Gitzo 6X for a light weight tripod?

[Andrew G-6]

Hope to get some advice please.

I've been carrying the Manfrotto 055A (2.2kg) tripod around for 3
years and am really wanting to cut down on the weight. I now live in
Vancouver, BC and there's plenty off hills, lakes etc to take 360
shots of and have been looking at the Gitzo 6X Mountaineer series 0.
and 1. The monopod is out as I'm using exposure bracketing more than
ever now.

Has anyone had any experience with the light weight tripods? What
equipment they will hold? I'm hoping for something weighing 1.2kg area
or less if possible.

I'll have a Manfrotto ball head, Nodal Ninja 3, Nikon D80 (D300 next
year) with 10.5mm sat on it and sometimes the 18-135mm Lens.

Look forward to any replies.

All the best,

Andrew
 

[Milko K. Amorth]

Hi Andrew,
Welcome to Vancouver.
>  The monopod is out as I'm using exposure bracketing more than
> ever now.
>  
Who says you could not bracket with a monopod, walking stick or even
freehand?
Cheers, Milko


--
Milko K.Amorth
ph:604.561.5101
fx:604.909.5125

www.VRCanada.ca
360° Immersive Imaging
Skype: VRdundee

[John Riley-2]

I am very happy with my Feisol CT-3442 (4 sections, they also have  
the 3343 with three sections.)  Nice and tall (138cm), short folded  
(48cm), good strength (10 kg load capacity), and LIGHT (1.05 kg).  
This mass is with the flat plate mounted.  A center column is  
optional as is a leveling base.  At their prices, you can afford to  
get all three and use the plate, column or leveling base as needed.  
For hiking, using just the plate and leveling with the legs would  
give you a really nice light setup with your NN3!  They have a nice  
matching ballhead that is sized perfectly so that you can fold the  
legs in the reversed position with the ballhead INSIDE the legs.  
That makes it short to pack even with the head mounted.

At about $300 + shipping (+ any optional parts you will probably  
want) you are getting one hell of a nice deal compared to a Gitzo.  
The center column adds $39 and 200g; the leveling base adds $79 and  
435g (and I think those are actually the shipping weights, so it  
would be less unpacked.)  Not sure how much you are taking off when  
you remove the plate to install one of those.  I love mine!  Check  
them out at feisol.com  Note that I am purely a satisfied customer,  
not associated with them.

I had thought about getting a Benro, but their ripoff of Gitzo  
designs gave me bad vibes.  Feisol has original designs and is in  
Taiwan (where maybe patents and copyrights are more respected than  
mainland China?)

John

John Riley
johnriley@...
jriley@...




On Jul 13, 2008, at 10:18 PM, Andrew G wrote:

>
>
> Hope to get some advice please.
>
> I've been carrying the Manfrotto 055A (2.2kg) tripod around for 3
> years and am really wanting to cut down on the weight. I now live in
> Vancouver, BC and there's plenty off hills, lakes etc to take 360
> shots of and have been looking at the Gitzo 6X Mountaineer series 0.
> and 1. The monopod is out as I'm using exposure bracketing more than
> ever now.
>
> Has anyone had any experience with the light weight tripods? What
> equipment they will hold? I'm hoping for something weighing 1.2kg area
> or less if possible.
>
> I'll have a Manfrotto ball head, Nodal Ninja 3, Nikon D80 (D300 next
> year) with 10.5mm sat on it and sometimes the 18-135mm Lens.
>
> Look forward to any replies.
>
> All the best,
>
> Andrew
>
>
>
>

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[Uri Cogan]

Milko K. Amorth wrote:


>
> Who says you could not bracket with a monopod, walking stick or even
> freehand?
>







Would'nt it be a problem if you wanted to process the bracketed sets to
HDR?  I understand that good alignment between the source images is
necessary. Is this correct?


Uri


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[Roger D. Williams]

On Mon, 14 Jul 2008 15:17:22 +0900, Uri Cogan <uri@...> wrote:

> Milko K. Amorth wrote:
>
>
>>
>> Who says you could not bracket with a monopod, walking stick or even
>> freehand?
>>
>
> Would'nt it be a problem if you wanted to process the bracketed sets to
> HDR?  I understand that good alignment between the source images is
> necessary. Is this correct?

Hi, Uri...

While there are now quite good alignment features in some HDR software
that efficiently align images that need it because of such differences
in source images, these cannot in themselves eliminate "ghosts" caused
as people move between bracketed shots and, almost as important, the
aligment process cannot cope with things like leaves and branches that
are whipped by the wind. So I think you are correct.

Roger W.

--
Work: www.adex-japan.com
Play: www.usefilm.com/member/roger

[panovrx]

> > Milko K. Amorth wrote:
> >
> >
> >>
> >> Who says you could not bracket with a monopod, walking stick or
even
> >> freehand?
> >>
> >


I often bracket monopod sequences. Usually it is only people and
leaves that are big blurring problems and you can use say the middle
exposure stitched panorama as the main panorama and composite into
that an Enfuse or HDR sky upper half. The problem sometimes is
getting a good stitch from the very dark sequence where you might
have to make bright proxy images from them to find the control point
matches with the rest -- then replace them with the originals to
stitch with.

Peter <ir[ju

[Ken Warner-3]

Sorry to hijack the thread but how exactly do you do that?

I'm trying to figure out how to use Hugin to make a modest
HDR pano.

So you generate the control points for a bright sequence
of your images then save and use the .pto file to stitch
a dark sequence of the same images?  How do you finally
merge the stack of panos?

panovrx wrote:

>>>Milko K. Amorth wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>>Who says you could not bracket with a monopod, walking stick or
>
> even
>
>>>>freehand?
>>>>
>>>
>
>
> I often bracket monopod sequences. Usually it is only people and
> leaves that are big blurring problems and you can use say the middle
> exposure stitched panorama as the main panorama and composite into
> that an Enfuse or HDR sky upper half. The problem sometimes is
> getting a good stitch from the very dark sequence where you might
> have to make bright proxy images from them to find the control point
> matches with the rest -- then replace them with the originals to
> stitch with.
>
> Peter <ir[ju
>
>
>
>

[panovrx]

--- In PanoToolsNG@..., Ken Warner <kwarner000@...> wrote:

>
> Sorry to hijack the thread but how exactly do you do that?
>
> I'm trying to figure out how to use Hugin to make a modest
> HDR pano.
>
> So you generate the control points for a bright sequence
> of your images then save and use the .pto file to stitch
> a dark sequence of the same images?  How do you finally
> merge the stack of panos?
>

No you take the dark images and you use photoshop to make them much
brighter -- even tho they look crappy like that -- then you use your
stitching program to find control points with these bright versions
of the dark images with the other exposure sequence images. Then you
make panoramas separately from each exposure sequence and blend them
(the stitched panoramas) in Enfuse etc. Then you have double
exposures where people have moved between the sequences but you
replace the blurry zone  -- the bottom of the panorama probably --
with a single exposure panorama (the middle exposure probably)  -- by
hand in Photoshop

Peter Murphy

[qsecofr88888]

i had upgrade my tripod to feisol 3441 since beginning of this year.
the weight n the quality was far better than my old benro tripod.
the special feature for 3441 is that it has 2 sections center
columns, the tipod is very high when you fully extend both.  
fatchai
(www.my360vr.com)

--- In PanoToolsNG@..., "Andrew G"
<conanthedestroya222@...> wrote:

>
>
>
> Hope to get some advice please.
>
> I've been carrying the Manfrotto 055A (2.2kg) tripod around for 3
> years and am really wanting to cut down on the weight. I now live in
> Vancouver, BC and there's plenty off hills, lakes etc to take 360
> shots of and have been looking at the Gitzo 6X Mountaineer series 0.
> and 1. The monopod is out as I'm using exposure bracketing more than
> ever now.
>
> Has anyone had any experience with the light weight tripods? What
> equipment they will hold? I'm hoping for something weighing 1.2kg

area

> or less if possible.
>
> I'll have a Manfrotto ball head, Nodal Ninja 3, Nikon D80 (D300 next
> year) with 10.5mm sat on it and sometimes the 18-135mm Lens.
>
> Look forward to any replies.
>
> All the best,
>
> Andrew
>

[Paul Fretheim]

I also have a Feisol 4 section tripod.  The trade-off against the Gitzo
is the locks on the legs.  The Gitzo has elegant and easy to use clamp
type locks on the legs.  The Feisol has twist type.  The twist type
locks are more difficult to use and require more concentration.  The
clamp locks work consistently and you don't have to give them a thought.

Oh - the other trade off is price.  I use medium format equipment a lot
of the time now, so I needed a pretty strong tripod.  I paid about $350
for my Feisol (Chinese for "Fly to the Sun.").   A Gitzo of a similar
size was around $800.

I have backpacked my Feisol through a lot of rugged conditions and all
sorts of weather and it is holding up fine.  The locks have always
worked and are usable under all the conditions I have experienced.  But
the do require you to stop and think about it for a moment in the way
clamp locks don't.

Paul Fretheim
Inyo Pro

[Milko K. Amorth]

Hi Yri,
>
> Would'nt it be a problem if you wanted to process the bracketed sets to
> HDR?  I understand that good alignment between the source images is
> necessary. Is this correct?
>
>  
Yes, but there are tools to correct that. Of course, some things like
wind and water are not correctable and blur/ghost. But that will happen
with a tripod as well.
http://360image.de/test/align_enfuse.htm

Cheers, Milko

--
Milko K.Amorth
ph:604.561.5101
fx:604.909.5125

www.VRCanada.ca
360° Immersive Imaging
Skype: VRdundee

[Andrew G-6]

Hi,

Thanks for the info. Ive never heard of Feisol before. Will look more
into the products. I do like 'Clamp locks' on tripod legs. Their
advertising pictures are a somewhat less advanced than other companies
although it probably still works!

http://www.feisol.com


Click on 'New products' ;-)



Milko, regarding the pole, it's just too much hassel for
bracketing/hdr 360 shots. I spend as little time as possible in
photoshop and my method of taking shots and using a pole guarantee
'patch ups' in PS. I'll be happy with a tripod in the 1.2kg area to
carry up a hill.

Vancouver is excellent! I've got a fair amount taken already in the 2
months since arriving. A few at the top of Mount Whistler also. We
drove over from Kingston, Ontario and I took a 360 shot roughly every
250km. Had to stop by the 'Corner Gas' studio near Regina but was
politely removed after getting those panoramas. Bloody tripods always
get me into trouble ;-)

Andrew

[John Riley-2]

On Jul 14, 2008, at 9:28 AM, Paul Fretheim wrote:

> I also have a Feisol 4 section tripod. The trade-off against the Gitzo
> is the locks on the legs. The Gitzo has elegant and easy to use clamp
> type locks on the legs. The Feisol has twist type. The twist type
> locks are more difficult to use and require more concentration. The
> clamp locks work consistently and you don't have to give them a  
> thought.



Clamp locks are nice in a lot of ways, but once you get the rhythm of  
the twist type it is just as fast and easy.  You just train yourself  
to loosen from outer to inner and tighten from inner to outer.  Plus,  
I think the twist type are lighter.  My old Manfrotto had the  
horrible knobs to tighten.  Now THOSE are awful (and slow.)

John

John Riley
johnriley@...
jriley@...



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[AYRTON - avi]

On Mon, Jul 14, 2008 at 10:47 PM, John Riley <johnriley@...> wrote:

> My old Manfrotto had the
> horrible knobs to tighten.  Now THOSE are awful (and slow.)


Tell me about it  :-)

AYRTON

>
>
> John
>
> John Riley
> johnriley@...
> jriley@...
>
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
>
> ------------------------------------
>
> --
>
>
>
>

--
------------
| A Y R |
| T O N |
------------

+ 55 21 9982 6313

http://ayrton360.com
http://rio.360cities.net
http://vrfolio.com
http://ayrton.com


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[John Riley-2]

On Jul 14, 2008, at 3:35 PM, Andrew G wrote:

> Thanks for the info. Ive never heard of Feisol before. Will look more
> into the products. I do like 'Clamp locks' on tripod legs. Their
> advertising pictures are a somewhat less advanced than other companies
> although it probably still works!
>
> http://www.feisol.com
>
> Click on 'New products' ;-)

YES!  Their website is atrocious!  You look at the woman on that page  
and wonder what the heck they were thinking.  I guess they are  
spending a lot more time in engineering than site design and product  
photography.

John


John Riley
johnriley@...
jriley@...




[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[Matthias Taugwalder]

Hi Andrew

The Gitzo Carbon Fiber (6x) tripods are absolutely outstanding. I am using a
series 0 tripod - as this one here http://tinyurl.com/6jotv5 *- *for all my
work in the Swiss Alps. It is light to carry, but although the weight of
only 0.7 kg also very sturdy.

I can absolutely recommend this serie of tripods...


Greetings from Switzerland,

Matthias

--
Matthias Taugwalder
matthias.taugwalder@...


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[Jann Lipka]

Another voice for Feisol  ( recommended to me by another Pano photographer )

( Their website is for sure not user friendly at all )  .

My CT 3441 is the only tripod that comes with me on day tours ,

I bought it because it is  tall extended, still very light .
I hate tripods that ends below my waist level :-)


Comes also with a bag that makes it easy to carry .

I use it with2 different Really Right Stuff heads
( depending on what camera I use ) .

I have  a Gitzo carbon tripod too  ( I¹m not sure what model ) , but it is
more heavy,
Its rubber twists got a lot of cracks ...



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[Paul Fretheim]

I see that the Gitzo Matthias uses, Gitzo GT-0530 6X Carbon, has twist
type leg locks, so not all Gitzos have the clamp type.  Also the price
is not so bad at $400 with a $40 rebate at B&H today.

Don't worry about the Feisol web site being crummy.  They have always
been very dependable.  And - hey - I thought that girl was sexy!

I lost one of the rubber feet at the bottom of one of the legs of my
Feisol CT-3402 and I just sent an e-mail to Feisol via their "Contact"
e-mail address inquiring how to order a replacement.  They replied "Item
as already sent now" and a few days later I got a small manila envelope
in the mail with three replacement feet, sent for free.  Also, the next
time I cleaned out my 4Runner thoroughly the original rubber foot turned
up, so now I have some spares!

Paul Fretheim

[Keith Martin-2]

Sometime around 14/7/08 (at 19:35 +0000) Andrew G said:

>Their advertising pictures are a somewhat less advanced than other
>companies although it probably still works!
>
>http://www.feisol.com
>
>Click on 'New products' ;-)

Ouch - that girl is probably not much heavier than the tripods!

Thanks for the link, those do look interesting. My current tripod is
a cheap Calumet-brand model. It is a really solid aluminium and steel
construction - but it weighs more than I care to mention. My only
concern is the *real* level of twist and flex that these gorgeous
carbon-fibre things may have, particularly in the hinge joints. I
guess I'll have to try a few for myself at camera stores. Friends
have always told me how stiff their tripods are but they're often
more flexible than my cheapo lump of metal!

I'm particularly interested in Feisol's video-style half-ball leveler
bases. I've always liked the speed of levelling they give whenever
I've used pro video equipment, but I've never been able to afford
those full-height Manfrotto video tripods. :-)

k

[bigwade]

Another vote for Feisol,
I have a CT-3441S(B) and a CT-3402 (and a lot of Gitzo's)
The first one is a very nice one to take on travel.
The second is a bit sturdier but can't reach the hight of the 3441 and is a bit heavier.
The 3441 fits in your hand luggage at planes and still reaches 1,90 meters......
Feisol Customer service is indeed VERY GOOD. (Hi Orion!)
Have Fun!

Andrew G-6 wrote:

Hope to get some advice please.

I've been carrying the Manfrotto 055A (2.2kg) tripod around for 3
years and am really wanting to cut down on the weight. I now live in
Vancouver, BC and there's plenty off hills, lakes etc to take 360
shots of and have been looking at the Gitzo 6X Mountaineer series 0.
and 1. The monopod is out as I'm using exposure bracketing more than
ever now.

Has anyone had any experience with the light weight tripods? What
equipment they will hold? I'm hoping for something weighing 1.2kg area
or less if possible.

I'll have a Manfrotto ball head, Nodal Ninja 3, Nikon D80 (D300 next
year) with 10.5mm sat on it and sometimes the 18-135mm Lens.

Look forward to any replies.