gitzo tripod for backpacking

[dane_skye]

Hi-

 

Thinking about a new tripod for backpacking trips and possible summer

trek in Scotland.

 

I currently use a Manfrotto 3021 with Kirk Ballhead. It is a great

tripod, but its rather large and bulky for backpacking. Something

that is shorter/lighter would be nice. I really need something I can

strap to both my Dana Terraplane and my day packs. Need hands free

and tripod strapped on -not just sholder sling. The Dana will take

anything, but the daypack (Lowe Contour 50) need someting smaller

than a 3021 Manfrotto.

 

I was looking at the Gitzo 026. I know it only opens to about 3

feet, but I do not mind having to kneel.

 

Does the Kirk ballhead work well with the 026 or is it to

big/topheavy for a small tripod?

 

Any other design work well?

 

Thanks for any input!!

[scott bacon]

I use the Gitzo 1228 and Kirk BH-1 for backpacking with my 4x5. It works very well. I chose the 1228, with its 4 leg sections, for its short collapsed length of 20.5 inches. This is very convenient for backpacking and travel. It easily fits in a suitcase with the head removed. It is expensive but the small, lightweight and rigid camera support has been worth it, for me.

 

The Kirk BH-1 would be too big/topheavy for the 026, IMHO. Although, you could probably use one of the smaller Giottos ball heads with the 026...

[dane_skye]

I guess I should have put, I shoot Olympus OM gear. Everything is a fixed focal and 200mm is also the largest glass I use.

 

By the way, I tried a Slik compact, nice size, but not stable enough. I thought I read Galen Rowell using a 026 or 001 Gitzo and likeing the weight factor.

 

Anyway, I have an Manfrotto medium ball head 3262 (I think) that I could use with the gitzo legs if the Kirk is too much for those legs.

 

I looked at the Gitzo 1228. I think that's the CF model. Nice but pricey. Probably more than I care to spend, if I am springing for a plane ride across the pond next year.

[robert_segal1]

You didn't say what sort of gear you would mount on it or indicate what sort of shots you contemplate.

 

I am fond of Gitzos, as well (except fiscally, or when it comes to carrying their metal 'pods), so when I went to B&H yesterday to look at the much-discussed Velbon "perfect tripod," the MAXi i 343E, I was dismayed to open up all the Gitzo small-fry models and see just how short they are by comparison. They don't get anywhere near eye-level unless you're my 4'10" wife.

 

The Velbon, on the other hand, is not solidly built at all (it's at about K-Mart level) but it does come up pretty high, it's very compact, it's very light weight, it's very cheap ($90), and (BIG PLUS) its miniature ball head comes off so you can choose your head. (It has a 1/4-20 stud.) All the other cheapo tripods come with permanent plastic pan-tilt heads.

 

Odds are you wouldn't mind carrying the Velbon at all, so it would be with you when you require it. Sorry, I am not familiar enough with the Kirk ballhead to say. The small Gitzos are really solid and weigh several times more than the Velbon (Gitzo don't build junk), and would certainly hold an Arca Swiss B1 with stability - mostly because their legs are so relatively heavy.

 

If you like, tell me about your camera/lens/quick-release setup and how much it weighs and I'm happy to take similar gear and go swap the available heads on and off the tripods at B&H and report back. (I wanted to do this, anyway.) They don't sell Kirk, though, so I'll substitute a B1 or other equivalent.

[alex_lofquist]

I would second Scott's recomendation of a Gitzo G1228 carbon fiber and a Kirk Head. I use it even with my 500 mm and 1.4X TC. It packs easily in my suitcase and has stood up to prosimian baggage handlers.

 

Alex

[sknowles]

I will also second the Gitzo 1228 recommendation. It was the first CF tripod I purchased, specifically for backpacking, and I use it with lenses up to a 300mm f2.8. I use a Linhof Pro II ball head with the 77mm camera/lens base instead of a Kirk ballhead.

 

My only concern is when it's full extended for height. The last leg sections are quite a small diameter, but they always seem to be stable. I do try to limit it to the first three leg sections. I also use it with the 5" center column instead of the 'normal' center column, since I don't extend the column anyway.

 

Good luck.

 

--Scott--

[carl_donohue]

If you're interested in the Gitzo, call Robert White's in England, and

save yourself a BUNCH of money. Depending on what you like to shoot,

try the Bogen 3001 also. It's nice and light, small, and sturdy enough

for the lenses you have. My main beef with it is it doesn't go low

enough for macro, though I believe the newer models have been altered

to aid this.

 

Cheers

 

Carl

 

ps, there's a Linhof Profi 11 for sale on photo.net classifieds right

now, that would be a perfect compliment to any of the tripods

mentioned here.

 

 

================================================================

[sam_mahmoud]

A few more words about the Gitzo 026. It is a fine choice,

but yes you will have to kneel. Definitely get rid of the

wobbly center-post it comes with. Replace that with a Kirk

short post, or just a bolt or something. Also, comparing

the 026 to the bigger carbon fiber models 1227 and 1228,

you'll find that there is a big size difference but not as

big a weight difference as you would expect. You'll have

to think about whether it is weight alone you are trying to

save, or if weight and bulk are both important.

 

The Kirk ballhead is really not an appropriate size for such

a tiny tripod. Someone suggested the smaller Giottos models,

but I can't agree. I found them to be not nearly as well made

as they look like they are. The "Slik Standard" surprised me by

being an excellent ballhead for this tripod. It lacks tension

control, but expecting tension control on such a small ballhead

is really just kidding yourself anyway. The Slik Standard locks

down firmly with a single throw of the lever, doesn't droop once it is locked down, and

doesn't change positions when you lock it down. I find mine

to be adequate for anything up to a 300/4 or 80-200/2.8, but

ONLY if such a lens has its own tripod collar and balances

well. If your equipment is any heavier than that, or if you

use lenses that size that do not have tripod collars, this

ballhead just doesn't have enough holdling power.

 

I have also heard that there are good ballheads of this size

from Linhof and Kaiser, but I won't recommend anything I

haven't used myself. Whatever ballhead you buy, plan to

add a quick-release system from either Really Right Stuff

or Kirk.

 

I'll leave you with something more motivational than helpful,

and that is that there is no magic about ballheads. Put it

through the paces in the store on an actual tripod with YOUR

OWN camera and lens on it. If you find that it is smooth and

able to solidly support your equipment even in odd positions,

and that it doesn't vibrate unduly nor change its position when

you lock it down, then there is a high likelihood that it will

do the same in the field, no matter what anyone else on photo.net says about that particular brand.

[brian walsh]

I like Sam Mahmoud's take on this. I'm sure the Arca-Swiss B1 and the Gitzo 1228 are both excellent for many purposes. The huge 4WD Ford Excursion is probably a good vehicle for some purposes, too, but my neighbors have never taken theirs over terrain rougher than the speed bumps in the grocery store parking lot, where it's a bit more than what's necessary. A ballhead that weighs nearly as much as the camera atop the 1228 legset may be overkill for backpacking with a lightweight camera, too. . . .<P>

 

There are several lightweight and inexpensive heads that might be a good choice with your gear: (1) Slik standard--think early Galen Rowell; (2) Leitz/Leica large ball and socket head (locks down <I>very</I> tightly for its size; recent vintage--non-collectible--samples in excellent condition show up on eBay for around fifty dollars; mine was forty-five); (3) perhaps the smallish Velbon magnesium heads. Any of these will save you about half a pound on your back compared to your small Bogen head.<P>

 

Since the folded length of the tripod isn't critical for your application, allow me to suggest what I now use for trips like yours. (I hike with the tripod strapped to a 40 liter pack, with a Mamiya 7 or a 35mm kit comparable to yours.) The Gitzo 1127 tripod weighs just a few ounces more than the 026 and reaches 48" without column extension, so you don't <I>have</I> to sit or squat. If you want to save weight and you really don't mind sitting, you can remove the lower leg sections and the center column, and the tripod will be about the size of the 026, but much stronger. (I cut the center column down, so I can quickly reverse it to shorten the package by carrying the ballhead inside the legs.) I purchased the 1127 to replace my four year-old 1228, which was just too heavy--for my purposes. The lower leg sections on the two tripods are the same diameter, and, IMHO, the three-section 1127 vibrates a bit less than does the four-section 1228. Although the 1127 is rated to hold less of a load than the 1228, I think that's because Gitzo (perhaps in an effort to squeeze a bit more height out of the tripod) changed the standard (for the 1228 and other "performance" tripods) leg angle of 26 degrees to around 24, making the 1127 a bit more tippy. Since the Gitzo leg stops are, well, less than precisely machined, I spent five cheerful minutes filing the stops to increase the leg angle, and made the 1127 less tippy than the 1228. Don't try this at home, but I also proved to myself that the 1127 can hold at least 170 pounds.<P>

 

While hiking, I use the Leica ball and socket head, which I and Ellis Vener (my personal photo.net hero: he removed his silly icon!) think might be the Arca-Swiss B1 of lightweight ballheads. Together with the 1127 legset, and with or without lower leg sections and the column, it can be a little Jeep Wrangler of a hiking tripod for off-trail jaunts or a luxo-cruiser of a vacation tripod. If you can give up a little height, you might be tempted to sell your 5.5-pound Manfrotto and use the excellent 1127 full time.

[neil_johnstone]

I agree with the Gitzo 1127 with Leica B+S head, but also look at the Novoflex mini Magic Ball. I use both for travelling with lenses up to 180mm (and also with a 2x convertor), with excellent results.

I have also shortened the centre column, as there is too much movement with it extended.

The 1127 will hold heavier loads (I've used it with an 8lb camera and lens combination), but I'm not so happy with this. Long lenses need heavy tripods!

[tda]

Just been there, just done that !!!

 

I had the Manfrotto 055 with 168 ball head, and a shortened Benbo, but needed something compact and light that I did not mind carrying ALL the time, for the occasional photo. I have carried the Manfrotto over several continents, and it got to the point as I packed my backpack that I'd crings when I put it in.

 

So off I went shopping, and the number one criteria for me was packed size, and durability. I find I only use the tripod for landscapes, and night shots. In these instances I certainly dont mind bending down for 5 minutes to see through a viewfinder. 5 minutes of discomfort compared to weeks carrying the Manfrotto ... no contest.

 

I went to KJP, Jessops and all the high street retailers in the UK, set up all the smaller Velbons, and Sliks and was not impressed at all. They were light, but they were still cumbersome, not adaptable due to the support struts, and didnt feel that hardy. I started thinking the 3021 was my only option.

 

Then I found the Gitzo 1026, and it is perfect. The upper legs are bombproof. The hinges tight and strong and the wide angle leg spread will adapt to any surface. I use it to the third leg extension, and with a bag suspended it is VERY stable. The only downside is the centre column doesnt rotate so for pan adustments you need to adjust the ballhead. I have fitted an old Benbo ball head which is fine.

 

It is designed as a compromise, its not going to support huge lenses or stay still in a hurricane. But I believe it will last a lifetime in the bottom of a hiking pack. I use it with a Bronica ETRSi and its fine for balance, but do add the suspending hook.

 

And finally I got mine mail order from Robert White for £139 including P&P.

[markci]

I agree with Brian. (Well, except for the part about the Excursion. It's not meant to be a serious off-road vehicle, but rather a station wagon for guys with small penises). The "1" series Gitzos are really excellent.

[jason_elsworth3]

I use Gitzo G01 tripod, Linhoff head 01 and Really Right Stuff quick release clamp. I have found this an excellent light weight tripod for when you can't carry anything else. Capable of producing "sharp" (by my definition :)) results with prime wide angles, short telephotos and my 50-135mm nikon zoom (if the legs aren't extended much). I also use a weighted sack to provide more stability. You also have to be happy working on your hands and knees. In hindsight I would go for the 026 as the legs can be spread wider. For what its worth I have had pictures published which were taken with this combo.

 

Jason Elsworth

www.jasonelsworth.co.nz

[gary_jean1]

If you're considering a Gitzo, I guess cost isn't a factor. But considering the light outfit you're carrying, a Bogen/Manfrotto 3001 would work well. I've been happy with mine. If it's very windy, I just hang a weight from it. It's plenty tough to withstand the abuse it will get strapped to the outside of a backpack. I also have a 3021 and a 441CF (no I'm not a Bogen rep), but the 3001 is still my backpacking pod.

[scott_dordick]

Hi Dane, I originaly designed our Acratech Ultimate Ballhead as a ballhead for backpacking and hiking. Weighing less than 1lb it is the perfect companion to a lightweight carbon fiber tripod and it will hold 25lbs. You can see it on our website at http://acratech.net/products.htm It is also available with an arca type clamp. Good luck, Scott