Convince me to buy Gitzo - and which one please.

Hi folks

I am thinking of buying a set of CF legs and Gitzo is the obvious choice.

At the moment I have what is in my sig but in the future I'll be buying a 500 f4IS so I am keeping that in mind.

Having read various things online and having downloaded and read the Gitzo catalogue I'm thinking the 3540LS would be the right choice.

Anyone care to comment? Will the 3540LS be ideal or is there a cheaper solution (i.e. is the 3540 overkill)? Ideally I wanna spend as little as possible so if there is a better pod in the range for less then I'm all ears. FWIW I'm 6'2"

Thanks in advance folks

Neil

No one?

If you're going to be getting the 500 f/4 IS, the Gitzo 5540LS would be recommend tripod for it (for someone your height). However, if you don't have the 500 yet, it may be a bit overkill for what you currently do have.

Thanks Leo. The 500 is a few years off but its my 21st next week and I'm thinkin of buying the tripod with any money I get (if any!!)

Neil

Hello Neil,

I went through a very laborious process searching for the right tripod. I literally spent months on this board and the Internet researching and finally decided on a 3530S. I started a thread on the process here:
https://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthre​ad.php?t=343772

If you know for sure you are going to get the 500mm lens, then you might want to consider the 5540LS. Even if you don't get it, I really believe that the 3530 or 3540 is plenty strong.

I am quite happy with my Gitzo. It was expensive as hell but for the most part, it was worth it. I would say I was 100% satisfied, but mine had a nick in it that creates a bit of a sharp edge. It probably doesn't affect the performance but for that kind of money, I expect something to not have manufacturing flaws.

Anyways....I'm only 5'8", so I chose the 3530S. If you are 6'2", I would recommend one of the longer set of legs. I personally love the 3 section because it's faster to set up and I don't mind the extra length. If you are carrying arond a 500mm lens, you're not going to worry about the extra length of a compacted tripod.

So...for what you have, I would recommend the 3530LSV or the 5530 (long version).

Hey, who needs to be convinced to buy a Gitzo? I'm in the market for the CF Explorer, but I have no idea what is the best Gitzo for the 500 f/4

I think everyone would like a CF tripod, but I think the convincing is on the financial committment. Unfortunately, most good things come at an expensive price so the decision is on how much value will be derived from a certain amount of money.

I'm personally convinced that a good tripod is necessary to take great sharp shots.

Thanks SunTsu, just what I was after and yeah its the financial aspect that I'm thinkin about, it is a lota money for a (nearly) 21 year old student

No problem. $600 is a lot of money for most people so it's not an easy decision. From your signature, it looks like you're not afraid to spend good money on good camera lenses and bodies, so spending $600 on good support is just something you're going to have to balance with your next lens purchase. Personally, if I had all the gear you already have, I would say an investment in a really good tripod would get you the best bang for your buck. It's really hard to believe because tripod legs really do seem like three sticks, but functionally, they are a lot more.

Just as an example, I took some night shots off my balcony with really long exposures and thought I was getting good shots before with my old tripod. When I took the same shots on my new tripod, I noticed an appreciable difference in sharpness in my photos. It's the kind of extra sharpness that you just can't get by replacing your old glass with any new L lens, Contax lens or Leica lens.

So for you, my vote is still for the 3530LSV. If you totally don't care about weight, then go for the 5xxx series.