Gitzo Series 0 Mountaineer Weekend tripod

[arnabbanerjee]

I am wondering for a few months on this - given the extremely lighweight (only

0.7 Kg - as per Adorama - http://www.adorama.com/GZGT0530.html), I am thinking

this as my hiking/climbing companion.

 

Have anyone used this here extensively? I will love to know some first-hand

remarks re. its performance and load tolerance (as you go up in size of lens

or use a heavier DSLR).

 

Thanks for your help

 

Other competiting model is Bogen's 190MF4 - any comparative remarks will be

very help too.

 

Thanks

[bennett_richards]

The 6X series Gitzos are the best there is. They all support huge amounts for their weight. The 3 series will do up to heavy 4X5 and 35mm with 600MM lenses.

 

For lenses up to 200mm I would think the 0 series is fine if no wind.

[ronald_moravec1]

51 inches with center column extended is very short for me. Buy something that you can use without extending the center and without hunching over because as soon as you do that, you loose lots of stability. A short light tripod is worse than none at all.

 

I use a 1227 with a Leica ball head and am 6 foot.

[ilkka]

"A short light tripod is worse than none at all."

 

Not really. Sometimes it is just impractical to carry a large and heavy tripod, no matter how good it would be. A tripod that is solid at waist height can be very good if you bother to drop down on one knee when making the composition. I have four Gitzo's and one of them is the Al version of this tripod with 4 leg sections. The thinnest leg setcions are very thin and best not used. This 3 section one might be a bit better but I think I would still just extend the thinnest legs half way whenever possible. The centre column is quite long, and again best not used at least in its full length. That means the tripod is pretty solid when extended to about 40"/1m. If you can live with that, and the size and weight are imperative, then go for it. But I would not want this to be my only tripod. It is much better than a Velbon 343, which I also have, when even smaller and lighter is called for.

[Ed_Ingold]

I'm going to extrapolate backwards on this question. A given focal length demands a certain stiffness to handle certain situations. Except as a minimum requirement, weight capacity doesn't matter. Any tripod will work inside on a concrete floor. Add a little breeze, and all bets are off. I think you would want a 6x series 1, or better yet a series 2.

 

I know that a series 2 aluminum tripod will hold a 200mm lens in a moderate breeze, but is a little too shaky at 300mm. A Gitzo CF tripod is about as stiff as the next size aluminum tripod. From personal experience, a CF G-1227 (3-section) works about as well as an aluminum 1340. A series 3 GT-3540 is nearly as stiff as an aluminum G-1504, which is 3 times as heavy. I've used the 3540 outdoors with a 14 pound video camera and an 800mm (equivalent) lens.

[arnabbanerjee]

Thanks all for your thoughtful replies. I can go for a heavier tripod which will be much stable and reliable (as some of you mentioned), but I already have tripods like that (I have one pro-series Monfrotto).

What I am looking for is really light-weight for my hiking and climbing trips and there are a few models on the market that are around 1 kg - Gitzo series 0/Bogen 190 MF4/ Induro C014 and also, there are 2 models from Slik and Velbon. I am trying to understand which one (at this lightweight range) works better than other - hope that clarifies my question. Also, is there any tricks that you guys use when using these light-pods to add stability?

[Ed_Ingold]

The most effective method is promoted by Moose Peterson (q.v., long lens technique). You place your hand on top of the camera or lens, directly over the centerline of the tripod, and press firmly (not excessively) straight down. This adds considerable damping mass where it's needed. It also provides a reaction force if you press the shutter with your finger. I use this technique a lot with medium format when it's windy, or not convenient to use a cable release.

 

Hanging weight, like a bag, from the column hook (or elsewhere) helps stabilize the tripod in the wind, but does little to dampen vibrations. The mass is too loosely coupled for damping. It also helps to shorten the legs, or splay the legs if it's windy.

 

The Gitzo 0 has legs thinner than a pencil - thinner than most table-top tripods. It's better than no tripod, but barely so. I'm a little fussier about results and less of an hiking enthusiast. I usually carry a tripod by a shoulder strap or in hand. Some Lowepro backpacks have a tripod pocket that drops down several inches, keeping the center of gravity low. This goes a long way to keep the head from swinging as you walk or snagging on branches.

[nickwhite]

Arnab,

 

I have a Gitzo Sport Performance (aluminium) which weighs in at 1.36kg (3lbs).

 

When I bought it I also considered the Weekend version but found that just toooo lightweight (pencil thin lower legs as Edward says), the Sport is/was far sturdier and easily supported my Nikon F4 bodies etc, and even my Mamiya 645 gear when necessary; it also has a double extending centre column which gives extra height when required albeit at the expense of sturdiness. It served me extremely well for travel and hiking for a long time - when I needed something sturdier I used a MK1 Benbo.

 

I now have a carbon-fibre Benro C228n6 (about 1.6kg) which I use all the time and which was truly fantastic value for money. I'd recommend you to check out the Benro models.

 

I have some photos available of the Gitzo since I'm planning to sell it on ebay (UK) shortly (no longer traveling like I used to). I'll be happy to email the pics to you if that helps in your decision making.

 

Nick.

[alex_lofquist]

I just wanted to mention that I have been using the Gitzo 1228 (4-section) CF for many years now. I selected the 1228 over the 1227 as it would fit into my airline luggage. Otherwise the 1227 would have been my choice. As to weight capacity, I use it with my Kirk BH-1, Wimberley Sidekick, Nikon F4 or F5 and my Nikkor 500 f/4 (and often 1.4X TC). In windy situations it does require some damping such as a bean bag draped ofer the lens, or my left forearm if nothing else is available. Overall it is a fine tripod which doesn't stick to your hands in freezing weather, and will not burn them when in direct summer sunlight.

[elyone]

see this link:

I still like it.

 

http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=00LwcY