Question:
Is a Gitzo tripod worth the price vs a Bogen or similar brands? I’m interested in a solid tripod for outdoor work. If you own one give me your best selling points.
Response:
Is a Gitzo tripod worth the price vs a Bogen or similar brands? I’m interested in a solid tripod for outdoor work. If you own one give me your best selling points.
I’ve used both Bogen and Gitzo, and prefer Bogens by a wide margin. I do NOT like the way the leg locks on Gitzo’s work at all. — Later, Jerry. The Universe is a figment of its own imagination.
Response:
Is a Gitzo tripod worth the price vs a Bogen or similar brands? I’m interested in a solid tripod for outdoor work. If you own one give me your best selling points.
Yes, Gitzo’s are great. Solid, stable, and they’ll last for a hundred years. There are no parts to break on a Gitzo. And you can get whatever you want from their vast range. The only, very minor, problem is that the leglock on a Gitzo is extremely well designed: it too will last a hundred years, and is very secure, to the point that it can be difficult to unlock. But i always managed. 
Response:
Jcavins wrote….. Is a Gitzo tripod worth the price vs a Bogen or similar brands? I’m interested in a solid tripod for outdoor work. If you own one give me your best selling points.
Yes, Gitzo is worth every penny. I’m 6′ 2" and need a tripod that’s rock solid without me having to stoop and crouch, to use with 35mm and 6×7. I suffered with a Bogen 3021 for years, and now use it indoors only occasionally. A Benbo was my choice for outdoors, mostly macro, photography. I always thought the 3021 was overrated, it’s spindly and shaky even without the center column extended. In fact, I don’t think Bogen makes a tall tripod without a heavy geared column and cumbersome leg brackets. Now I have a Gitzo 1410, without a center column, and the difference in stability, set up side-by-side at full extension with the Bogen, is strikingly obvious. The construction seems simpler and sturdier, too. Paul
Response:
No more Bogens for me. Use two big Gitzos with geared columns for heavy bodies and lenses. With legs fully extended I can hang my own 200 pounds from them. To be clear, they are rated, I believe, for loads in the mid-thirties. Bad points? Yes. They are heavy and certainly not compact. If you need stability above all else, there’s nothing like them. However, weight and clunkiness can be disadvantages. No experience with the carbon-fibre models. They may be better. I do prefer the Bogen heads to Gitzo’s choices. Is a Gitzo tripod worth the price vs a Bogen or similar brands? I’m interested in a solid tripod for outdoor work. If you own one give me your best selling points.
Response:
I’m pleased with my Gitzo G1228 Carbon Fiber 4-section model, with the magnesium G1276M head. this makes for one of the lightest models around, yet it is sturdy enough to handle my 35mm gear (fairly large lenses and Nikon F5s) and Hasselblad. I enjoy the portability of it the most. I travel throughout the world and it fits into a roll-on suitcase that goes on the plane with me. The legs deploy relatively quickly and don’t present a problem for me. Dan Lindsay
Response:
The legs deploy relatively quickly and don’t present a problem for me.
Agreed. There is a simple trick to extending and retracting the legs. Independent of how you are holding the tripod, whether up, down or sideways, you should always know which rotational direction tightens or looses the leg coupler. This is never a problem for me, but some people are easily confused by thread direction. If you are in this latter group, then tape a little arrow on one of the legs with the legend "tighten". I think Gitzo could increase sales ten percent if they added this legend. FWIW, the round leg collar design on the Gitzo makes for an extremely secure coupling, and thus a stable platform on which to mount your camera. – Christopher
Response:
I for one don’t think so. I think they’re overweight and I particularly dislike their leg adjustment collars. I also think that Bogen/Manfrotto is in a class by itself when it comes to the strength to weight and quality to price ratios. Paul
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Is a Gitzo tripod worth the price vs a Bogen or similar brands? I’m interested in a solid tripod for outdoor work. If you own one give me your best selling points.
Response:
save the money with bogen and buy a high quality ballhead you could efford – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Is a Gitzo tripod worth the price vs a Bogen or similar brands? I’m interested in a solid tripod for outdoor work. If you own one give me your best selling points. I’ve used both Bogen and Gitzo, and prefer Bogens by a wide margin. I do NOT like the way the leg locks on Gitzo’s work at all. — Later, Jerry. The Universe is a figment of its own imagination.
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