carbon tripods prices! -_-'

[old-newbird]

hi guys... i have been asking ard and noticed that tripod prices are getting out of hand!

so i really want to know, how much will you pay for a carbon fiber tripod leg?? branded or brandless.... layers of carbon involved... etc etc...
but honestly... are brands really important? or you guys insist on manfrotto/gitzo class brands?


thanks in advance!!

[rendition]

Don't think I'll ever go for Gitzo cuz it's way too much for a tripod for me... as in the price.

I'm currently aiming for either Velbon or Slik line of CF series with Manfrotto ballhead. I never liked their tripods though, Manfrotto.

[Headshotzx]

Tripods can last you a lifetime if you take care of it. The reason why Gitzo / Manfrotto tripods are expensive is because they need to cover the research cost as well. Other unknown brands from china just take their research blueprints and make a similar tripod for less (with not so good materials) and slaps their brand on it.

That, plus the increasing cost of Carbon during the financial crisis. Best to get CF tripods soon or else the price will rocket sky high.

[Reportage]

Originally Posted by Headshotzx Tripods can last you a lifetime if you take care of it. The reason why Gitzo / Manfrotto tripods are expensive is because they need to cover the research cost as well. Other unknown brands from china just take their research blueprints and make a similar tripod for less (with not so good materials) and slaps their brand on it. That, plus the increasing cost of Carbon during the financial crisis. Best to get CF tripods soon or else the price will rocket sky high.

either that or go for an oldie tripod aka...strong and cheap tripod will not be light.

CF may be light but by its properties, CF can still break.

[Old Boy]

After using a China made CF tripod, I felt Gitzo deserves the credit for their reputation and quality though it is more expensive. If I have to make decision from scratch, I will go straight for Gitzo and not waste money on flimsy and unrealiable brand.

[sORe-EyEz]

i am not a sucker for brand but if that particular feature is found oni in that certain brand then i may buy despite a steep price. for those looking for a simple no frills carbon fibre tripod that is really light, Slik PRO 614 CF (legs oni) is my choice.

in order of importance (IMHO):-
1)feature set
2)quality
3)price
4)weight
5)brand

[old-newbird]

Originally Posted by Reportage either that or go for an oldie tripod aka...strong and cheap tripod will not be light. CF may be light but by its properties, CF can still break.

hmm... bro... cf can break but provided if there is damage like a crack on the wall of the item.
same for tripods and car bonnets etc etc no ? so i thought that as long as the item is taken care of.. it will last too ?

of coz a good 'ole tripod is good la... but the down point is the weight only...

[old-newbird]

Originally Posted by Old Boy After using a China made CF tripod, I felt Gitzo deserves the credit for their reputation and quality though it is more expensive. If I have to make decision from scratch, I will go straight for Gitzo and not waste money on flimsy and unrealiable brand.

no good ar bro ? its like wobbly or ? wad is the brand u bought?

[RyanG]

CF is brittle although it's lightweight.

I was thinking of a CF tripod before I go for the SLIK A.M.T PRO 330DX.

Made of a combination of Aluminum, Magnesium and Titanium, I felt the built is better than CF. Weight-wise around 1.5kg. Not heavy to me compared that my army load is 10 times more.

[ianwurn]

I'd go for a alu tripod. CF is brittle and I am clumsy. Don wanna drop it and watch $$ shatter.... ha....

Also, I think the weight reduction is exponentially corrected by the price increase. Frankly, I'd rather stick to the Manfrotto 190 or 055 alu series. These are really good and sturdy. Gitzo, too pricey as well, but admittedly, research and quality is top notch.

[Reportage]

Originally Posted by RyanG CF is brittle although it's lightweight. I was thinking of a CF tripod before I go for the SLIK A.M.T PRO 330DX. Made of a combination of Aluminum, Magnesium and Titanium, I felt the built is better than CF. Weight-wise around 1.5kg. Not heavy to me compared that my army load is 10 times more.

http://www.clubsnap.com/forums/showthread.php?t=450021 try the U212 at cathay photo marina square..ask for the salesman patrick if he is around for demo. its heavy but for the low price is pretty strong. just need to change the head if using heavier gear.

Originally Posted by old-newbird hmm... bro... cf can break but provided if there is damage like a crack on the wall of the item. same for tripods and car bonnets etc etc no ? so i thought that as long as the item is taken care of.. it will last too ? of coz a good 'ole tripod is good la... but the down point is the weight only...

Not really...i dont mind throwing a steel or aluminium tripod on hard ground if need to grab camera for a shot. Its another thing throwing down a $300+ carbon fiber setup tripod on the ground and seconds would be wasted placing it on the ground. I treat my tripod like a garden tool so i doubt carbon fiber would survive my usage. If you whack aluminium or steel, they will just bend but if whack carbon fiber unless its super grade then possibly major damage.

[Old Boy]

Originally Posted by old-newbird no good ar bro ? its like wobbly or ? wad is the brand u bought?

The locking system is bad and sometime can be loose. Imagine what happen if the equipment drop because of this issue. The feel itself in getting the extensions out, indicate the poor quality. IMO,it's too flimsy and wobbly. I have not tried Slik nor Manfrotto though. Need to test it out and compare. Of course it is not necessary to get the most expensive but definitely must try the tripod before you buy. Tested what my friend used and decided to go for Gitzo. Sorry, I don't want to disclose brand name of the "bad" tripod. Don't think it's appropriate to "smear" brand name. What is more important is learn to select good tripod.

[BlackWhite]

"plus the increasing cost of Carbon during the financial crisis. "

Why would the cost of carbon be increasing during the crisis?? there should be less demand and shouldn't prices come down?

[KangS]

For the guys who really think Cf is so brittle, I guess you've not been opening yours wide enough to see the uses CF is capable of enduring. Even tried a Carbon Motorcycle rim ? A Carbon bicycle wheel ? Bicycle Frame ?

How about Carbon Pole Vault poles ??

Applied correctly, Carbon fibre is actually a lot 'tougher' in the scientific terms than the common metals like aluminium. Likewise carbon tripods. Its really the quality of the implementation, not the material itself.

[ianwurn]

Originally Posted by KangS For the guys who really think Cf is so brittle, I guess you've not been opening yours wide enough to see the uses CF is capable of enduring. Even tried a Carbon Motorcycle rim ? A Carbon bicycle wheel ? Bicycle Frame ? How about Carbon Pole Vault poles ?? Applied correctly, Carbon fibre is actually a lot 'tougher' in the scientific terms than the common metals like aluminium. Likewise carbon tripods. Its really the quality of the implementation, not the material itself.

Haha.... funny way of putting it.... but is CF tougher in specifications : Yes. Tougher in real life, not necessarily. It depends a lot on the situation.

Whilst CF has good strength, in general, it is more brittle than aluminium on impact tests. For example, if the impact on the ground was against a point (Like a knife edge), then the shattering might occur. MIGHT being the keyword. Again, this is a very specific instance and unlikely to happen for most of us. For aluminium, shattering is highly unlikely, but it bends and break at a lesser load compared to CF, given the same dimensions of the comparison CF vs alu rods.

IMHO, alu and CF tripods dont break just like that. It's prob more in my mind that I want to drop my tripods (Just like tat) on the ground, than to have a CF tripod and worry a wee bit more about it. For me, the final straw lay in the costs of the CF tripod vs an equivalent alu tripod..... but that's just me. If I had more money to burn, yeah, I'd go CF.

[Reportage]

Originally Posted by KangS For the guys who really think Cf is so brittle, I guess you've not been opening yours wide enough to see the uses CF is capable of enduring. Even tried a Carbon Motorcycle rim ? A Carbon bicycle wheel ? Bicycle Frame ? How about Carbon Pole Vault poles ?? Applied correctly, Carbon fibre is actually a lot 'tougher' in the scientific terms than the common metals like aluminium. Likewise carbon tripods. Its really the quality of the implementation, not the material itself.

depends how you want to test. but if refer to bicycle frame...http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...62681682291899

the shattering noise like glass doesnt seem very promising.

by the way..are carbon pole vaults poles hollow?

[ianwurn]

Originally Posted by Reportage by the way..are carbon pole vaults poles hollow?

Yeah, carbon pole vaults are hollow centred....

[old-newbird]

Originally Posted by Reportage http://www.clubsnap.com/forums/showthread.php?t=450021 try the U212 at cathay photo marina square..ask for the salesman patrick if he is around for demo. its heavy but for the low price is pretty strong. just need to change the head if using heavier gear. Not really...i dont mind throwing a steel or aluminium tripod on hard ground if need to grab camera for a shot. Its another thing throwing down a $300+ carbon fiber setup tripod on the ground and seconds would be wasted placing it on the ground. I treat my tripod like a garden tool so i doubt carbon fiber would survive my usage. If you whack aluminium or steel, they will just bend but if whack carbon fiber unless its super grade then possibly major damage.

i see ur point bro..

[old-newbird]

Originally Posted by Old Boy The locking system is bad and sometime can be loose. Imagine what happen if the equipment drop because of this issue. The feel itself in getting the extensions out, indicate the poor quality. IMO,it's too flimsy and wobbly. I have not tried Slik nor Manfrotto though. Need to test it out and compare. Of course it is not necessary to get the most expensive but definitely must try the tripod before you buy. Tested what my friend used and decided to go for Gitzo. Sorry, I don't want to disclose brand name of the "bad" tripod. Don't think it's appropriate to "smear" brand name. What is more important is learn to select good tripod.

ohh dang...k the locking system is those twist type or push-pull type bro ?

[old-newbird]

Originally Posted by KangS For the guys who really think Cf is so brittle, I guess you've not been opening yours wide enough to see the uses CF is capable of enduring. Even tried a Carbon Motorcycle rim ? A Carbon bicycle wheel ? Bicycle Frame ? How about Carbon Pole Vault poles ?? Applied correctly, Carbon fibre is actually a lot 'tougher' in the scientific terms than the common metals like aluminium. Likewise carbon tripods. Its really the quality of the implementation, not the material itself.

its also depends on how many layers... quality of the weaving... etc etc and its hollow too bro... of coz tt is wad i think la..but normal abuse i think shld be ok la... but if like wad bro Reportage says thn i doubt it might last longer thn a alu tripod.. no offence bro...