<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>
