Giottos tripod

How are these tripods? Does anyone have any experience, or thoughts on the lava tripods? They're priced right, but are they reliable?

My Giottos tripod is very nice.
The ballhead I got was a bit small, but when I got it I had a 20D with my heaviest lens being a 17-35 (Tamron) and it did me just fine. Since then I've acquired a 1D and 70-200, and it can't quite handle it (the head, not the legs). It's a nice enough head, the camera is just too heavy.
The head is the MH-1001 and the legs are the MT-9351.
Here are some pictures of the head and the legs I've taken, I've been meaning to do an actual review of them but never got around to it, so these'll have to do.
By the way, I'd rate them better than comparably priced Manfrotto legs. Giottos is kinda cheapish here which makes it good for a poor student like myself, besides, it looks way nicer than anything Manfrotto, which I'm sure is a rubbish reason, but I like the ripped off Gitzo look.

Wow, thanks for posting those pictures!
I was thinking about their lava/basalt tripods ... not sure I want to splurge on carbon fiber legs yet. Does anyone have anything thoughts on where lava/basalt stands in comparison to aluminum and CF?

Don't worry, I think that the Giotto's look cool too

Anyone else want to chime in on the strength and durability of Giotto's tripods?
I am also looking into Benro -so if you have any thoughts on those, that would be great too.

As you can see from my signature, one of my tripods is a Giottos MT-7371 tripod leg set made out of lava tubes, which I use with a MH-3300 head.

I am totally pleased and satisfied with these tripod legs. The only modification I have made is to draw lines on the legs at 2" intervals with a pencil, to make them faster to extend evenly. The twist grips work without a hitch.

I wrote a review of this equipment when I first bought it just over two years ago ... there are quite a few pictures of both the legs and the head:

https://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthre​ad.php?t=493232

I currently use the Giottos unless I have to walk quite a distance; then I often use my "hiking" carbon fibre tubed Velbon El Carmagne 530. It is much lighter, but also shorter and not quite as "rigid-feeling".

The Giottos lava tube legs were a good purchase for me ... the MT-7371 is large enough to reach my eye level without extending the centre column, lighter than if it were aluminum, extremely rigid, very strong (much in excess of the heaviest loads I place on it), and cheaper than the corresponding carbon-fibre model (which was very close to the same weight).

Maxdave

As does Maxdave; I use a pair of tripods. My standard full size tripod is the Giottos MT-8180 which, sadly, has been discontinued. However, not sadly, because of the discontinuance I got the tripod several years ago at a great price.

I also use a modified SLICK PRO 330 DX tripod with a shorter center column and a Flashpoint F-1 magnesium head (from Adorama) in the place of the SLICK heavy pan tilt head. My Giottos with MT-1300 A/C head weighs out at a bit over seven pounds. Not particularly heavy but, not something I want to carry while boonie tromping. My little modified SLICK with the tiny F-1 head tops out at 2 pounds 4 ounces but, will support my 40D and 70-200mm f/4L IS lens. It is a great boonie tromping and travel tripod.

I love the full-size Giottos tripod. It is versatile and can articulate to place your camera in just about any position which is especially great for macro work. The tripod is tall enough for me (I am 6'2") and it stays adjusted when I adjust the legs. All-in-all; I consider it a great tripod. It is solid enough to work with any head, including gimballed heads and can support virtually any camera/lens combination,

What I don't like about my Giottos is the MH-1300 A/C head. It is a very solid head but there is a safety tab on the MH-657 quick release plate which prevents other than Giottos plates from sliding in from the rear. You can see this safety stud in the fifth row of pictures from Masdave's excellent Giottos review. So when I use my RRS L-plates, I have to unlock the plate the whole way and slip the plate in from the top. That is a bit of a PITA. Not enough to switch heads but, I certainly would not purchase this head again if I had to replace heads. I could modify the L-Plate or remove the safety stub but, I am reluctant to do this,

I would definitely look at the Lava leg sets from Giottos. They appear to strike a happy compromise between cost and weight and stability.

I am just throwing this one out there... Manfrotto 190XPROB or 055XPROB Legs with something like the 496RC head is a pretty good combination. I just got my 190XPROB and love it already! Its sooo stable!

Giottos makes a nice tripod as well, I was looking into both brands but just felt the Manfrotto was a better "fit" for me.

I have a 190XDB right now, and it is a nice tripod except for two things:

Twist locks
Too short

I am looking into a Benro, Giottos, or the Manfrotto 055XPROB

Giottos are:
exceptionally made
very very sturdy
have excellent reliability
most are very easy and quickly setup
I have not heard of any break or 'go-wrong'
have very good reach (height)
patented 'cross' centre-column for flexible shooting
provide low-level shooting too!

Do I have 1 ? ---> NO (I have 2)

I really dig the twist locks, they're a lot easier to undo with cold fingers than those stupid flappy lever things that a lot of other brands use.

anyone tried out or seen the new Giottos Vitruvian Tripods? one leg unscrews, attaches to the center column, and becomes a monopod.