[REVIEW] Gizo GT1550T Traveler Tripod

Hello folks... it's the clumsy ape again, doing yet another review on this hazy, expecting T-storm, saturday in NYC...

when i was over at Tokyo a couple of weeks ago, i've gone into Yodobashi in hopes to pick up a nice tripod... (i'll explain why i made my purchase in Yodobashi later...)

Objective:
to find the most compact and reliable Carbon Fiber traveler tripod on the market. I chose CF models over Alum because the avg weight for Alum models were around 3~5 lbs... whereas CF models can be found around 2lbs...

The Contenders:
Benro C-068M8 $383.00 (13.2lbs Load, 14.2" Folded, 1.8lbs Weight)
Benro C-069M8 $398.00 (13.2lbs Load, 13.1" Folded, 1.8lbs Weight)
Gitzo GT-1541T $559.00 (17.6lbs Load, 16.1" Folded, 2.1lbs Weight)
Gitzo GT-1550T $709.00 (9.9lbs Load, 14" Folded, 2.2lbs Weight)

Process of Elimination:
i'm sure there are many happy owners of Benro models out there... and they do seem to offer the Most Bang for the Buck package out there... even though their head seems to have less-than-comforting posts here and there...

of the Benro, the model i was looking at was the C-069M8 with a better load of 13.2lbs, 13.1" folded, and 1.8lbs weight...
but when i was at Yodobashi and was actually looking at the benro models... i was not 100% sold... tbh, maybe it was the "made in china" fact... heck, don't get me wrong, i've been producing outstanding garments out of china for a while... and i have faith in them... but for some reason... it did bother me a bit inside...
also, the locking mechanism did not make me quite happy... the little tab to pull out to release...

of the Gitzo... i was immediately impressed by the 1550T... did not see the 1541T and yes, i did know that i was taking a hit on the load for the inch or two of space saved... but then again, i reminded myself of the amount of travel i do... and it seemed to fit the bill, despite the price... lol... what a sticker shock...

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...continued

here's an image of it fully extended, well, not the center column... but again, i am just amazed at how this small thing goes out so much...

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Nice set up man. I have a Photo Clam head myself and love it. Have fun with your new toy.

Awesome! Ill add this to the Support FAQ section!

thanks DanAtTheRock!

it is an awesome tripod... but at a steep cost... and i did dive into the extreme... but it's a fun kinda thing...

cool! you rock ben_r_

i just bought the photoclam 33NS for $144 w/universal plate and the pano is not that secure. It can take the load but the nobs and joints are cheaply made including the numbers on the main nob.

jeppoy wrote in post #10348628
i just bought the photoclam 33NS for $144 w/universal plate and the pano is not that secure. It can take the load but the nobs and joints are cheaply made including the numbers on the main nob.

if you're not satisfied with the product, you should contact Kerry and get it resolved...

as i've mentioned on another thread, i'm no expert in machining parts nor am i in this hobby of photography... but imo, the PC-30 was much better than the other models i've seen... they are quite solid... i'm pretty satisfied with my purchase.

i bought it here in korea, there's a gang of camera store in seoul and i would have thought every one of them would carry markins or photoclam since they are korean made but out of probably the 20 stores i checked only 2 of them carried it and 33 was their highest, imagine that. Although, manfrotto seams to be in everybody's stocks.

and it was my fault, i just bought it out of excitement since i buy everything online and that was my first experience buying it in person.

You may want to consider buying the GC1201 bag. In there the GT1550T fits perfectly.

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I also purchased the Gitzo GS1510KB short center column that perfectly fits for ground level mode.

With the GT1550T it is a bit long because with the GT1550T you can get about 2 cm closer the ground. But if you detach the hook from the center column it fits perfectly as well.

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I also did a little comparison to the GT1541T on a german board. Maybe someone ist interested.

http://www.dslr-forum.de/showthread.ph​p?t=626760

You'd think, for $600-700 for the tripod, they could INCLUDE a bag like this.
Can't imagine a bag is more than $10-20 in mfg cost.

mayuka wrote in post #10348790
You may want to consider buying the GC1201 bag. In there the GT1550T fits perfectly.

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the GT1550T does not fit unfolded

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the GT1550T fits inside folded and still has some space left

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jeppoy wrote in post #10348684
i bought it here in korea, there's a gang of camera store in seoul and i would have thought every one of them would carry markins or photoclam since they are korean made but out of probably the 20 stores i checked only 2 of them carried it and 33 was their highest, imagine that. Although, manfrotto seams to be in everybody's stocks.

jeppoy, you're in Korea? lol... i go there often... in fact, i purchased my 24-105 from NamDaeMun shops.

yea, you have to be careful when you buy stuff in Korea... being Korean-American myself, i have to say, i'm disappointed that Korea has a tendency of exporting the better stuff and selling the more crappy and knockoffs to their own market...even by korean companies themselves...

thanks for the replies and suggestions all...

yes they should have done a better bag... hence they despite the nice tripod... they get the WTF award from me... hahaha...

as for the bag... soon folks... soon... i'm going to get my sewing machine set up in my workshop and imma gonna start customizing all sorts of things... muhahaha....

yes, a clumsy male ape on a sewing machine... lol...