CF or basalt tripod suggestions?

I am looking to purchase a cf or basalt tripod, planning to fit a bogen 488rc2 ballhead or similar, done some research on dynatran and boren tripods but not too sure about the overall quality. i'm 6'2, and willing to spend 200-300, maybe up to 400 for a tripod that will last, altho that is the upper limits of my budget. Currently have 30d + 17-40mm/85mm prime, planning to get a battery grip and 70-200 2.8 IS in the future, no plans at all to get any heavy super prime/zoom lenses, ie 300++. what im mostly lookin for is reliability/durability and light weight. any specific suggestions would be appreciated, thanks!

imitations wrote in post #2356093
I am looking to purchase a cf or basalt tripod, planning to fit a bogen 488rc2 ballhead or similar, done some research on dynatran and boren tripods but not too sure about the overall quality. i'm 6'2, and willing to spend 200-300, maybe up to 400 for a tripod that will last, altho that is the upper limits of my budget. Currently have 30d + 17-40mm/85mm prime, planning to get a battery grip and 70-200 2.8 IS in the future, no plans at all to get any heavy super prime/zoom lenses, ie 300++. what im mostly lookin for is reliability/durability and light weight. any specific suggestions would be appreciated, thanks!

I think the "cf" you refer to is carbon fiber. What is a "basalt" tripod?

I highly recommend the Bogen/Manfrotto 3021BPro legs to go under their 488RC2 ball head. It is not the lightest rig around, but it is very sturdy and the price is quite good as well.

To get the same rigidity in a much lighter rig would cost several times the price. For example, the Bogen/Manfrotto 055MF3 - the carbon fiber equivalent to the 3021BPro - weighs not quite one pound less than the 3021BPro (4.4 pounds for the 055MF3 vs 5.3 pounds for the 3021BPro) and costs twice as much. These weights are for legs only - no heads mounted. The weight difference is I can easily haul an extra 0.9 pounds for the price difference.

Gitzo's Basalt line is nice....

given a choice between dynatran's cf94, feisol's 3401, or bogen 055. priced in increasing order, what would be the best choice for durability/stability? I have looked into gitzos and they are quite a bit over my budget. anyone had experience with 2 or more of the above tripods?

I have the CF dynatran, but I have the 3 leg section model as I'm 5'10"

It CAN go above my head; but I need to use ~ 4" of the center column to get to your eye height.

Look for the 4 section CF tripods; they will work for you.

I have mine mated to a Bogen 486 ball head (Bought before I knew about the 488) and it will work with my 70-200 F4, Sags a little with the 70-200 2.8 NON IS and sags a fari amount with the 100-400 extended to 400mm.

I've borrowed a 488, and it WILL hold my 100-400 without sagging.

Have a look at the Benro C228 or C227(carbon fiber) or B228 (Basalt fiber). They are both much sturdier and lighter than the Bogen 055. Benro has basically copied the entire Gitzo line in Aluminum, Basalt and Carbon Fiber tripods. But the prices are about the same you'd pay for Bogen. The Carbon fiber models are the lightest, Basalt next and of course Aluminum is heaviest.

I have the C298 because of the articulating arm feature, but had I not gone for that, I'd have gone for the C228 or M228. Light, tall and sturdy.

Also I 'd point you in the direction of a Benro ball head as well. Their KS-1 ball head is built like a Kirk BH3, light, excellently machined, has a larger ball and supports more weight than the Bogen you looked at. Their ball heads are in the class of Arca-Swiss and Kirk, rather than a step down to Bogen or Gitzo, even though they're relatively inexpensive. They are relatively new on the market and I don't expect that they'll be as reasonably priced in the future.

SkipD wrote in post #2356120
I think the "cf" you refer to is carbon fiber. What is a "basalt" tripod?

I highly recommend the Bogen/Manfrotto 3021BPro legs to go under their 488RC2 ball head. It is not the lightest rig around, but it is very sturdy and the price is quite good as well.

To get the same rigidity in a much lighter rig would cost several times the price. For example, the Bogen/Manfrotto 055MF3 - the carbon fiber equivalent to the 3021BPro - weighs not quite one pound less than the 3021BPro (4.4 pounds for the 055MF3 vs 5.3 pounds for the 3021BPro) and costs twice as much. These weights are for legs only - no heads mounted. The weight difference is I can easily haul an extra 0.9 pounds for the price difference.

Basalt is volcanic rocks or fiber (after it is process)

im not sure about benro tripods because the only availability in US is through ebay from sellers in china. also a quick search on ebay for c228 shows 300~ + 40-50 s/h. 350 for a CF tripod is more expensive than bogen here. and nearly gitzo price of 350-400~. a dynatran 94 will go for 90-120~, and feisol is 175 + 39 + s/h(30-40) i believe directly. but payin that much, i might as well end up w/ a bogen for 300. just trying to figure out what would be the best choice for me between the brands

That's the only way you're going to find Benro branded tripods. The MAC Group recently entered into an agreement to be the distribution channel for Benro's 'non-Gitzo-clone' tripods. They are now known as the Induro brand http://www.indurogear.​com/

If you want the old Gitzo clone Benro's you're going to have to do the ebay thing.

wow a benro c228 will run over 300 easily, w/ a m228 running 220+60 s/h. i've never had any experience w/ benro, but is it really worth the price? 300-350? i'm still leaning towards dynatran, feisol, or bogen. maybe when indurogear is more widely spread the prices will be decent

There are a few ebay sellers located in the US that do not charge high shipping fees. The C228 at $260.00is comparable to the 1228 Gitzo at $560.00. Quite a bit of difference, but the same quality.

i haven't found any on ebay, do you have any links or seller names for us sellers? cheapest i've found a c228 for was 290~ + 40-50 s/h. i've just about given up. thinking about either bidding on a low priced dynatran 94, waiting for indurogear and seeing the quality, or getting some friends who are going back to china for winter break to pick me up a set. i heard u can get it for ~1500-2000rmb, about $220-250

I had a Manfrotto 3021 with the Ball head extension and was happy with the performance. I purchased a Gitzo 1257 LVL and while I was impressed with the performance after it was set up, I didn't like the screw collars for adjusting the leg length. This is just a personal observation. I then bought a Manfrotto 055MF3 and used the ball head extension. I like this unit the best of all. In addition to the weight, I prefer the stiffness of the CF over the Aluminum legs. Whether the weight and stiffness improvement is worth the price difference is something you will have to decide. It was worth it to me.

Jeff