Tripod question - Carbon Fibre vs Aluminium stableness

I hope someone can help me answer a general question. I get the benefits of carbon fibure - lighter, stronger, takes more weight, better handling of any vibration...

If I have 2 tripods, one aluminium and one carbon fibre, and they both have the same maximum weight load. Assuming construction, head, etc is the same given carbon fibre's properties it would be a lighter tripod.

My question is if the carbon fibre tripod is lighter, in a windy or so environment would the carbon fibre tripod be less stable than the aluminium, as it weighs less?

i think in a real situation, you'd weigh both tripods down with your camera bag or some kind of weight.

I'm about to answer that question myself, because I'm switching from an alloy 055PROB to a carbon version, in all other respects the same.

While carbon is supposedly better at absorbing vibration, I can well imagine that being lighter, in very windy conditions it will be less secure. I'm planning to modify my homemade ballhead mounting socket to reduce its weight anyway and will add a proper stainless steel snapshackle hanging down beneath the socket, where the centre column would normally sit, while I'm at it. I should then be able to use my camera bag as extra mass to damp down any vibration.

Lowner wrote in post #11121217
I'm about to answer that question myself, because I'm switching from an alloy 055PROB to a carbon version, in all other respects the same.

While carbon is supposedly better at absorbing vibration, I can well imagine that being lighter, in very windy conditions it will be less secure. I'm planning to modify my homemade ballhead mounting socket to reduce its weight anyway and will add a proper stainless steel snapshackle hanging down beneath the socket, where the centre column would normally sit, while I'm at it. I should then be able to use my camera bag as extra mass to damp down any vibration.

Ohhhh! I'm planning to make the exact same switch; I would be very interested in hearing your thoughts on it once you have the new one.

I will if Castle Cameras ever get it in. They ordered it more than three weeks ago for me and still no sign of it! I find it difficult to believe they are in short supply.

Edited to add: Now over 4 weeks and no sign of it. Manfrotto on strike or something?

Edit Number 2: The order was not placed until 25th October, 3 weeks AFTER I asked the shop to order it. Then Manfrotto "lost" the order until I chased it myself. Manfrotto have owned up and promised me its will be delivered to the retailer on Tuesday 2nd November! I shall be having words with Castle Cameras.

I used my Gitzo ontop a 59 story Office building in August while taking photos and had no more movement and vibrations from the wind than I use to have with my Manfrotto 190 Pro tripod with the same ball mount. The Gitzo also has a hook on the bottom for hanging your bag from, but I found that the bag was getting tossed around in the wind and caused movement.

There were 2 other photographers with Metal Manfrotto tripods taking photos at the same time as me, and they were complaining about wind. The biggest amount of movement I seen, was actually the building swaying in the wind gusts.

--Evan

Evan,

Hopefully the building was swaying at a low enough frequency not to give you any issues other than seasickness? I remember a high rise Spanish hotel that took a bit of getting used to.

Evan Idler wrote in post #11123537
I used my Gitzo ontop a 59 story Office building in August while taking photos and had no more movement and vibrations from the wind than I use to have with my Manfrotto 190 Pro tripod with the same ball mount. The Gitzo also has a hook on the bottom for hanging your bag from, but I found that the bag was getting tossed around in the wind and caused movement.

There were 2 other photographers with Metal Manfrotto tripods taking photos at the same time as me, and they were complaining about wind. The biggest amount of movement I seen, was actually the building swaying in the wind gusts.

--Evan

I don't think i'll ever be on top of a building any time soon but worth knowing. In Evan's experience, carbon fibre not as much vibration as aluminium.

Given my budget and my immediate need I pulled for an aluminium travel tripod for Egypt. London isn't too windy so should be OK for the near future. I'll save up for a more heaty duty carbon fibre one next

Vibration dampening is a different characteristic than rigidity of material.

The torsional forces of wind on a long lens is a different issue that the wind moving a mass (weight), as the rigidity of the system is what resists the torsion. In a strong wind, an aluminum tripod having the same mass as a carbon fiber tripod has less rigidity. Gitzo makes audio booms of carbon fiber or aluminum, and the carbon fiber boom is longer than the aluminum one by 7% yet has the same load rating.

Any A-B comparison testing that folks are planning on doing should be in a gusty wind, which is where I first noticed the torsion of wind on a long lens while out on location in Hawaii year ago.

I bought a 055CXPRO4 carbon fiber tripod two days ago, sure it is lighter and reduce vibration better.

However my main reason with justifying the price is the weather, i will not carry around an 055 aluminum tripod in the middle of winter in knee high snow.
Had i bought the cheaper version i would have left the tripod athome 9/10 times and then what good is it.
I carried my old and new tripods from a cold car today and there was a massive difference i felt i needed gloves for the aluminum one had it not been a short walk to the door, no such sensation on the carbon fiber , and this wasn't even below freezing we get -25C here regularly.

Lowner wrote in post #11121217
I'm about to answer that question myself, because I'm switching from an alloy 055PROB to a carbon version, in all other respects the same.

While carbon is supposedly better at absorbing vibration, I can well imagine that being lighter, in very windy conditions it will be less secure. I'm planning to modify my homemade ballhead mounting socket to reduce its weight anyway and will add a proper stainless steel snapshackle hanging down beneath the socket, where the centre column would normally sit, while I'm at it. I should then be able to use my camera bag as extra mass to damp down any vibration.

i had the carbon manfrotto and one thing i did not like was the legs did not drop down with gravity like the aluminum model. each had to pulled out which made setting up a little more of a hassle. it was very sturdy tho.

ed rader

Wilt wrote in post #11125628
Vibration dampening is a different characteristic than rigidity of material.

The torsional forces of wind on a long lens is a different issue that the wind moving a mass (weight), as the rigidity of the system is what resists the torsion. In a strong wind, an aluminum tripod having the same mass as a carbon fiber tripod has less rigidity. Gitzo makes audio booms of carbon fiber or aluminum, and the carbon fiber boom is longer than the aluminum one by 7% yet has the same load rating.

However, actual design and construction are going to "weigh" in heavily when it comes to rigidity. There are poorly designed carbon fiber tripods and well-designed aluminum tripods.

RDKirk wrote in post #11183608
However, actual design and construction are going to "weigh" in heavily when it comes to rigidity. There are poorly designed carbon fiber tripods and well-designed aluminum tripods.

^^^
Even if the legs themselves do not flex, there is still the spider with the attachment of the legs that can contribute significantly to wind torsional motion twisting.

All interesting posts, the weight of the legs was something I never considered, nor how cold to the touch the surface might be. Being originally from windy Wellington (NZ) and now living in London I thought I knew what cold was, obviously not!

It seldoms goes below 0oC here so any sight of single digits and the gloves are on! Obviously I'll have trouble climatising to -25!!

I ended up springing for a Giottos travel tripod. Light enough for my upcoming trip to Egypt and good enough for general purpose around London. You guys in N America are spoilt for choice, most camera stores here only stock Manfrotto, Giottos, and Gitzo. Other than that you can't get your 'hands on' anything to see/try the real thing.

Will probably look to upgrade to carbon fibre when I add on the heavier telephotos and xD body. Can't wait!!

minstral,

One of the benefits of living in a city like London, the temperature is always higher than the surrounding countryside. The same is true if you live near large bodies (the larger the better) of water, because water absorbs the suns heat during the summer and releases it during the winter. Like a large storage heater!