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A follow up from this thread, copied from elsewhere - apologies for repeating the back story which you may be aware of.
My New Tripod, the Gitzo Ocean Explorer.
The beach has killed all my previous tripods. Last year I left my first on a beach on the Isle of Mull. Literally, took the camera off it, got in my car, and drove off. After ten min, I realised my mistake. I went back, gone!
My next tripod, the Manfrotto 475B Pro, was a STUPID buy. Sturdy? You bet. It weighs a tonne. I do love it for when absolute 100% stillness is required, and when I don't have to walk far from transport. The beach again though, has started to wreck it. I have already lost one of the feet in deep muddy sand, and the leg clasps have started to grind and jam due to sand and / or salt water. It requires some TLC to stop it being permanently wrecked...
My NEXT tripod...the Manfrotto 440 Carbon One, was a lovely bit of kit. I took it everywhere, abused it, and never really cared much for it (stupid). As a result, I have lost one of it's feet, the bottom leg section on one of the legs no longer extends, and two of the clasps literally snapped off due to corrosion from sea water. So, ignoring the latest tripod....about £1,000 spent, of which, only £400 remains in working order.
This latest tripod, the Gitzo Ocean Traveler promises to change my luck. Stainless Steel and Carbon Fibre, with apparent unique Ocean Lock legs, it is supposed to be completely invulnerable to Sand and Salt Water. I will still clean and maintain it, but compared to the others, it should be plain sailing. The tripod cost over £900 which included a snazzy bag, and an upgrade to the head (added quick release). You may point and laugh at the crazy price, but if you consider the rate at which my previous tripods were biting the dust (or sand?), this purchase makes sense.
The build quality of the Gitzo is something to behold. Opening the box, it just oozes quality. The carbon is luxurious, the stainless steel, flawless. It really is made to perfection. Everything is smooth, easy to operate, and it's ever so light. I mean, it is INCREDIBLY light.
My only gripe? The fact that I had to pay for Quick Release. Without it, the tripod is a complete waste of space, I do mean that. Trying to screw it directly to the D3 with 24 to 70 attached was a joke. Once attached there was so much play and movement due to the small contact area. that I had zero confidence in letting my camera go. This is a big downside to the tripod, and it is my opinion that a quick release bundle should be made available. Upon adding the Gitzo Quick Release, which set me back an additional £70, things really get a lot better. I still think there is room for improvement, as if I put enough pressure on the camera, the ballhead will slip (slowly). I am used to using the Hydrostatic Manfrotto head, which when locked, seems impossible to budge. In comparison, this gitzo ball head should be handled delicately, especially when using with large bodies and glass. It would not take a large budge to sent the ball sliding, and the camera swinging.
Adding the Quick Release plate has led to another issue. I can no longer fold the Tripod down fully and put it in the Carry Bag (bought separately). I need to unscrew the quick release and stick it in the pouch on the side of the bag. A minor annoyance, but no deal breaker.
So far, without any form of field test, I reckon I am going to end up giving the legs a solid 10 / 10, they are in a different league. The head worries me though. I suspect if the ball slipping gets any worse, I will struggle to give it a 4 / 10. It really is a let down on that front, but cost aside, the head is easy to upgrade. Again, head size is very important depending on which bag you use for storage. The Gitzo bag I have fits the tripod and original head, JUST and no more. Another thing to consider, if the head requires upgrading - the tripod will sore way above the £1,000 mark, which may leave some people "head" scratching
.
I will report back once I get a chance to use it properly, and I will post more photos of it shortly.
Gary.
My New Tripod, the Gitzo Ocean Explorer.
The beach has killed all my previous tripods. Last year I left my first on a beach on the Isle of Mull. Literally, took the camera off it, got in my car, and drove off. After ten min, I realised my mistake. I went back, gone!
My next tripod, the Manfrotto 475B Pro, was a STUPID buy. Sturdy? You bet. It weighs a tonne. I do love it for when absolute 100% stillness is required, and when I don't have to walk far from transport. The beach again though, has started to wreck it. I have already lost one of the feet in deep muddy sand, and the leg clasps have started to grind and jam due to sand and / or salt water. It requires some TLC to stop it being permanently wrecked...
My NEXT tripod...the Manfrotto 440 Carbon One, was a lovely bit of kit. I took it everywhere, abused it, and never really cared much for it (stupid). As a result, I have lost one of it's feet, the bottom leg section on one of the legs no longer extends, and two of the clasps literally snapped off due to corrosion from sea water. So, ignoring the latest tripod....about £1,000 spent, of which, only £400 remains in working order.
This latest tripod, the Gitzo Ocean Traveler promises to change my luck. Stainless Steel and Carbon Fibre, with apparent unique Ocean Lock legs, it is supposed to be completely invulnerable to Sand and Salt Water. I will still clean and maintain it, but compared to the others, it should be plain sailing. The tripod cost over £900 which included a snazzy bag, and an upgrade to the head (added quick release). You may point and laugh at the crazy price, but if you consider the rate at which my previous tripods were biting the dust (or sand?), this purchase makes sense.
The build quality of the Gitzo is something to behold. Opening the box, it just oozes quality. The carbon is luxurious, the stainless steel, flawless. It really is made to perfection. Everything is smooth, easy to operate, and it's ever so light. I mean, it is INCREDIBLY light.
My only gripe? The fact that I had to pay for Quick Release. Without it, the tripod is a complete waste of space, I do mean that. Trying to screw it directly to the D3 with 24 to 70 attached was a joke. Once attached there was so much play and movement due to the small contact area. that I had zero confidence in letting my camera go. This is a big downside to the tripod, and it is my opinion that a quick release bundle should be made available. Upon adding the Gitzo Quick Release, which set me back an additional £70, things really get a lot better. I still think there is room for improvement, as if I put enough pressure on the camera, the ballhead will slip (slowly). I am used to using the Hydrostatic Manfrotto head, which when locked, seems impossible to budge. In comparison, this gitzo ball head should be handled delicately, especially when using with large bodies and glass. It would not take a large budge to sent the ball sliding, and the camera swinging.
Adding the Quick Release plate has led to another issue. I can no longer fold the Tripod down fully and put it in the Carry Bag (bought separately). I need to unscrew the quick release and stick it in the pouch on the side of the bag. A minor annoyance, but no deal breaker.
So far, without any form of field test, I reckon I am going to end up giving the legs a solid 10 / 10, they are in a different league. The head worries me though. I suspect if the ball slipping gets any worse, I will struggle to give it a 4 / 10. It really is a let down on that front, but cost aside, the head is easy to upgrade. Again, head size is very important depending on which bag you use for storage. The Gitzo bag I have fits the tripod and original head, JUST and no more. Another thing to consider, if the head requires upgrading - the tripod will sore way above the £1,000 mark, which may leave some people "head" scratching
.I will report back once I get a chance to use it properly, and I will post more photos of it shortly.
Gary.
. There's nothing more frustrating than setting everything (else) up to perfection and then waiting 8 minutes for the camera to make the exposure and process it, only to find that during that 5 minute exposure, the camera has been gradually tilting downwards and you've got a blurred image :bang:.
