Gitzo Tripod and Head combo...??

If you're unsure you can always try this.

https://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthre​ad.php?t=490767

Ball4 wrote in post #5572566
I wish I had all these tripod components in front of me to try out.

Not as good as real life, but it might help:
On this page there's a video

_aravena wrote in post #5574632
If you're unsure you can always try this.

https://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthre​ad.php?t=490767

jmik26 wrote in post #5574038
Here is a post that has a spreadsheet with a bunch of tripods that I did last year when searching for a tripod. If you good with Excel and sorting it could be very useful and narrow things down quickly.
Jeff

This entire thread has a TON of good resources and observations!
Among them is this spread sheet...thanks a lot Jeff!

Hopefully I will get a chance within the next day or two to check out some of the tripod legs. Now I'll have a better idea, at least, of what questions to ask and what to look for!

No problem sml..

For grins I took the Mitutoyo calipers and measured diameters of the leg sections since there seems to be some debate over stability.

Gitzo GT5540LS
Section 1 = 1.62"
Section 2 = 1.43"
Section 3 = 1.26"
Section 4 = 1.10"

Now my old Benro A-258n6 tripod which is a pretty decent entry level tripod:
Section 1 = 1.10"
Section 2 = 0.94"
Section 3 = 0.78"
Section 4 = 0.63"

I would have to agree with argyle, 3 or 4 section in a Gitzo should be fine and you will almost have to go with a 4 section if you are taller. If it was a cheaper brand, I would stick to a 3 section.

The other issue, if I recall, on the Benro's was that Benro uses a layup of CF that is significantly less CF and more epoxy; a cheaper and much less effective blend for the legs. Then the method it was turned into tubing was also different - a flat sheet rolled into a tube in the same manner fishing rods are constructed (more flexible). Gitzo uses a pultrude method which is much better support and more rigid.

J.