Reader's Comments - Index of - Free

Tripods
Two companies make the vast majority of legsets used by
professionals, Gitzo and Bogen (Manfrotto outside the U.
S.). Gitzo is made in France and reflects Continental
Rationalism. If you don't carefully adhere to the correct
method of loosening and tightening the leg locks, it will
take you an annoying minute or two to sort everything
back out. Bogen is made in Italy by Manfrotto and
reflects Mediterranean chaos. The leg locks are
marvelous little spring-loaded flick levers (or wing-type
screws on some of the smallest ones) and you can lock or
unlock them in any order. Both brands offer adjustable
leg angle, which is nice for uneven ground, slopes, and
resting a leg on an overlook barrier. Both also offer
reversible center columns, for hanging the camera inches from the ground.
Gitzo is more expensive but has the
advantage that there are no little parts to lose
or wear out. The legs are made of
heavyweight aluminum or carbon fiber. I fell
in love with Gitzo's wonderfully light (weighs
3 lbs, supports 15) carbon fiber Mountaineer
tripod ($500) during five weeks in Italy. It is
dead, dead, dead. Dead. I'm six feet tall and
expected that the lack of height (52 inches or
61 with the center column up) would be annoying, but somehow I hardly noticed
bending down a bit. [An Inter-Pro Studex version is coming out in September 1996
that will be about 30% lighter than the aluminum alloy counterpart, but will rise to
the same height (61 inches or 76 inches with center column; should weigh about
4.2 lbs and sell for about $750).]
http://www.photo.net/equipment/tripods/philg (2 of 53)7/3/2005 2:21:12 AM