen and fall off at inconvenient times. A new set of 3 is expensive (they don't sell singles). I use Loc-Tite "purple", which stays somewhat gummy. The tips can be removed by hand, but won't fall off by themselves.</p>

<p>I use a Manfrotto CF tripod with lenses to 70-200. I have a few points</p>

 

<ul>

<li>I have no experience with Gitzo outside of a store. I do know I'm quite happy with my Manfrotto in absolute terms, and I've had it a few years now.</li>

<li>I photograph extensively on or near beaches and sometimes with the feet in water. I have no problems with sand ingress and I've never felt the need to dis-assemble it or indeed clean it other than a very occasional perfunctory wipe. The locks work the same as when new. Edwards views on what you'd have to do with a manfrotto do not reflect my experience.</li>

<li>I like using flip locks much more than I liked using Gitzo twist locks, so I bought a Manfrotto.I have no doubt that Gitzo make fine tripods, but a good part of the decision on any piece of photographic equipment is what it feels like to you. Are you able to try each in a store?</li>

<li>I've used the Manfrotto on trips to Iceland and the Lofoten Islands in the depth of winter without mishap. I suspect any CF tripod could conceivably break if you catch it the wrong way. I do recall finding a lump out of the ball on a Manfrotto metal ballhead after rolling around in the boot (trunk) of my car on a very cold trip. I suspect that what you get in the more continental climate of the Midwest might well be more demanding in terms of absolute temperature than anything we get in coastal Europe. </li>

<li>I have no doubt that cf transmits less of the vibration caused by firing the shutter, and its clearly lighter and better to carry in the cold. But I'm not personally convinced that a CF tripod is better in wind than a rather heavier alu version. Or that it will help you more on uncertain footings like springy grass for example. In these circumstances I'm not convinced there is any substitute for weight , though I'm as reluctant as anyone to carry heavy stuff. In short , I don't believe a CF tripod is a certain deliverer of absolute stability every time no matter what brand you buy. I've been in conditions in Iceland where I wasn't at all convinced I should use any tripod, and reckon I got better results from fast shutter speeds/IS. </li>

</ul>

It sounds like you are tougher on tripods than most of us. Most questions have to do with load bearing. Given the two choices, and from what I know having used a Gitzo travel model in aluminum they are made to a higher specification and higher price than any of my Bogen/ Manfrotto older models. I am lately using an Induro CF model for its moderate price and easy twist collet style beefy and easy to grasp leg locks (delightful), and non twist legs of course..modern features for ease of use... Maybe you just have to plan replacement or serious company overhaul every ten years or so, they may not be a lifetime of use for you dare I say. ( Even Range Rovers wear out.) Search the Nature Forum community too.

<p>Check out ebay for 'older' but lightly models of the Gitzo 3xxx. Example: Current version is GT3532, but you can find lightly used GT3530's or GT3531's.</p>

 

<p>Don't worry about brand differences between Manfrotto and Gitzo. They have no secrets from each other as they are made in the same factory in Feltra, Italy. Carbon fibre tripods have come a long way in recent decades and I've yet to see a bad one. <em>Tripod heads</em> are a different matter with personal ergonomic preferences paramount.</p>

<p>I have the Manfrotto 055 CF Mag<br>

https://www.manfrotto.co.uk/055-carbon-fibre-tripod-3-section-horizontal-column<br>

And Two Gitzos, a GT3540 6X and a GT3530LS, As long as you go for the better quality Manfrottos then you will be very happy, however I have yet to find a tripod that quite matches the "damping" of the Gitzos<br>

</p>

Same factory, true, but one brand is assembled by Milanese workers under Giovanni Il Stupendo. The other brand by rowdy Napolitanos. Frequent shouting matches which annoy the neighborhood.. //snark//