Bogen v. Gitzo for use in the wet

[psychophoto]

I'm replacing my tripod and I'd like it if you could give me your

opinion on this. I use a 4x5 in the field and more often than not

find myself standing in a lake or a river or some other aquatic area

while making exposures. My current tripod, a battleworn Bogen 3021,

seems to do pretty well in the water, but I have had some problems

with the leg locks icing up solid in the winter while photographing

ice filled gorges and stuff like that. Would a Gitzo do any better

in this respect? It seems that the locking collars might be even

worse to deal with when ice is a factor, but I've never owned or used

a Gizo, so I have no experience in the matter. I know Gitzos are

generally considered to be at least slightly better tripods than

Bogen/Manfrotto tripods, so I thought I'd go ahead and ask. Any and

all suggestions/comments are more than appreciated!

[ralf_grambrock]

Hi David,

I own a Gitzo Studex. I think, it is OK for the way you like to use it. But it is not the best tripod around.

Many greetings, Ralf.

[ken c oshkosh, wi]

If it matters, I dropped my G1227 in the mud at Glacier NP and washed it off in a stream. Gitzo's are super easy to clean!

[cwphoto]

yes, they will freeze up. The legs are metal and not immune to frost or misuse, Get around this somewhat by extending the lower leg sections only, into the water, keep water away from the leg locks in very cold weather. When mine freeze I put it back into the water to thaw,then the leg collars will turn again.

[dave_mueller]

As a suggestion for the Bogen, I have a waxy lubricant for my mountain bike that supposedly "dries", leaving a wax coating on the parts. A generous coating on the leg locks might help in repelling water and preventing the icing.

 

I think it is made by "Finish Line", and is designed for bike chains. The wax doesn't pick up dirt like normal oils or grease.

 

Of course, good old fashion car wax on the legs will help too.

[knut_sverre_horn]

Maybe you should consider a Sachtler tripod? Mine has not arrived yet, so I have no personal experience to offer, but let me once again recommend Bjxrn Rxrslett's excellent web site (http://www.foto.no/nikon/index.html). The site features comments on the Sachtlers and a link to the manufacturer in Germany.

[bruce_rideout1]

I'm a Gitzo user and devoted fan, but you should be aware that some Gitzos have thin fiber-board bushings in the leg locks, which will absorb water, swell, and effectively lock the legs in that position until the bushings dry out and shrink back to normal. It has never happened to me, but the problem was well known enough that Gitzo sells plastic replacement bushings for those individuals who like to sink their tripods past the leg locks. Gitzo also makes an interesting Safari model tripod (or something like that), that has the leg extensions reversed, so that the first leg lock is very high up, making it easier to use in the water without immersing the leg locks.

[jacques_desjardins]

From many articles I've read the Gitzos need more maintenance. Grit builds up in the threads of the leg locks and wear them out. About the fiber inserts they are now some kind of plastic so that problem is resolved. Those new Manfrotto fiber tripods with the ability to insert the center column horizontally seem nice, I've tried the metal version (I forget the number) and it does well for macro work (it's not a BENBO tho)

[miles_feigenbaum___dallas_]

We use the required DOW CORNING product 'DC33' grease very sparingly on the 'ice brushes' of the ailerons on Learjets which are mounted between the wing structure and the ailerons.If you want to try this, send an e-mail to me at mfa1@ix.netcom.com

I could put some in a 35mm film can for you to experiment with.

keyword is 'very sparingly'.

[pikabike]

As Dave Mueller suggested, you can try a dry-type bike chain lube. FinishLine does indeed make one, as well as several other companies. You might also look into Boeshield T9 (I think that's what it's called), which you apply onto CLEAN metal; it supposedly lasts much longer than the other lubes. I myself don't use it (for bike chains) because I don't mind wiping down the drivetrain and relubing with the regular stuff after every ride.

 

But back to tripods...have you considered a Benbo tripod? The legs are designed so that they telescope the opposite way most tripods do: the top sections tuck into the lower sections. While I use this tripod mostly with 35mm equipment, I have also used it to support a borrowed 4x5. I have waded into creeks and muck and sunk the legs in up to the first joint knowing that when it's time to collapse the legs, all the goo will be on the OUTSIDE and easily cleaned.

 

The Benbo is more awkward to carry (and heavier) than the used Gitzo I recently bought, but it is much more solid, quickly adjusts to weird angles and positions, and can be used in mucky conditions with aplomb.

[p_l_jensen]

Gitzos are basically useless in cold weather. They freeze up. Try working in the wintertime in and out of a warm car with a Gitzo tripod. A sure recipe for frustration. I have had no problems with Manfrotto in the cold but the best best for freezing temperatures are wooden tripods. They are just great.

[dan_smith]

I agree, the damn Gitzo's wear out too quickly. Mine has worn bushings and one of the screw pieces to tighten it up after only 15 years of use. The darned thing has worked without fail in water as diverse as the Pacific Ocean, Great Salt Lake (really nasty stuff in some areas), Owens Dry Lake (bad enough that when I slipped in the much it ate off my levi's pant leg & a layer of skin pretty badly), sand dunes and muck from Death Valley to the High Sierra, and other similar locations.

If 15 years is all I can get before having to replace a screw type leg lock & a bushing, maybe they aren't too rugged at all. But, even with that I replaced the pieces an it works fine now, and I even got another one last year. So I will see if it works OK as long as the first one.

And it does work in the winter, even when the leg gets wet at 8 below zero degrees farenheit & I have had to chip the ice off the legs to close them. But you can't use the legs as a lever as they do bend. (my dumb mistake once)

[darth_m]

Yeah, I can't say I've ever had a problem with my Gitzos down to -40 degrees, but I have seen a few plastic Manfrotto leg locks fail.

[p_l_jensen]

The problem is freezing and thawing. Particularly with Gitzos. If you work out of a warm car in wintertime and place the tripod in snow, the snow will melt and immediately freeze locking the tripod legs. I have to put one leg at the time through the car door to melt the ice with the heather of the car, in order to retract the tripod again so that it fit into the boot. If you shooting in freezing condition and put your Gitzo in water like a river or the sea far from your car, you're basically f***ed.

[fabgo]

I own a Gitzo G1228 which I have used in a variety of sandy, salty, wet and muddy conditions. I have only owned it for two years (light use), and it already needs to be sent in for service. The leg sections are hard to extend (even the top ones, which barely ever got grit in them), and I am unable to take many leg sections apart for cleaning because those little plastic bushings get stuck. The tripod even failed on me in the field, with one section getting impossible to extend. For the $600 I paid, I expected more from my tripod. Even if it works fine after service, I will be looking at replacing it with a Bogen carbon fiber tripod. I am planning a lengthy trip to South America, and need something more reliable. Overall, I am very disappointed by Gitzo, and do not recommend this tripod for field use.

[davidroossien]

"About the fiber inserts they are now some kind of plastic so that problem is resolved"

 

Perhaps they have gone back to the fiber--my 2 year old 1548 came with fiber and they soaked up the water. It died after 2 years of exposure to sand and water. Fabian, I feel your pain. I didn't get $700 worth of tripod. Instead I'm out close to $1100 because Gitzo refused to fix my tripod and would only sell me a new one at a slightly reduced price. Avoid Gitzo in water. They are a maintenance nightmare.