Tripod Recommendations: RRS / Gitzo / Leofoto / Feisol

[Cascade Hemi]

Funny how so many who get a second tier product, will go to great lengths to convince everyone else it is as good or better than the gold standard. The gold standard that earned their place at the top.

i’ve been to several field matches and leg locks do fail... last year we had three failures at our field.. I’m sure RRS had had failures, I just have not seen them. The brands that I do see fail are the very ones I hear people saying just as good and 1/2 the price etc... hell our very own MD had his head fall apart proofing a stage concept and we were on a level concrete pad... just as good I tell you

I’m on board with getting what you can afford, but then going on to justify your purchase to everyone else by bashing the gold standard, is pale. Don’t be that guy, just shoot and enjoy your purchase.

I’ll try remember to count the failures in this years match...hopefully the weather will be good.
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A tripod can't fail if it is on perpetual backorder. If I were to order a RRS Anvil 30 and a Chinesium Ablibaba tripod today, the cheap Chicom tripod would work 1000% better than the RRS tripod. There's no question which I'd rather have but one in the hand is better than two on backorder, as they say.

 

[carbonbased]

A tripod can't fail if it is on perpetual backorder. If I were to order a RRS Anvil 30 and a Chinesium Ablibaba tripod today, the cheap Chicom tripod would work 1000% better than the RRS tripod. There's no question which I'd rather have but one in the hand is better than two on backorder, as they say.

You have a point here, for sure.

 

[Diver160651]

A tripod can't fail if it is on perpetual backorder. If I were to order a RRS Anvil 30 and a Chinesium Ablibaba tripod today, the cheap Chicom tripod would work 1000% better than the RRS tripod. There's no question which I'd rather have but one in the hand is better than two on backorder, as they say.

A bird in the hand?

 

[carbonbased]

Posted this somewhere else, but it bears repeating. Heavy vs light is a tradeoff, for sure. Just don't fool yourself into thinking that tradeoff doesn't exist.

Below is an awesomely light tripod in use with a heavy object on top.

 

[TACC]

Great thread, just learned there is a lot more stuff I need to learn about prior to me jumping on the tripod purchase

 

[Nebulous]

@Nebulous Right on! Man, I miss film, and I miss large format peel-apart Polaroids the most. Type 55, I hardly knew ye!

I was exposed (sorry) to the motion world as I worked a little bit in the advertising motion industry, and they still used 35mm motion picture cameras. I remember this super cool cam meant for slow-motion, I forget it’s name (Mitchell?), but it manipulated the film like a swiss watch, pin registration etc. Amazing.

And you hit the nail on the head, the motion world is much more demanding and technical. Still photo stuff is simple in comparison. And with digital video, just reading about the formats, codecs, rectangular goddamn pixels, etc makes my head hurt.

I didn’t even mention Sachtler on purpose…browsing their wares at B&H’s site always made me giggle; I suppose NASA makes more expensive tripods, but maybe not . Also, I’ve never actually gotten to use a Sachtler; they all seem to require a floor or mid-height spread lock or they flop to floor level. Correct me if I’m wrong. That’s one of my “hard stops” on a tripod.

With a Ries, after locking the leg angles, I can pick up the whole pod and the legs don’t move. Same when I collapse it and toss it over my shoulder; it can stay together by itself (if you lock it).

I use an Arca Swiss B1 ball head, which I bought before RRS made their BH55 (or Anvil). I’ve gotten dirt in it, which makes me think of getting an Arcatech (more open ball). There’s been so much activity in the ball head arena over the years…I’m not fully back up to speed.

I like your list of considerations when buying a tripod. I’ve internalized those so much I forget to “externalize” them to people. I think one thing people don’t consider is that many leg sections, especially all maxed out = more wobbly. I prefer a 2 section tripod for more stability and faster deployment (my Ries) and that’s what intrigues me about this new RRS. It’ll stow longer and might not go low as gracefully (or at all) than a multi-section pod, but that’s the trade-off.

Why are you interested in the Sachtler flow tech? The poors want to know ?

Hey I still have a b&w darkroom, only get to use it for personal stuff but I love my time under the safety light.

Yes tripods with spreaders will open to the ground without them, floor spreaders work best on flatground obviously but are not as clumsy as they seem. I have used pods without their spreaders on soft/ uneven ground but with spiked feet.
Tripods with mid level spreaders end up being (IMO) most useful for rapid off hand deployment while holding a heavy camera. When you have a 20+lb ENG rig on your shoulder if the spreader is set you can just flick the pod open and clip the camera in. When you need to go unclip, hug with your left and your moving. In the end you can typically buy whichever spreader you don't have down the road.
The flowtech is the next step in speed and ergos. By taking the leg height adjustment to the top of the legs with a single leaver lock controlling all the stages, you can keep a hand on the camera and don't have to bend over to adjust the bottom stages or move around the pod.
While I personally can't justify the cost, I really want to handle one since its actually something new in the tripod world.

Most of my personal pods are the ones I beat the hell out of, both of my aluminum manfrottos have seen saltwater, below 0 temps and desert conditions and were only a few hundred buck a piece and if anything I own them at this point. When I need the big stuff I rent.
I had the rare opportunity to learn on on the ArriCam studio and lite shooting super35, talk about being scared to even touch the the camera due to its value. But working with such heavy and valuable cameras makes you really respect the sticks you throw them on and understand the difference between a 5k setup and a 20k setup.

 

[delfuego]

I have been looking at these four brands for a PRS usage tripod.
I understand the RRS is the premier brand, but am trying to find something that is less expensive, and will work well.
I am looking for something that can do both optics and gun.

Consider that nobody allows tripods anymore at PMS matches. If there is a "tripod stage", the tripod is usually provided by the "stage sponsor". You might get a stage every now and again that will allow you to hold the stock against the leg of a tripod. You certainly dont need a $1k tripod for that.

Get something that will hold you binos and call it a day. If later on you want more, get something more. Most everyone at a match will let you borrow their $1k tripod or whatever.

 

[CageFighter]

Two Vets - 40 Mike Mike w RRS head.

 

[wpgk58]

Posted this somewhere else, but it bears repeating. Heavy vs light is a tradeoff, for sure. Just don't fool yourself into thinking that tradeoff doesn't exist.

Below is an awesomely light tripod in use with a heavy object on top.

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The next new PRS Stage for 2020...