Has anyone got/used a carbon fibre tripod? I'm rubbish at hand-holding and my tripod and heads are very old and made out of solid lead (at least, that's what it feels like!) I've thought about investing in a c/f tripod, but at 200 (and then a head as well to buy) it's an expensive purchase. So thought I'd ask about other's experiences. Is there a noticeable difference in weight? And being light, are they stable?
Hmm... i wouldnt bother UNLESS youve GOT to hump it around everywhere!! The standard Manfrotto ones are quite light... and i think mine was bout 120quid which is better than 250+!
Mines aluminium (ancient Velbon job), so you`d think it`d be quite light, but the head and catches are steel, but I find the weight actually aids stability. I`ve always felt CF ones would be a bit `spindly`, and unstable.
I have a slik pro tripod and it's very light weight, but really sturdy. I bought it in the US but have seen them here for about 100.
Hmmmm - now I think about it, I have a Velbon, but not seen it for ages. Bet son has borrowed it ...... My D300 is hefty, then add in the weight of a lens, and I find it difficult to hold steady, so I am thinking about one that I could carry around with me quite a lot. I have a monopod, but that only stops me wobbling in one dimension. Guess I shall have to get off my bum and go into town and try picking one up in Jessops/Jacobs.
You do have to pay quite a lot for a decent CF tripod (ie Gitzo). Before they were available, the general rule of thumb was 'buy the biggest, heaviest tripod you can afford'. Hence why I own a Series 2 Gitzo for light work and a Series 5 Gitzo for MF / long-lens stuff, both all-metal and very heavy. The larger one even has a hook at the bottom of the centre-column for hanging a sandbag. CF tripods do have the added advantage (other than lower weight) in that the material will absorb more vibration than Aluminium or Steel, but tbh you get what you pay for. I would not expect a cheap CF tripod to have the same attention to weave/construction as a Gitzo. If you ever need to put a CF tripod in the hold of an aircraft, ensure it is in a rigid case. CF becomes more brittle in low temps, and I know a few photographers that found this out the hard way.
It's alright for you strapping great fellows, but I'm a bit ricketty .... N/B - when I can find the magazine review, I think it was a Manfrotto at about 210 that came out best in their tests. I really must keep my magazines better organised! Hope it wasn't the one the cat was sick on! When you say brittle at lower temperatures, how low? How would one have fared taking it out in the snow/ice these last few weeks?
You will be fine using them outdoors in cold weather, but I ws referring more to the chance of them being broken by other items of luggage inside an aircraft hold during flight. Stuff gets very cold, and a few friends of mine have arrived at a shoot location to find their tripod unusable due to snapped or cracked legs. As for magazine tests, take them with a pinch of salt. Nobody but you knows how you shoot. Few of us work in the same way, and most pros favour certain kit for the strangest of reasons. I like Gitzo because they're easiest to take to bits, clean, lubricate and reassemble after a day out in sand / salt water / dirt, and they are generally bulletproof. My assistants hate Gitzo because they take the longest to set up and pack away. I don't care, I was an assistant once and recognised the quality of the kit from the start. I would go for build quality over 'extras' (ie the near-pointless 'Lateral Arm' feature of Manfrottos, whereby you use the centre-column as a lateral extension that's never quite long enough and compromises the strength of the tripod). But as I said, none of us think alike
Cheapskate! You'll be driving a Kia next! So, N/B - tell me more about the Gitzo. (Maybe I should get my boss to knock one up for me, he makes racing boats from carbon fibre!) Edit: just been and googled the Gitzo c/f tripods. At 300-400, there's no chance for us poor amateurs! [:^(]
Im sure it wouldnt be any use to you hardcore photographer types, but i find my Gorillapod really good. Handy for setting up in hard to reach areas, or places with lack of space:
I've seen those, Andy, and wondered if they were any good. That camera looks so precarious perched there! But a lot of my subjects are people or animals, often candid, so not static like a landscape. I am really disappointed that although I can take half-way decent photos, and am passably knowledgeable about taking them, I only rarely get pin-sharp pictures. I know my camera can do them, so it's not the camera at fault, so it must be me. It's so frustrating, I sometimes think a beginner with a compact could take better/sharper pictures than I can.
Stella are you on flickr? maybe post some of your failing shots and people may be able to advise you to as how to improve them! The D300 is a VERY capable camera and you SHOULD be getting excellent and sharp images!
i have used a C/F tripod and found it to be no different (other than the wieght) to a decent ali tripod, i was told after some research that the carbon ones are mostly used by photo journalists to keep within air baggage allowence. http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=360221761025&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT and http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=200392703033&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT are what i use and they are light enouph and sturdy enouph to deal with my gear hope that helps
My gf brought me one of these, really cool little gadget but not strong enough to support the 30D with decent glass... it kind of droops! We put my mate's MK3 on it and it fell over Not so sure about that, my Journo mate does not even own a monopod, come to that, if the MK3's were not supplied by the paper he'd use a b100dy instamatic tight bast1d!
Stella - grab me when we next meet up and I'll teach you how to hand-hold properly. After that you'll only ever need the monopod unless you're doing long exposures
