Help me choose the right Gitzo tripod

[Ravi Hirekatur]

I am new to this forum and this is my first post. I am trying to raise my stagnant, average photography skills. I have a Canon 30D with 18-55/4-5.6, 70-200/2.8 (non-digital and non-IS), canon 1.4X tele-extender and a macro 100/2.8 (non-digital). I do landscape, macro and wildlife (mostly birds) photography. I am working on setting up my backyard for songbird photography using Alan Murphy's CD. My current tripod is Velbon carmagne that has fallen apart after 7 years of use. My immediate need is a good tripod and a good ballhead. I have spousal permission for $1500 for new gear. With my bad experience with Velbon, I would rather buy a good one like Gitzo. I have narrowed down my search to two of them - GT2541 and GT3541Ls and RRS BH-55 ballhead. In choosing these two, I considered the folded length (it should fit into my suitcase when traveling - preferably 20-22 inches long), minimum height when open (should be compatible with macro work), and weight. In the next year or so, I would like to upgrade the body to 7D and the wide angle zoom to 17-40/4 or 24-70/2.8, provided I save enough money.

I plan to rent Canon 300/2.8 IS lens a few times a year, and 500/4 IS lens once or twice a year for bird photography. My question is - which tripod is better?. I would prefer one with a central column as it would be helpful for macro, so I am leaning towards GT2541. Does anyone have experience with this? Would this hold 500/4 lens a couple of times a year for 4-7 days? Any suggestions regarding improving my gear with the budget in mind?

I very much appreciate any help regarding this.

[Jeff Cashdollar]

Ravi,

I admire you for researching this matter, I did not the first time and ended up buying the wrong tripod and then purchasing the right one 8 months later.

I like the 3541L, given the 500 f/4 option. I think the 4 stands for 4-sections which would make it fold up and travel better (I could be wrong here) let's see what other say as well. I use mainly a Gimbal II and Mongoose head, but do mostly bird photography now. I did purchase a RRS BH-55 ballhead and loved it for landscape images. I own the 7D and the 17-40 L lens and you will love both when you decide to authorize the spend.

I did not opt for the center stem thinking it would be more stable w/o this option. For landscape it seems to add ease of use. Interested in what other say. Welcome and thanks for the initial post, you will find solid advise from this site.

[Christopher C.M. Cooke]

Ravi, I have and love the GT3541LS which I use with my 500 f/4.

It is a superb bit of kit that weighs stuff all and folds up small enough to fit into your suitcase.

http://www.huntsphotoandvideo.com/li...cfm?0=0&cid=11

I got mine from Hunts which came with great service, polite and helpful staff for which there was no extra charge.:)

[Jeff Cashdollar]

Gary at Hunts is a great PoC.

[John Chardine]

One problem with the 4-section Gitzos is that in theory at least they are less stable than the 3-section versions.

My 3-section, Series-3, long Gitzo (GT3531 LSV- I had to buy a top plate to replace the video bowl that comes with this- my fault and Camera Canada) is excellent and with the Mongoose 3.5a gimbal head mounted the whole rig weighs 7 lbs or 3 kg.

I would not recommend a ballhead for long, heavy lenses because they are inherently tippy. Although I have never used one, the Wimberley Sidekick transforms a ballhead into a gimbal, which is inherently stable when properly balanced. So if you are fixed on getting a ballhead, get a heavy duty one and a Sidekick and this will work with many different lens options.

[Alan Lillich]

Ravi,

I own a Gitzo 2530 and 5541LS. Some facts about Gitzo naming:
- The first digit is the series and the diameter of the largest leg section
- I don't know what the 2nd digit is
- The 3rd digit is the number of leg sections
- The 4th digit seems to be a version number
- I'm pretty sure the L stands for large, as it taller maximum height
- The S stands for Systemic, mainly meaning no center column

A Gitzo 3541 has leg sections of sizes 3,2,1,0. A 2530 has 2,1,0. A 5541 has 5,4,3,2.

I bought the 2530 mainly to save weight on long hikes. If I did it over I would buy a 3541LS. I honestly think you are mistaken to favor a center column for macro or any other use. If you want convenient flexibility, hand hold. A center column is a tuning fork waiting to vibrate. While we do use our 2530 with a Sidekick regularly for a Nikon 200-400 with 1.4 TC and a D300, that use is the main reason I wish I had bought the 3541LS.

Any of them should fit OK in all but the smallest suitcases if placed on the diagonal. Considering your infrequent use of a 300/2.8 and 500/4, I suggest a Sidekick. It works well for up to the weight of a 500/4. Both of those lenses would be vastly better on a gimbal head than a ball head - you can't really appreciate it until you try it.

hope this helps,
Alan

[David Stephens]

...
I would not recommend a ballhead for long, heavy lenses because they are inherently tippy. Although I have never used one, the Wimberley Sidekick transforms a ballhead into a gimbal, which is inherently stable when properly balanced. So if you are fixed on getting a ballhead, get a heavy duty one and a Sidekick and this will work with many different lens options.

I can report that the Sidekick on a good, solid ballhead, like the OP's proposed RRS, is a very stable solid platform for shooting birds with the 300mm 2.8 or the 500mm f/4. I use the Arca-Swiss Z1 ballhead with the Sidekick for my 500mm f/4L IS and find that it's both convenient and stable. It has an added advantage over the full gimbal that you can quickly pull the Sidekick off and switch to another body with a wide angle or macro lens. I do this quite often around dawn and dusk when shooting birds and wildlife and then wittness a stunning sunrise or sunset and pull out the full frame scenic camera. The switch takes only a few seconds.

Many Gitzos don't include a center post, but the OP will want to seriously consider one, given his interest in macro. I also find the post very convenient for fine tuning the height, so you can make one adjustment rather than having to adjust three legs. So long as you don't extend the column more than a three or four inches, the impact on stability seems very negligible with the 500mm f/4 setup, IME.

Theoretically, the three-segment tripod vs. the four-segment will be slightly more stable, but I find being able to pack the tripod is crucial to me for full utilization. I take my tripod whenever I think that I might use my 500mm f/4, unless I'll be using it in a boat, then I take the four-section monopod.

Dave

[Ravi Hirekatur]

Thanks very much Jeff, Christopher, David, Alan and John for your inputs. Now the choice is between GT3541 and Gt3541Ls. I am short - 5ft 4in, so I wouldn't need a tall one. I also decided to go for RRS BH-55 and Wimberly sidekick (this options sounds perfect. Thanks for suggesting it). The question is - would the vibration be minimal when the center column is not extended? If not, I would go for 3541LS without the center column. I don't intend to extend it at all with heavy lenses, but I generally extend the column by an inch or two when I use the macro lens to make small adjustments.

I very much appreciate all your suggestions.
Thanks again
Ravi

[Alan Lillich]

My guess is you might be OK, or might find the 3541 a wee bit short sometimes. Extra height is nice when on a slope and the tripod is below you. Or when on the level and shooting with a long lens like the 500. You can compensate some by squatting, but that gets tiring and makes quick response for subject movement tough. Using a Nikon 200-400, my eyepiece drops 4" for a typical bird in tree angle.

Looks like the 3541 has a max height with center column down of 52". The 3541LS is max 57", the 5541 is max 60". I'm 5'8" and I usually have the 4th section of the 5541 1/2 way out for level ground use, other sections all the way out. That gives me an eye level eyepiece using a Wimberley II head. A Sidekick on ball head would be about 4" higher.

Using a Markins M10, the base of the head to centerline of Sidekick plate is 8". That is the centerline of the lens, so your eyepiece will be a bit higher.

Do some math with your eye height.

hope this helps,
Alan

[Jeff Cashdollar]

Ravi,

Good luck, let us know what you end up with - looking forward to seeing your work someday.

[Barry Fisher]

Ravi,

I own a Gitzo 2530 and 5541LS. Some facts about Gitzo naming:
- The first digit is the series and the diameter of the largest leg section
- I don't know what the 2nd digit is
- The 3rd digit is the number of leg sections
- The 4th digit seems to be a version number
- I'm pretty sure the L stands for large, as it taller maximum height
- The S stands for Systemic, mainly meaning no center column
,
Alan

The second digit indicates the material from which the tripod is constructed (where 5=carbon fibre).
Hope this helps
Barry

[William Malacarne]

I am not trying to hi-jack this thread but I have a Gitzo G1327 and this numbering system does not match at all. I bought it in 2006. It is carbon fiber, 3 section and had a max load rating of 33 pounds. It weighs 6.2 lbs. I got it from B&H for aprox $600. I think it was replaced by the GT3530S, but not sure where I got that info from.

Any clarification would be appreciated.

Thanks
Bill

[Barry Fisher]

Bill, the numbering system referred to above applies only to the latest series of Gitzo tripods and not to previous series. (My own Gitzo tripod is a 1548 and this has now been replaced with the 55XX series in the same way that your 13XX has become the 35XX)

[William Malacarne]

Thank You Barry.

Bill

[Ravi Hirekatur]

Thanks Alan for the info on height and the math. I did my math and found out that the 3541 comes up shorter by a couple of inches than my eye level without the center column extended. I have decided to go for 3541LS. I can put up with the extra time required for setting it up for macro. So my combination would be GT3541LS + RRS BH-55 + wimberley sidekick. I am looking forward to placing the order and checking out the gear!

I didn't realize there are so many factors involved in choosing the camera and accessory gear. Thanks for all your suggestions coming from a lot of experience, and I am greatfull for the friendly manner in which you all gave advise. Now I need to get it, get out and use it.

thanks again
Ravi:)

[Roman Kurywczak]

Hey All,
Since Gitzo customer sevice is lacking nowadays I think you should look into the Induro or the Giotto CF tripod and save yourself a couple of $200 dollars or more. If you use the Gitzo in salt water they will not honor the warranty. Artie actually made me laugh on Sunday when he said that the Gitzo lifetime warranty is only good when you leave it in the box in your living room!
Something to consider before spending your hard earned money!