Down to 3 Tripod options - Gitzo GT-2531 series 2 vs Manfrotto carbons

Tommydigi wrote in post #13071675
Thanks for all your help I really appreciate it.

Sorry not really sure what this means?


Also what is the advantage of the RRS version?

Again thank you for all your time and info. I had no idea a tripod can be so complicated.

No problem man. I enjoy helping people NOT go through all the stress, buy-resell-loose money BS I went through. One thing that photography has taught me: Start at the top with gear, if you cant, save until you can, because youre going to end up there anyway if you stay in it and if you dont start there everything in between will just me a loss of money and possibly time.

At least thats how I view it. Others may disagree.

Now, that means, literally as it reads: once you place your order with Markins, call them, tell them "I just placed this order (order number, etc) and I want to request that the lever clamp NOT be Loctited or bonded or whatever process they use, to the ballhead". They use a product called Loctite which is like a semi-permanent or permanent glue that ensures the clamp never comes off the ballhead. Nice I guess, except that you dont really need it and if you want to remove the clamp later for whatever reason its damn near impossible. Better to just not have em do it.

And yea, what are the advantages of the RRS lever clamp... Hmmm... that has been a topic of much debate. IMO I like to stay brand loyal once I find a system that is 100% compatible and RRS is JUST that. They offer more in the support category than anyone else, everything I have ever seen or owned by they has been top notch (impressively so) and all their gear is flawlessly compatible with all their other gear. It really is an impressive company. Now, the Markins lever clamp CAN work with their gear. In fact, since the Markins lever clamp is adjustable via an adjusting screw on the bottom of it, its compatible with pretty much anyones arca-swiss style QR stuff. But, that might mean youre constantly readjusting to make your one clamp work with different branded products. Thats why I just stick with RRS, because I know any support gear I buy is going to be from RRS anyway, so why not maintain the 100% compatibility they were good enough to engineer into their system? Know what I mean?

ben_r_ wrote in post #13071523
And yes, it will add up quick, but believe me, you will only do it once. There will be very little reason to upgrade later on. And, IF for some reason you DO want to upgrade, these items all hold their value surprisingly well.

Something tells me that no matter what you have, there will always be some reason to upgrade.

I get what your saying. It seems to me you like the RRS clamps but the Markins head?

jrbdmb wrote in post #13071793
Something tells me that no matter what you have, there will always be some reason to upgrade.

To a degree, yes. And adding to that the fact that sometimes we feel JUST because there is something new out there, we MUST upgrade to it and have it. Sometimes its more of a psychological thing than it is a functional thing. Just because there is a new camera body out, doesnt mean your current body automatically take terrible pictures. In fact, its take the same great pictures it always did just like when it was the brand new model. Similarly with tripods, JUST because there is a newer version out doesnt mean that your current setup no long offers the same foundation support it always has (or never did depending on the setup). Eventually we come to a point in this game, and the game of life where we reach a balance between what we have and what is really an upgrade. It is, of course, all up to you.

Tommydigi wrote in post #13071816
I get what your saying. It seems to me you like the RRS clamps but the Markins head?

I do. And for that particular set of legs Im sure youll find that most around here would agree on that combo. Its kinda the tried and true. Though I will admit that more and more I liking the Markins clamp, Im just partial to the RRS system.

ben_r_ wrote in post #13071724
Now, that means, literally as it reads: once you place your order with Markins, call them, tell them "I just placed this order (order number, etc) and I want to request that the lever clamp NOT be Loctited or bonded or whatever process they use, to the ballhead". They use a product called Loctite which is like a semi-permanent or permanent glue that ensures the clamp never comes off the ballhead. Nice I guess, except that you dont really need it and if you want to remove the clamp later for whatever reason its damn near impossible. Better to just not have em do it.

I put that on the "Special Instructions" when I ordered on-line, and that's the way it came.

Jon wrote in post #13072029
I put that on the "Special Instructions" when I ordered on-line, and that's the way it came.

Ah, even better! Im not sure they had a special instructions area to comment in when I last placed an order with them... Or perhaps I just missed it. Thanks for the info though Jon!

I love my 055 CX4 carbon, but if you like the feel and operation of the Gitzo then I'd go that route; and I'll second or third the suggestion of one of the Markins ballheads. I recently upgraded my 488RC2 to the Markins Q20 w/ lever clamp and it's a night/day difference.

As far as getting the Markins mount and swapping it for the RSS mount, that one seems like a bit of a thrash to me. If you have RSS plates you can adjust the Markins clamp to accept those plates and be done with it; just don't try to mix/match quick release plates. Also, Markins themselves, don't currently offer an "L" bracket for most cameras (5D only, for Canon)...which is likely why I suspect the others have gone that route.

I am still on the fence, while the Gitzo is clearly better I am not sure I want to spend that kind of money on a tripod considering how often I used a tripod in the past but I am looking to use one more now and I really do like the feel and handling of the Gitzo.

With the ball head I will probably not swap mounts and just stick with 1 system but I want to read up a bit more before I do anything.

Thanks again. I learned a lot here

ben_r_ wrote in post #13071523
Oh, I didnt know it was cheaper. No reason really, the GT2541 just closes down a bit smaller (shorter) due to the four sections as obbosed to the GT2531 which has three sections. Four sections is nice for transporting it. Other than that they are and will perform exactly the same. If you dont care about the unit being more compact then by all means, save the money and go with the GT2531. Also something else to consider is that a three section tripod can potentially be setup quicker. One less legs to setup.

And yes, it will add up quick, but believe me, you will only do it once. There will be very little reason to upgrade later on. And, IF for some reason you DO want to upgrade, these items all hold their value surprisingly well.

I have to agree with ben_r on all of these statements. In my family, we have 2 Gitzos, a 2 Series Mountaineer, and a 3 Series Systematic. And we like the twist locks on the Gitzo better than the flip locks on the Manfrotto. They're easier to operate, much easier on the hands (I found the flip locks rather stiff/resistant), and less likely to get caught on something when transporting them as the twist locks don't protrude out like the flip locks do.

But perhaps one of the most overlooked things on the Gitzo vs Manfrotto is the top plate of the tripod where the head attaches to. The Gitzos have a nice "pad" with their "Safe Lock" technology to ensure that the head remains tightly screwed onto the tripod. Aside from this safety feature, it also protects the bottom of the head, and doesn't scratch up, nor remove paint from the head. Whereas the Manfrotto doesn't have this "pad" and is just bare machined aluminum. Not as refined. When I used a friend's CF Manfrotto (I believe it was the 055cxpro4), their brand new head became scratched on the bottom after just one use. Do note, that I like to keep equipment of any kind looking as new as possible after many uses, of course within its limits, but to have such shocking damage after one use on a few hundred dollar head made me sad. And with each repeated setup and dismantling of the tripod setup for transport, this was likely to occur. Just some food for thought.

Additionally, adding to the above quote, the likelihood of you upgrading will be vertically, and not laterally. Meaning that a Gitzo (and probably the Manfrotto too) will serve you for many, many years to come with the current equipment that you have. Should you upgrade, it will most likely be due to the acquisition of new gear that requires more robust support. In other words, you will upgrade from a Series 2 to a higher series.

MaxImage wrote in post #13072255
I have to agree with ben_r on all of these statements. In my family, we have 2 Gitzos, a 2 Series Mountaineer, and a 3 Series Systematic. And we like the twist locks on the Gitzo better than the flip locks on the Manfrotto. They're easier to operate, much easier on the hands (I found the flip locks rather stiff/resistant), and less likely to get caught on something when transporting them as the twist locks don't protrude out like the flip locks do.

But perhaps one of the most overlooked things on the Gitzo vs Manfrotto is the top plate of the tripod where the head attaches to. The Gitzos have a nice "pad" with their "Safe Lock" technology to ensure that the head remains tightly screwed onto the tripod. Aside from this safety feature, it also protects the bottom of the head, and doesn't scratch up, nor remove paint from the head. Whereas the Manfrotto doesn't have this "pad" and is just bare machined aluminum. Not as refined. When I used a friend's CF Manfrotto (I believe it was the 055cxpro4), their brand new head became scratched on the bottom after just one use. Do note, that I like to keep equipment of any kind looking as new as possible after many uses, of course within its limits, but to have such shocking damage after one use on a few hundred dollar head made me sad. And with each repeated setup and dismantling of the tripod setup for transport, this was likely to occur. Just some food for thought.

Additionally, adding to the above quote, the likelihood of you upgrading will be vertically, and not laterally. Meaning that a Gitzo (and probably the Manfrotto too) will serve you for many, many years to come with the current equipment that you have. Should you upgrade, it will most likely be due to the acquisition of new gear that requires more robust support. In other words, you will upgrade from a Series 2 to a higher series.

MaxImage hit on some very good points here that I missed about Manfrotto legs. I have to say I agree with all of these statements.

Ben_r_ thanks again for all your help. Thanks to you, I actually have a pretty good understanding of this stuff now. Before I do anything I am going to try a local place like Helix or Calumet and see about trying some out in the store.

I just went Traveller series 2 kit, i don't use L brackets but if i did, i'd just add the adapter.

What is the Traveller series 2 kit?

Trying to find ways to keep this somewhat reasonable. For $540 I feel the 2531 legs are a great deal. I may cheap out a bit on the ballhead for now and see how much I use it. I know at times I will always need a tripod so I am about 90% certain I am going with the 2531 or maybe the 41 since you say 4 section Gitzo's are solid.

Gitzo but it's past your budget i understand what you're going through; i finally tossed in the towel and ponied up the cash and went all Gitzo after years of trading up, across etc...it helped with having a better financial situation too but after years of buying "low" end all that cash could have just bought "high" if i just saved and watched for sales.
On the other hand "waiting" can sometimes be a ****